Board of Directors
The Eagan Community Foundation is governed by enthusiastic and committed volunteer members of the Eagan community who are willing to share their skills and expertise. The Board meets monthly throughout the year and has many subcommittees to support all activities. Interested in serving as a Board Member? For more information, click here.
Megan Flanagan
Chair
Executive Director, Urban Land Institute Minnesota
Megan joined the board in 2020. She moved to Eagan in 2017 with her husband and three sons. She current has sons at Eagan High School and Dakota Hills Middle School; Megan co-led the Art Adventure program at Pinewood for several years. She brings 20 years of experience in nonprofit management and a passion for community engagement. She can be found chauffeuring her kids to Fusion Martial Arts, reading in a local coffee shop, crafting, or enjoying a walk in Lebanon Hills park.
Derek Boeve
Vice Chair
SVP, Minnwest Bank
Derek joined the Eagan Community Foundation board in 2016. He has been a versatile asset by serving on multiple committees while also providing his finance knowledge. Along with the Eagan Community Foundation, his community work includes serving on the Easter Lutheran Church finance board, as an Eagan travel basketball coach, Dakota County Chamber of Commerce Committees, and volunteering at Open Door.
Derek lives in Eagan with his wife and two children, where they all enjoy being outside, playing sports, and traveling. His favorite place in Eagan is the Outlet Mall.
Gary Rupp
Treasurer
Executive Director, MN FAIR Plan
Gary joined the Board in 2018 and brings both financial management and organizational skills to the Eagan Community Foundation. Gary and his wife have been residents of Eagan since 1994 and both of their children graduated from Eagan High School. In additional to serving on the Eagan Comunity Foundation Board, Gary is appointed to the MN Governors Council on Fire Prevention and Control. One of Gary’s favorite activities is downhill skiing and you will also see him frequently at Lifetime Fitness
in Eagan.
Paula Merrill
Secretary
Director of Compensation, University of Minnesota
Paula joined the board in 2023. She was a founding member of the District 196 Foundation board and is a 34-year resident of Eagan - she’s lived in all three Eagan zip codes! Paula raised her two daughters, Natalie and Linnea, in Eagan. Some of her other community involvement includes serving as Church Vicechairperson at Crossroads Church and Deacon at Faith Covenant Church. She loves the amazing park system found in Eagan, especially Lebanon Hills and Thomas Lake parks. She also loves the Outlet mall, the shopping center by Hyvee, and family restaurants such as Ze’s and Juniors.
paulam@eaganfoundation.org
Jillian Biancamano
Grants Chair
Founder, Insights2Strategy
Jillian joined the board in 2021. She brings 25+ years of experience in the marketing and consumer behavior industry. Both of her children graduated from Eagan High School, and in her role as a consumer behavior consultant she has provided services for several Eagan businesses. When her children attended Eagan HS , she served on the Baseball and Band Booster Boards. She can be found working out at the Eagan YMCA and taking long walks in Lebanon Hills Park.
jillianb@eaganfoundation.org
Angie Cunningham
Scholarship Chair
Director, Product Development, Thompson Reuters
Angie joined the board in 2019. Angie has worked in Eagan for 25+ years and has lived in Eagan for almost as long. She works in product management and brings project planning and management experience. She has two grown children that were raised in Eagan and graduated from Eagan High School. Her first introduction to the Eagan Community Foundation was in 2015 when her daughter received a scholarship. Angie and her family enjoy walking/hiking in and around Eagan, sports, and traveling. Her favorite spots in Eagan are anywhere she can meet friends and family and Lebanon Hills.
Sally O’Keefe
Annual Fundraiser Chair
Sally joined the board in March 2018. She works in special event coordination and community outreach. Sally is a long time resident of Eagan, 25 plus years. Her children were raised and graduated from ISD 196 EHS. She is active in learning a new skill at Eagan Arthouse and active with People Inc. Her family has been connected to Eagan Community Foundation since 2013 when her daughter received a scholarship from Anchor Bank. Likewise, her son also received a scholarship in 2015. Sally’s family honors Pat O'Keefe through EHS swim & STEM scholarships. They love to travel and learn from our world neighbors. Sally’s favorite spots in Eagan are her home which is in a community of longtime and new neighbors. Plus, the porch of her home where she can enjoy the changing seasons and nature's beauty.
