MINNEAPOLIS FED - Key Persons

Aaron Zabler

Job Titles:

Assistant Vice President, Supervision, Regulation, and Credit

As an officer in the Safety and Soundness section, Aaron is responsible for managing staff who conduct examinations of community and regional banking organizations in the Ninth District. He joined the Minneapolis Fed in 2005 as an assistant examiner and gained experience examining banking organizations through the 2007-09 financial crisis. He spent some time in large bank supervision before moving into a management role. Aaron has a B.S. in business from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. We serve the public by pursuing a growing economy and stable financial system that work for all of us.

Abigail Wozniak

Job Titles:

Member of the Officers Team
Vice President and Director, Opportunity & Inclusive Growth Institute

Al Ekblad Helena - Chairman

Job Titles:

Chairman of the Board
Helena Board Chair
Managing Partner of Strategic Labor Partnerships
Member of the Montana AFL - CIO Executive Board

Al Ekblad is the senior and managing partner of Strategic Labor Partnerships, a labor-focused consulting firm based in Helena, Montana. He retired in 2021 as executive secretary of the Montana State AFL-CIO, which advocates for 38 unions, 500 locals, and 50,000 Montana workers and is based in Helena. Ekblad began his career as a union pipeline and highway laborer. His service in labor leadership began in 1987, and he served in a variety of roles including campaign staff, training, and staff director, as well as a union organizer for the Operating Engineers Local 400. He was elected to the executive board of the Montana AFL-CIO in 2009. Mr. Ekblad currently serves as a member of the Montana AFL-CIO executive board and on the National AFL-CIO Federal Reserve Bank working group. Previously he served as president of the AFL-CIO Western Council, on the general board of the National AFL-CIO, and on the executive committee of the Montana State Workforce Innovation Board.

Alene Tchourumoff

al..@mpls.frb.org

Job Titles:

Member of the Senior Management Team
Chief Human Resources Officer of the Human Resources and Inclusion Division, Senior Vice President of the Learning Management Support Office, and Senior Vice President of the Community Development
Senior Vice President, Human Resources and Inclusion, Learning Management Support Office and Community Development and Engagement

Alene Tchourumoff is chief human resources officer of the Human Resources and Inclusion Division, senior vice president of the Learning Management Support Office, and senior vice president of the Community Development and Engagement Division, which includes the Center for Indian Country Development. In these roles she leads the Bank's internal human resources as well as the Bank's external engagement with communities throughout the Ninth District, with an emphasis on low- and moderate-income people and those living in Indian Country. Prior to joining the Bank in December 2018, Alene served as chair of Minnesota's Metropolitan Council, where she built strong partnerships with local governments and community groups to advance transit, housing, and other critical infrastructure. She has also held leadership roles in the executive branch of the State of Minnesota and Hennepin County. Alene holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from George Washington University School of Business and a master's degree in public policy from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. Alene was named a 2020 Women in Business honoree by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal and is chair of the Family Housing Fund Board and a trustee of the Minnesota Science Museum.

Amy Brenengen

Job Titles:

Member of the Officers Team
Assistant Vice President, Human Resources and Inclusion

Amy is part of the leadership team responsible for all human resources activity and oversees talent development, relationship management, compensation, and people analytics. Amy joined the Minneapolis Fed in 2011 as the project director for the Office of Minority and Women Inclusion, where she was part of the team responsible for all Bank matters relating to diversity in management, employment, and business activities. Before joining the Bank, Amy served at the Minnesota Legislature as the director of the Office on the Economic Status of Women. She also served as the program director at WomenVenture. Amy earned her undergraduate degree from the College of St. Benedict and her graduate degree from Hamline University.

Amy Kytonen

Job Titles:

Member of the Officers Team
Chief Operating Officer and Vice President, Treasury Services

Amy Kytonen is responsible for day-to-day operations for the Treasury Services Division, including budget oversight, communications, and change management. She also manages the division's strategic planning and reporting. Amy was previously vice president of the Credit Risk Management, Payment System Risk, and Reserves function of the Minneapolis Fed, where she oversaw local and nationwide activities for the discount window. This work included operationalizing the Paycheck Protection Program Liquidity Facility during the pandemic, and supporting collaboration among discount window officers to ensure consistent application of policies throughout the Federal Reserve System. In the past, she has also led various functions for the Federal Reserve Automated Clearinghouse (FedACH®), National Information Technology, and the Financial Services Policy Committee Support Office. She started her Minneapolis Fed career in 1992 as an intern. Amy has a B.A. in economics, business, and Spanish from the University of Minnesota Morris and an MBA from the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota.

