Tim Benz, President: Tim came to MINNDEPENDENT in January, 2014, as Associate President and became president of MINNDEPENDENT on July 1, 2014. His professional background and passion for private and independent education make him the ideal person to lead MINNDEPENDENT. As president, Tim has responsibility for overall management of the MINNDEPENDENT office and staff. He leads the organization’s strategic planning efforts, oversees development, finance, member retention and recruitment, and assists in evaluating MINNDEPENDENT’s programs and services to ensure that MINNDEPENDENT schools are receiving the most value from their membership. Tim served in marketing and fundraising roles at the College of Saint Benedict, Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Cretin-Derham Hall, and the Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls. Tim is chair of the Minnesota Nonpublic Education Council, and is a member of the development and marketing committee for the Catholic Community Foundation. Tim attended private schools through grade 12 and his two sons attended MINNDEPENDENT member schools. Tim was recognized as the Outstanding Professional Fundraiser in 2016 by the Minnesota Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. He has a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of St. Thomas.

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Lisa Vosbeek, Director of Development and Programs: Lisa joined MINNDEPENDENT in June 2018 with over 16 years of experience in leadership roles in development, training and program management with non-profit partners throughout Minnesota. At MINNDEPENDENT, Lisa oversees the STEM program, annual campaign, has responsibility for grant writing, sponsorships, donor relations, and coordinates professional development training. Lisa is passionate about independent and private education, and her family has a deep connection with several MINNDEPENDENT member schools, including St. Mary’s School in Owatonna, St. Odilia, Cretin-Derham Hall and Holy Angels. She has a bachelor’s degree in business administration/human resources from the University of St. Thomas.

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Michele Skare, Administrative Assistant: Michele came to MINNDEPENDENT in 2010. She performs all administrative functions as well as managing our database and website. She graduated from member school Cretin-Derham Hall (when it was just Derham Hall), and holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the College of St. Catherine, and a master’s degree from the University of Minnesota. She taught in several Pre-K programs throughout the Twin Cities.

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Beth Murphy Ph.D., STEM Program Manager:  Beth is a science and STEM education consultant, with expertise in teacher professional development, program evaluation and project management. As STEM Program Manager for MINNDEPENDENT, Beth is responsible for the STEM Grant program, MINNDEPENDENT’s annual STEM Education Conference, and STEM-related community partnerships. Beth holds a PhD in physics from the University of Rochester and has experience working in college level, K-12 and out-of-school educational settings. In addition to working with MINNDEPENDENT and other clients, Beth is the field editor for Connected Science Learning, an online journal of the National Science Teaching Association and the Association of Science-Technology Centers. She currently serves on the board of directors of Science from Scientists and SciMathMN.

Click here to email Beth.