Cosandra (Cosa) Lloyd joined McKnight in November 1997 as a receptionist and currently serves as the information technology service manager. In this role, Cosa has technical and nontechnical responsibilities for maintaining the network, computers, servers, and security systems. She troubleshoots and resolves issues with hardware and software, recommends practical solutions, learns emerging technologies, and assists organization-wide efforts to improve the effective use of technology. During her tenure, Cosandra has also worked as a program associate, supporting program officers and the assistant operations manager, overseeing facilities management, and assisting the board chair. For the past eight years, she has found great joy in leading the Foundation’s employee engagement committee. Cosandra promotes camaraderie that instills a sense of pride in employees, and collaborates with coworkers to cultivate a high-trust culture that aims to create a great workplace for everyone.
Cosandra grew up in the Summit-University neighborhood of St. Paul, affectionately known as Rondo, and graduated from Central High School. At age 43, Cosa earned a bachelor of arts degree from Bethel University. For the past 20 years, she has lived in Frogtown, where she raised her adult son and only child, a University of Minnesota graduate.
Cosandra currently serves as the board chair of the Frogtown Neighborhood Association (FNA). Serving as an FNA board member provides opportunities to regularly connect with other stakeholders who want to confront and overcome civic challenges, seek justice, celebrate diversity, and give back to the community. When it is hard to assume good intent, Cosa takes advantage of opportunities to discuss complex and difficult topics, often asking peers to get comfortable with discomfort to learn from others’ experiences and respect differences.
Her personal interests include spending time with family and friends, reading fiction and nonfiction, officiating youth basketball, and advocating for urban planning that will benefit the present and future community.