Amy Phenix

Job Titles:

Member of the Senior Management Team
Senior Vice President, Public Affairs, Law Enforcement, Facilities, and Cash

Amy leads Public Affairs, which includes strategic communications, digital engagement, regional economic analysis and outreach, and government relations, Law Enforcement, and Facilities. Her work advances the Bank's mission by building public trust and understanding and ensuring exceptional stewardship of the Bank's assets and property. She previously served as chief of staff for the president of the University of Minnesota, director of communications and public relations at Macalester College, vice president of marketing and communications at Allina Health, and communications director for the Office of the Mayor of Minneapolis. She holds an MBA from the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management and a B.A. from Macalester College.

Anand Krishnan

Job Titles:

Member of the Officers Team
Vice President, Supervision, Regulation, and Credit

Anand Krishnan leads various data-driven aspects of supervision, with a focus on stress testing. Anand previously led a team dedicated to stress testing and risk identification in the large and foreign banking organization portfolio. He also led various data-oriented System projects. Before joining the Bank in 2018, he served as an advanced risk specialist at the Dallas Fed with a focus on stress testing and model risk management. Prior to joining the Federal Reserve System, Anand worked in consumer banking in the private sector, managing teams that built and/or validated models for various purposes. He also worked as a scientist in the semiconductor industry for 10 years. Anand holds a bachelor's degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, an M.S. and a Ph.D. in materials science from Penn State, and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He also holds the financial risk manager designation.

Andrea L. Turner

Job Titles:

Member of the Officers Team
Vice President, Human Resources and Inclusion

Andrea leads Human Resources and Inclusion, including talent management, recruiting, compensation and benefits, employee relations, and training and development. She also serves as the deputy director for the Bank's Office of Minority and Women Inclusion, which is housed within HRI. Andrea was most recently human resources director for the city of St. Paul. Immediately prior, she served as human resources director for the Minnesota Departments of Administration and Education. Andrea holds a B.A. in English literature from Swarthmore College and a J.D. from Case Western Reserve University.

Andrea Raffo - SVP

Job Titles:

Director of Research
Member of the Senior Management Team
Senior Vice President
Senior Vice President and Director of Research / Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
Senior Vice President and Director of Research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis

Andrea Raffo is senior vice president and director of research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. His career with the Federal Reserve has spanned nearly two decades. Andrea began as an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. Before coming to Minneapolis, he spent 15 years working for the Board of Governors, where he held a number of positions and served most recently as associate director of the Board's International Finance Division. In 2017, he received the Board's Special Achievement Award. Andrea received a B.A. and an M.Ec. from Bocconi University and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles. His research as an economist has centered on international economics, macroeconomics, and international finance, and his work has appeared in publications such as the Journal of Monetary Economics and the Journal of International Economics.

Andrea Walsh - CEO, President

Job Titles:

CEO
Director
President
President and CEO of HealthPartners

Andrea Walsh is president and CEO of HealthPartners, a nonprofit, integrated health system serving 1.8 million health plan members and 1.2 million patients in Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Walsh was appointed president and CEO in 2017. She joined HealthPartners in 1994 as corporate counsel and served in positions on the HealthPartners senior executive team for more than 20 years. Prior to joining HealthPartners, she practiced law and was an assistant commissioner at the Minnesota Department of Health. Walsh currently serves on and chairs the boards of the YMCA of the North and the Minnesota Business Partnership. She is a graduate of the University of Kansas and the University of Minnesota Law School.

Anjali Gandhi

Job Titles:

Member of the Senior Management Team
Senior Vice President for the Treasury Business
Senior Vice President, Treasury Business and Delivery Services

Anjali Gandhi is senior vice president for the Treasury business line, where she's accountable for the modernization of the retail securities customer facing portfolio that empowers the American public to save and invest in U.S. Treasury securities. Prior to taking on this role in 2024, Anjali served as chief information officer and led the Ninth District's Information Technology, Information Security, Enterprise Risk, and Data Privacy functions. She also had oversight of the Minneapolis Fed-assigned Federal Reserve System National IT functions. Before joining the Bank in 2018, Anjali was a technology leader at Ameriprise Financial. She received a master's degree in management information systems from Florida International University and a bachelor's degree in India. Anjali serves on the state's Technology Advisory Council, a permanent body that advises Minnesota IT Services. She received the Minnesota CIO of the Year award for the nonprofit/public sector from the Inspire Leadership Network's ORBIE Awards in 2022.

