Institutional Giving

ENRIQUE OLIVAREZ, JR., Director
eolivarez@americanpublicmedia.org

Enrique has raised funds for American Public Media/Minnesota Public Radio programming for over ten years. He has served as Director of Institutional Giving for one year and served as a Senior Development Officer for 9 years. He has worked in fundraising for over twenty years at organizations such as Walker Art Center, MacPhail Center for the Arts, and the Indian Health Board of Minneapolis. At APM | MPR, Enrique manages a staff of four who solicits and manages grants from national and regional private foundations, federal and local government agencies, and corporate foundations. Enrique works with foundations that are interested in supporting general operating efforts, as well as project and program support.

MEGAN UEBELACKER, Senior Development Officer
muebelacker@americanpublicmedia.org

Megan serves as Senior Development Officer for American Public Media's "Marketplace" suite of programs, where she solicits and manages foundation funding for the programs. Prior to this position, she worked as a fundraiser and administrator for KIPP Austin Public Schools, WNYC New York Public Radio, the New Orleans Ballet Association, Southern Rep, and Classic Stage Company (NY). Uebelacker holds degrees from Wellesley College, the University of New Orleans, and the American Repertory Theatre/Moscow Art Theatre Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard University.

NICK LEITHEISER, Development Officer
nleitheiser@mpr.org

Nick joined Minnesota Public Radio | American Public Media in 2009 and currently solicits and manages private foundation, corporate and government grants for the Public Insight Network, the American RadioWorks documentary unit, and Minnesota Public Radio's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund grant from the Minnesota Legacy Amendment.

COLLEEN SCHECK, Development Officer
cscheck@americanpublicmedia.org

Colleen got hooked on public radio during a "driveway moment" in 1999. Wanting to get involved however possible, she joined the MPR Newsroom as a project coordinator. Since then she's worked as a producer for the Peabody-award winning program On Being with Krista Tippett, and as a project manager for American Public Media's national programming division. She currently secures and manages general operating and project grants for Minnesota Public Radio, On Being, and APM's national classical music programs.

HANS BUETOW, Development Coordinator
hbuetow@mpr.org

Hans started his radio career working as an Associate Producer on the American Public Media program Pipedreams. From there he moved to work as the Senior Administrative Assistant for the classical music departments at both Minnesota Public Radio and American Public Media. He currently works securing and managing general operating and Annual Fund grants for Minnesota Public Radio, as well as supporting the Institutional Giving team in securing, managing, and reporting grants across the portfolio.

 

Major Gifts

CHRISTINE SOLSO, Director
csolso@mpr.org

Christine joined the MPR | APM staff in February 2012, to direct the major and planned giving team. She has over 20 years of fundraising and campaign experience, and helped develop major and planned giving programs at Macalester and Carleton Colleges. An attorney by background, Chris's work in major and planned gift fundraising focuses on understanding and matching the interests of individual donors with the goals and objectives of MPR | APM.

DEBORAH BROWN HANSON, Principal Gift Officer
dhanson@mpr.org

Deborah Hanson works with friends of Minnesota Public Radio and American Public Media whose generosity significantly advances our mission. Hanson has been deeply involved in the growth of APM | MPR's major giving program since 2007, serving in multiple capacities. Prior to joining MPR, Deborah served as a senior development leader at TPT (Twin Cities Public Television) and the Minnesota Orchestra. Deborah is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and holds a degree in History. She is a member of AFP, the Minnesota Planned Giving Council, and a board member of the University of Wisconsin-River Falls Foundation.

JOE THIEGS, Senior Planned Giving Officer
jthiegs@mpr.org

Joe Thiegs came to the organization in 2012 to help donors make gifts to MPR and APM as part of their estate and financial plans - through will and revocable trust provisions, beneficiary designations, charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts, and other vehicles. Prior to joining MPR | APM, Joe was Associate Director of Advancement at the University of Minnesota Law School, Planned Giving Officer at the University of Minnesota Foundation, and a trusts and estates attorney at Dorsey & Whitney LLP in Minneapolis. He serves or has served on several boards and committees, including the Board of Directors of the Minnesota Planned Giving Council, the Governing Council and the Legislation Committee of the Minnesota State Bar Association's Probate & Trust Law Section, and the Board of Directors of the Minnesota Orchestra's Crescendo Project. Joe was named a "Rising Star" of Minnesota law by Minnesota Law & Politics magazine in each of his last three years of private practice and again in 2009. He is a 1999 cum laude graduate of the University of Minnesota Law School, where he was a Managing Editor for Law and Inequality: A Journal of Theory and Practice and won First Prize in the school's 1999 Nathan Burkan Memorial Competition for legal writing. He received his undergraduate degree in 1996 from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

PAUL ODEGAARD, Planned Giving Officer
podegaard@mpr.org

Paul has been with the organization since 2011. In his current role, Paul works closely with enthusiastic MPR members to ensure the programs and stations they love are vibrant for the next generation of audiences by using charitable planning tools. He also partners the visions of individual donors and the organization to enhance current and future operations through outright gifts. Prior to his current position, Paul spent five years at Macalester College, his alma mater, as Associate Director of their Annual Fund.

STEVE CRANDALL, Senior Development Officer
scrandall@mpr.org

Steve Crandall came to MPR in March of 2011 from St. Cloud State University where he worked as a Major Gifts Officer for the University Foundation raising funds for the College of Fine Arts & Humanities and the College of Social Science. Crandall brings 15 years of professional fundraising experience with several civic non-profit organizations and in higher education.

Crandall works with Leadership Circle members for annual membership support as well as raising vital restricted funds through major gifts to support specific areas of programming for MPR News, Classical MPR and The Current.

JAMIE ZIEMANN, Development Officer
jziemann@mpr.org

Jamie Ziemann grew up in Wisconsin, and moved to the Twin Cities in 1999 to work for Minnesota Public Radio. She spent her first three years in the Traffic department, while also volunteering for the member drives. In 2003, Jamie transitioned to the Development division so she could work more closely with members of MPR. Jamie managed MPR's Leadership Circle giving program for eight years, and was promoted to Development Officer in January 2011. Jamie is pleased to be a part of MPR's fundraising team, and finds great joy in her daily interactions with fellow MPR supporters who share her same passion for public radio. Jamie currently works with Leadership Circle members for annual membership support and raises vital designated funds through major gifts to support specific areas of programming for MPR News, Classical MPR and The Current. She is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

SARA JOHNSON, Leadership Circle Coordinator
sjohnson@mpr.org

Sara Johnson joined Minnesota Public Radio in December of 2010. In her role as Leadership Circle Coordinator, Sara is passionate about engaging members of the Leadership Circle with the many services of MPR and the ways their generous support helps make innovation and creativity possible throughout the organization. Prior to coming to MPR, Sara spent two years promoting local, green businesses as Sustainable Business Accounts Manager at Chinook Book.