The McKnight Foundation has named Ron Kroese as program officer in its Environment program.

Since 2001, Kroese has served as executive director of Minnesota Environmental Partnership, a nonprofit alliance of environmental and conservation organizations that work to protect the state's natural resources. Prior to his work at Minnesota Environmental Partnership, Kroese served as executive director for the National Center for Appropriate Technology in Montana; director of the St. Croix Valley Community Foundation of Hudson, Wisconsin; and program officer for the environment at the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation in Flint, Michigan.

"Ron's rich experience and breadth of relationships will be a fantastic addition to McKnight's environment program team," said Peg Birk, interim president for the Foundation. "We are thrilled, and feel very fortunate, to work with him." McKnight's Environment program strives to restore a healthy environment in the Mississippi River basin and to promote and develop renewable energy in Minnesota and the Midwest. On November 1, Kroese will join program director Gretchen Bonfert, who is in her sixth year with the Foundation.

Kroese began work in environmentally sustainable development in 1982 by co-founding the Land Stewardship Project, a Minnesota-based sustainable agriculture organization, which he directed for 11 years. Prior to that, Kroese also served stints as a press aide in the U.S. Senate; a reporter for daily newspapers in South Dakota and Hawaii; and the director of the American Farm Project, a leadership development program funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Kroese graduated in 1970 from South Dakota State University with a degree in Journalism and English. Past professional affiliations include board or advisory participation with the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, Minnesotans for an Energy-Efficient Economy, Midwest Sustainable Agriculture Working Group, and the Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture in Oklahoma.

ABOUT THE MCKNIGHT FOUNDATION

Founded in 1953 and endowed by William L. McKnight and Maude L. McKnight, the Foundation has assets of approximately $2 billion and granted about $85 million in 2004. Mr. McKnight was one of the early leaders of the 3M Company, although the Foundation is independent of 3M. For more information about the Foundation or these programs, please visit our website at www.mcknight.org.


Contact
Tim Hanrahan, thanrahan@mcknight.org, 612-333-4220