Ayushi Narayan

ay..@mpls.frb.org

Job Titles:

Economist, Community Development and Engagement

Ayushi Narayan conducts research on labor market institutions to help the Community Development and Engagement team understand how employment-related policies and trends affect low- and moderate-income communities. Prior to joining the Bank, her work included roles at the Council of Economic Advisers, Nike, and Amazon. Ayushi received her Ph.D. in economics from Harvard University and her B.A. from Dartmouth College.

Benjamin A. Malin

Job Titles:

Member of the Officers Team
Vice President, Research

Benjamin Etten

Job Titles:

Member of the Officers Team
Assistant Vice President, Treasury Services

Ben Etten contributes to the transformation of the Bank's customer relationship management (CRM) process. Prior to joining the Bank in 2024, he spent 12 years focused on technology in the health insurance industry, doing work ranging from application development to enterprise-wide implementations.

Bill Howden

Job Titles:

Member of the Officers Team
Assistant Vice President of Facilities Management

Bill Howden is assistant vice president of Facilities Management, where he oversees all operations related to maintenance, repair, assessment, planning, and vendor management for the Minneapolis Fed's property and built environment. Bill also manages the mail room and event services, and represents the Ninth District on System workstreams. Bill has a master's degree in real estate and construction from the University of Denver, a bachelor's degree in facilities management from North Dakota State University, and numerous professional certifications and licenses in the field.

Brenda K. Foster

Job Titles:

Director
Chairman, President, and CEO of First Western Bank & Trust

Brenda Foster is the chairman, president, and CEO of First Western Bank & Trust, headquartered in Minot, North Dakota, with branches and offices in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota. Foster has been employed with First Western since 1981 and was appointed president and CEO by the board of directors in 2015. Prior to her promotion, she held the position of executive vice president. Foster is a member of the Minot State University Board of Regents and the North Dakota State Banking Board. She is an advisory board member for the Bank of North Dakota as well as a director-at-large for the Independent Community Bankers of America and a representative of the Federal Delegate Board. She earned a bachelor's degree in accounting with a concentration in banking and finance from Minot State University.

Brendan Murrin

Job Titles:

Member of the Officers Team
Vice President, Supervision, Regulation, and Credit

Brendan joined the Minneapolis Fed in 2000 as a bank examiner. Since then, he has worked in a variety of roles, including risk specialist, large bank examiner, and central point of contact for U.S. Bancorp. His current responsibilities include leadership within System Supervision management groups. He leads a team focusing on supporting the large banking organizations supervision program and on enhancing the supervision of community banking organizations. Brendan is a graduate of Bethel University in St. Paul.

Brooke Tosi

Job Titles:

Member of the Officers Team
Vice President, Research
Vice President of the Research Division
Vice President, Research / Minneapolis, Minnesota

Brooke Tosi is vice president of the Research Division, where she provides direction and supervision for Research initiatives and core operations. Brooke began her career at the Fed as an associate librarian, later becoming director of operations and support in the Research Division, then assistant vice president of Research. Brooke has led initiatives to broaden public access to Research Division publications and data, adopt cloud technology, and develop metadata models and standards. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and German from Augustana University and a Master of Science degree in library and information science from Long Island University.

