Anne Binger is married to Benjamen M. Binger, great-grandson of McKnight founders William and Maude McKnight, and himself a director at McKnight since 1998. Anne Binger, who now lives in Kalispell, Montana, was born and raised in Polson, Montana. She graduated from Flathead High School and later attended Flathead Valley Community College, both in Kalispell, where she earned an Associate of Science degree.

Post-college, Binger studied dental hygiene at Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and now holds hygienist licenses in both Montana and Colorado. She has freelanced as a dental hygienist since January 2003 when her first son, Holden, was born; a second child, Samuel, followed in July 2005. This spring, Binger and her family will move to Washington, D.C., where Benjamen will work with the federal government.

Robert Struyk returns to the Foundation having served previously on McKnight's board from 1996 to 1999. Struyk is currently a senior vice president of Dorsey & Whitney Trust Company. Prior to his role with the trust company, he practiced law for more than 43 years with Dorsey & Whitney. While at Dorsey & Whitney, Struyk provided management expertise and practiced law with a focus on trusts, estates, taxes, and charitable foundations. During the 1980s, he was the firm's operations partner and policy committee chairman, and managed day-to-day operations as well as the firm's strategic direction.

Struyk earned a bachelor's degree in English at Michigan's Hope College; a master's degree in English from Columbia University; and a law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School. At the University of Minnesota, he was a member of the Order of the Coif and a case editor for the Minnesota Law Review. Additional previous board affiliations include Breck School, William Mitchell College of Law, the Minnesota Opera, the Jungle Theatre, and the Attorneys Liability Assurance Society.

All included, the Foundation's board now has 10 members: Anne Binger, Benjamen M. Binger, Erika L. Binger (chair), James M. Binger, Patricia S. Binger, Cynthia Binger Boynton, Meghan Binger Brown, Richard D. McFarland, Ted Staryk, and Robert Struyk. Cynthia and James are the children of James H. Binger (1916–2004) and Virginia McKnight Binger (1916–2002), who was the only child of McKnight's founders.

Former director Peg Birk currently serves as the Foundation's interim president, while the board conducts a national search for a permanent president. Birk will return to the board of directors after the new president is placed.

ABOUT THE MCKNIGHT FOUNDATION

Founded in 1953 and endowed by William L. McKnight and Maude L. McKnight, The McKnight Foundation has assets of approximately $2 billion and granted about $90 million in 2005. McKnight is an independent private philanthropic organization; the Foundation has no relationship with the 3M Company, although Mr. McKnight was one of 3M's early leaders.

Contact
Tim Hanrahan, Communications Director, 612-333-4220