Six New Members Elected to the Minnesota Historical Society Executive Council

ST. PAUL, Minn (December 10, 2024) – The membership of the Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) elected six new members to the Executive Council at its 175th Annual Meeting in November:

Jesse Bethke Gomez - St. Paul: Executive Director of Metropolitan Center for Independent Living. His mother’s (Irene Gomez-Bethke) papers are in the MNHS collections, and her life story is in the subject of an article on MNopedia.

Dustin B. Heckman - Two Harbors: Director of Glensheen in Duluth, part of the University of Minnesota-Duluth campus.

Bridget A. Larson-Lindner - Warroad: An enthusiastic social work educator with a strong desire to help students recognize the connection between learning and experience.

John Pacheco, Jr. - Minneapolis: Founder and president of the Latino Chamber of Commerce of MN, Metropolitan Council Member and board member of the Minneapolis Regional Chamber.

Daniel (Dan) W. Shogren - North Oaks:  Member of MNHS since 1995, has served on several boards including the State Fair Foundation and the University of Minnesota-Duluth Tweed Museum.

Dr. Kyle R. Ward - Mankato: Director of the Social Studies Education Program at Minnesota State University-Mankato, and author of several books on military history and historiography.

“The Minnesota Historical Society is extremely fortunate to welcome these new members to our Executive Council,” said Kent Whitworth, director and CEO of MNHS. “The knowledge, expertise, and experience each new member brings will help us carry out our mission of creating a powerful engagement with history.”

In addition, Judge John (Jack) R. Tunheim and Noelle P. Turner were re-elected to a second, three-year term on the Executive Council, and Stephanie L. Fehr, Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Richard C. Nash, and Dr. Anton S. Treuer were re-elected to third, three-year terms.

Phyllis Rawls Goff and William (Bill) R. Stoeri, both past presidents of MNHS, and Barbara W. Sommer, who has provided leadership in the oral history field for more than 40 years, also were elected to the MNHS Honorary Council, for lifelong terms.

About the Minnesota Historical Society

The Minnesota Historical Society is a non-profit educational and cultural institution established in 1849. MNHS collects, preserves and tells the story of Minnesota’s past through museum exhibits, libraries and collections, historic sites, educational programs, and book publishing. Using the power of history to transform lives, MNHS preserves our past, shares our state’s stories, and connects people with history.