Colleen Byrne
Board Member at Large
colleenb@eaganfoundation.org
Abi Elias
Student Board Member
Eagan High School
abie@eaganfoundation.org
Dianne Miller
Ex Officio, City of Eagan
Dave Morris
Board Member at Large
Territory Sales, Dykman Inc
Dave joined the board in 2021. He served on the Eagan Parks and Recreation commission for 2 years. Dave currently works for for an industrial equipment distributor selling process pumps and fluid handling equipment into a wide variety of markets. He has a son at Northview Elementary and a daughter at Blackhawk Middle School. He coaches his son’s U10 lacrosse team. Dave enjoys mountain biking with his kids and takes them on a BWCA trip each June. In Eagan, he especially enjoys Lebanon Hills, fishing at Heine Pond or Jensen Lake, and a cold beer at Wildcats.
davem@eaganfoundation.org
Sarah Mott
Board Member at Large
Physician, Emergency Care Consultants
Sarah joined the board in 2023. She first became aware of the Foundation when she received a scholarship her senior year at EHS. Her mother served on various Foundation committees for many years, and Sarah hopes to carry on her legacy through her own involvement. She brings experience from her time on the executive board at Creighton School of Medicine in Omaha and the residency affairs and wellness committees at Regions Hospital, organizational and editing skills, and a passion for all things Eagan. She enjoys reading, attending concerts, biking, paddleboarding and boating at her family’s cabin, and hiking at Lebanon Hills with her dog and family.
sarahm@eaganfoundation.org
Ankit Mukhopadhyay
Student Board Member
Eagan High School
Ankit joined the board in 2023 as the 10th grade Eagan High School Interact representative. He was born and raised in Eagan, and his role on the board is to represent the interests of his high school peers.
He volunteers at the Wescott Library in the summers, and loves to attend Eagan Rotary events like the 5k. An only child, he likes to stay busy with clubs and activities like tennis, YIG, Interact and band. His favorite place in Eagan is the Community Center and Central Park, “it just has everything!”
ankitm@eaganfoundation.org
Gary Quick
Board Member at Large
garyq@eaganfoundation.org
Martha Rietveld
Board Member at Large
Teacher, Eagan High School
Martha joined the board in 2023, bringing organizational skills and a strong connection to Eagan High School, where she teaches math. She’s a member of St. Thomas Beckett Community and has two adult children. She enjoys biking, boating, and gardening. Some of her favorite things about Eagan are the bike trails, Food Truck Festival, and patio dining.
marthar@eaganfoundation.org
Benjamin Rudesill
Board Member at Large
Eagan Center Manager, Old National Bank
Ben joined the board in 2023, bringing a financial and technology background. In addition to volunteering with the Foundation, Ben also has worked with Feed My Starving Children and Habitat for Humanity. He enjoys golf and hanging with his two young children. Some of his favorite places in Eagan are Bald Man Brewery, Southern Social, and Good Times play place.
benjaminr@eaganfoundation.org
Cassandra Schmidt
Board Member at Large
Vice President, Group Benefit Technology and Integrations, Prudential Financial
Cassandra joined our board in 2022. She brings leadership and strategic skills from her 15 years in the financial industry.
Cassandra and her family moved to Eagan in 2021. Both of her children currently attend Thomas Lake Elementary School. Her family enjoys living near Lebanon Hills, enjoying cross country skiing in the winter and hiking the trails in the summer. You can find the family in various sporting events throughout Eagan or in one of our city’s many parks.
cassandras@eaganfoundation.org
Larry Solomon
Board Member at Large
Larry joined the Board in 2022. He brings 12 years of experience as the executive director of a St. Paul nonprofit, and previously 25 years as a human resources and operations leader in the corporate world. Larry and his wife Margie have lived in Eagan for seven years and enjoy the multitude of park land in the city, including their view of beautiful Eagan Central Park from their living room! Prior to his work with the Eagan Foundation, Larry served in leadership roles on the boards of several mission-driven organizations where he helped build engagement and fundraising strategies. Larry has two adult children who live in the Twin Cities and have busy careers in the nonprofit and state government sectors.
larrys@eaganfoundation.org
Jamie Hopkins
Executive Director
Jamie Hopkins has served as Eagan Community Foundation’s Executive Director since 2016. She originally joined the Eagan Community Foundation as a board member in 2013 and has served on all the committees. Jamie has nonprofit management experience from earlier work in International Development. She first fell in love with the community foundation model while trying to help Ukrainian nonprofits develop local sources of funding. Jamie “married into Eagan” in 2010. If she’s not working for the Foundation, you might find her at Rahn Athletic Fields in Eagan playing some beach volleyball or caffeinating and meeting with excellent people at Dunn Bros.