OUR PEOPLE
We are incredibly proud of our Forecast team. In 2025 our Board of Directors deepened their commitment to racial equity and social justice and our staff delivered on this commitment with programming to meet the creative workforce development needs of specific communities, including creative and administrative trainings held in three states. To bring communities together around a shared vision, our team worked with local stakeholders on art and cultural planning projects that strengthen and improve access to cultural assets, and leverage creative strategies to promote social, cultural, and economic activity.
Additionally, we dug into our work on two new initiatives designed to deepen community connections, foster belonging, and honor untold stories. We stayed true to our commitment to keep our team working remotely and supported them compassionately to be fully present in their community and in their personal lives.
DUDLEY VOIGT // Chair Freelance Theater Educator & Arts Program Manager Saint Paul, MN
JOHN PAIN // Treasurer (former) CPA (inactive) Saint Paul, MN
MAIA MAIDEN // Treasurer (current) Director of Arts Learning and Community Engagement, Ordway Center for the Performing Arts Minneapolis, MN
HALLY TURNER // Secretary Planning Program Coordinator, MnDOT Saint Paul, MN
PATRI ACEVEDO FUENTES Architect, Joseph David Associates, LLC. Rapid City, SD
ERIN HEELAN Principal Consultant, Erin Heelan Consulting Saint Paul, MN
NATHAN JOHNSON (former) Partner + Architect, 4RM+ULA Saint Paul, MN
BEN OWEN Director, Arts@MSP, Airport Foundation MSP Minneapolis-Saint Paul, MN
ALEJANDRA PELINKA Director of Creative Placemaking, City of Bloomington Bloomington, MN
COCO VILLALUZ Health Equity Manager, American Indian Cancer Foundation Saint Paul, MN
Andi Cheney Finance + Operations Manager They / Them
Taylan De Johnette Consulting Partner She / Her / Hers
Jen Dolen Content + Communications Manager; FORWARD Project Manager She / Her / Hers
Ebony Dumas Director of Planning + Engagement She / Her / Hers
Candida Gonzalez Consulting Partner They / Them / Theirs
Tricia Heuring Consulting Partner She / Her / Hers
Singer Horse Capture Consulting Partner She / Her / Hers
Lauren Kennedy Consulting Partner She / Her / Hers
Daniel Koff Consulting Partner He / Him / His
Jen Krava Director of Programming + New Initiatives She / Her / Hers
Boo McCaleb Consulting Partner
Mallory Rukhsana Nezam Consulting Partner; FORWARD Curator of Partnerships & Programming She / Her / Hers
Aki Shibata Consulting Partner She / Her / Hers, They / Them / Theirs
Hawona Sullivan Janzen Consulting Partner She / Her / Hers
Theresa Sweetland Executive Director; Publisher, FORWARD She / Her / Hers
We at Forecast grieve with our community for the loss of artist Melvin Giles, a beautiful creative soul and peacemaker, and share our deepest condolences with those close to him. Melvin’s achievements and peace-focused community approach fill us with awe, joy, and gratitude. He touched many hearts through his creative work, including through projects with Forecast. From all of us at Forecast: Thank you, Melvin, we'll miss you.
Cover Image: MNPAiR artist Ifrah Mansour's multi-site participatory project, Weaving Abundance, invited all people into a creative journey of interconnectedness—with land, with species, and with one another. This page: (top) Chroma Zone artist Christina Vang says of her mural, Dancing Queens, “I wanted to do something that felt joyful and dynamic. As I created these distinct characters, I thought of self-expression, celebrating individuality, and the power of moving together—not just in dance, but in all aspects of life.” We are a proud founding partner of the Chroma Zone Mural & Art Festival and are happy to serve as an ongoing Creative Consultant to the Creative Enterprise Zone (CEZ) on this incredible event. As a facilitator of the artist selection, Forecast provided the CEZ with a list of pre-qualified artists for the festival’s sixth year.
Staff and consulting partners: Ebony Dumas photo by farrah skeiky photo. Candida Gonzalez photo by Diana Albrecht. Jen Dolen, Jen Krava, and Theresa Sweetland photos by NeDahNess Rose Greene.