Byron Reeves

Job Titles:

Member of the Officers Team
Vice President, Program Assurance Function

Byron Reeves leads program assurance activities across the Federal Reserve System. The Program Assurance Function, which is part of National IT, is charged with delivering technology programs and projects that address evolving business needs and support strategic priorities. Prior to joining the Minneapolis Fed in 2024, Byron served as assistant vice president for IT Strategy and Enterprise Platforms with the Richmond Fed. He joined the Federal Reserve System in 2017 as a program director in Richmond, where he supported a technology program for supervision and regulation at the Board of Governors. Byron holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Virginia Tech and an MBA with a concentration in technology and finance from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Cara Kolb

Job Titles:

Member of the Senior Management Team
Senior Vice President, Information Technology and Program Assurance Function

Cara leads several information technology teams responsible for delivering solutions that address evolving business needs and strategic priorities for the Bank. Since joining the Bank in 2004, she has held various positions in Treasury Services and IT. Notably, Cara has led the Federal Reserve National IT End User Services' Solutions Management team, Business Management and Internal Communications team, and Endpoint, Messaging, and Mobility Operations team. Cara has also served as the director of the National Service Desk. Cara has a B.A. in history and sociology from the University of Minnesota and an M.A. in management from Hamline University.

Caryn Mohr

ca..@mpls.frb.org

Job Titles:

Senior Writer
Senior Writer, Community Development and Engagement / Minneapolis, MN

Caryn Mohr is a senior writer for Community Development and Engagement at the Minneapolis Fed. In this role, she creates content to increase awareness of community development trends and economic opportunities in low- and moderate-income communities. Caryn previously led communications for a unit at the University of Minnesota and worked as a speechwriter for Mayo Clinic. Earlier in her career, Caryn worked as an applied researcher, leading a variety of qualitative and quantitative studies as a research scientist at Wilder Research. She has a master's degree in public affairs from the University of Minnesota Humphrey School of Public Affairs and a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.

Casey Lozar

ca..@mpls.frb.org

Job Titles:

Member of the Officers Team
Vice President at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
Vice President, Director of Center for Indian Country Development

Casey Lozar is a vice president at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis and director of the Center for Indian Country Development (CICD), a research and policy institute that works to advance the economic self-determination and prosperity of Native nations and Indigenous communities. Before assuming leadership of CICD, Casey was assistant vice president/outreach executive in the Bank's department of Public Affairs, and the leader of our Helena Branch. Prior to joining the Minneapolis Fed in 2018, Casey served in economic development and higher education roles for the State of Montana. Additionally, he held executive leadership positions in national Native American nonprofits, including the American Indian College Fund and the Notah Begay III Foundation. Casey received degrees from Dartmouth College and Harvard University and an MBA from the University of Colorado-Denver. Casey is the 2021 recipient of the Janet L. Yellen Award for Excellence in Community Development and a 2022 recipient of the Honorary Leadership Award from the Native American Finance Officers Association. A Montana native, Casey was raised on the Flathead Indian Reservation and is an enrolled member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.

Chelsie Glaubitz Gabiou

Job Titles:

Director
President of the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation

Chelsie Glaubitz Gabiou is president of the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation (MRLF), AFL-CIO. The MRLF comprises 175 affiliated unions in the Minneapolis area, organizing in Hennepin, Anoka, Carver, McLeod, Meeker, Scott, and Wright counties. After joining the MRLF in 2012, Glaubitz Gabiou was elected to her position in 2015. Her prior labor experience includes a field organizer position with the Southeast Minnesota Area Labor Council, AFL-CIO. She began her career as a grocery store clerk at Cub Foods and is a member of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 653. Glaubitz Gabiou currently chairs the board of Working Partnerships and serves on the boards of the Greater Twin Cities United Way, Achieve Twin Cities, Meet Minneapolis, and the Minneapolis Workplace Advisory Committee. She is an executive board member for the Minnesota AFL-CIO and a board member of the National AFL-CIO.

Chris Hilger

Job Titles:

Chairman, Class C Director
Chairman, President, and CEO of Securian Financial

Chris Hilger is chairman, president, and CEO of Securian Financial, based in St. Paul, Minnesota. Securian is the seventh largest insurance company in the nation based on total life insurance business in force. Hilger is a 30-year veteran of the insurance industry and has been employed by Securian since 2004 with the company's acquisition of Allied Solutions. After having served as executive vice president, Hilger was named president in 2012, CEO in 2015, and chairman of the board in 2017. Hilger serves on the boards of Donaldson Company Inc. and the St. Paul Downtown Alliance and is a member of the executive committee for the Minnesota Business Partnership and the Knight Foundation's St. Paul Community Advisory Committee. His past affiliations include a seat on the board of the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation and the American Bankers Insurance Association. Hilger holds a bachelor's degree in finance from Indiana University.

Chris Riba

Job Titles:

Assistant Vice President, Supervision, Regulation, and Credit

Chris Riba leads teams that are responsible for ensuring the safety and soundness of Ninth District state member banks, community bank holding companies, and regional banking organizations. Chris began his career in 2006 as an assistant community bank examiner at the Minneapolis Fed. He went on to coordinate supervision for a portfolio of Ninth District community banking organizations until his promotion to assistant vice president in 2017. As assistant vice president, he served as the Community Banking Organization (CBO) supervisory enhancements officer with responsibility for identifying opportunities to improve efficiency and effectiveness of CBO supervision processes before moving to his current role as a community and regional supervision officer. Chris has a bachelor's degree in finance from St. Cloud State University and is a graduate of the Graduate School of Banking at Colorado.

Christina Miller

Job Titles:

Member of the Officers Team
Assistant Vice President, Cash Services

Christina leads teams in Minneapolis and Helena supporting Cash operations, including currency and coin processing, distribution to district financial institutions, and related compliance and technology activities. Christina joined the Federal Reserve System in 2012, starting in the Minneapolis Fed's Treasury Services. Before moving to Cash, she was assistant vice president within Federal Reserve Financial Services (FRFS) where she played a key role in the development and implementation of FRFS's risk management program and led enterprise risk management, governance, reporting, and administration. Prior to joining the Bank, Christina worked for the University of Minnesota's Center for Transportation Studies as a research coordinator and served as a senior pricing analyst for Delta Airlines and its predecessor. She holds a bachelor's degree in aviation management from Purdue University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Minnesota.

Christine Gaffney

Job Titles:

Member of the Senior Management Team
Senior Vice President, Treasury Services

Cuc Warzonek

Job Titles:

Member of the Officers Team
Vice President of Treasury Services
Vice President, Treasury Services / Minneapolis, Minnesota

Cuc Warzonek is a vice president of Treasury Services, where she leads the public-facing financial operations of the division. She joined the Minneapolis Fed in 2022 after serving for 11 years as regional vice president for a world-leading cash logistics and security company, with responsibility for quality metrics, optimization, and controls. Cuc has a bachelor's degree in business management from Hamline University.

Daniel From

Job Titles:

Member of the Officers Team
Assistant Vice President, Federal Reserve Financial Services

Daniel From leads teams that test proper functioning of several financial transaction products and services provided by the Federal Reserve to ensure the effective movement of money in our economy. Daniel has been with the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis for 14 years and has spent the last 12 years in System-wide roles that are customer-facing and focused on information-technology strategy. His expertise includes leading cross-functional projects that span divisions and the broader System.

Danita Ng

Job Titles:

Member of the Officers Team
Vice President, Supervision, Regulation, and Credit

Danita supports SRC's strategic goals and manages the budget, statistical and structure reporting, and operations functions. She joined the Bank in 2016 as special policy counsel and continued serving as chief of staff to President Neel Kashkari. Prior to joining the Minneapolis Fed, Danita served as deputy chief of staff for policy and communications for the minority leader of the California State Assembly. She earned a B.A. from Wellesley College and a J.D. from the University of Arizona.

Deb Poteet

Job Titles:

Helena Branch Director
President of Poteet Construction

Deb Poteet is president of Poteet Construction, a company that she founded in 1987. Poteet Construction is a leader in providing ATSSA certified traffic control services for highway, urban, federal, and special event projects in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. In addition to core traffic control services, the company provides services in structural concrete, steel barriers, and guardrail installation and permanent signing projects. Poteet holds a degree in geography and land use planning from the University of Montana, and she completed a three-year heavy equipment training program through Operating Engineers.

Dennis Fitzpatrick

Job Titles:

CEO of Siyeh Corporation
Helena Branch Director

Dennis Fitzpatrick is CEO of Siyeh Corporation, a federally chartered, tribally owned corporation designed to manage businesses on behalf of the government. Named after a great Blackfeet warrior known for his fearless leadership, the Siyeh Corporation today runs multiple businesses, including a telecommunications/broadband utility, a cable television company, a heritage center, an art gallery, and two casinos. Fitzpatrick has served as CEO of Siyeh for over 20 years. Prior to joining the company in 1999, he practiced law as a tribal attorney for the Blackfeet Tribe. He has a demonstrated history of developing and managing tribal enterprises.