Business People: Cynthia Fraction moves from Urban League to Cookie Cart

Pioneer Press
·3 min read

OF NOTE — NONPROFITS

Cookie Cart, a Twin Cities operator of vocational bakeries for promoting youth skills development, announced it has named Cynthia Fraction as executive director, effective Sept. 1. Fraction previously was director of the Center for Social Justice with Urban League Twin Cities. Cookie Cart operates bakeries in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

ADVERTISING/PUBLIC RELATIONS

The Social Lights, a Minneapolis-based advertising agency, announced the following new directors: Amy Goran, content; Aaron Komo, associate, Client Success; Ramsey Elias, Finance Operations; Taylor Lovaas, associate, Strategy (influencer focus); Annie Mullins, Strategy, and Allie Kahle, Paid Media.

ARCHITECTURE/ENGINEERING

AIA Minnesota (American Institute of Architects) announced its 2022 Young Architects Award recipients: Simona Fischer, MSR Design, Minneapolis; Kyle Palzer, Alliiance, Minneapolis, and David Wilson, HGA, Minneapolis.

FEDERAL RESERVE

The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis announced the appointment of Abigail Wozniak as vice president of the Opportunity & Inclusive Growth Institute in the Research Division, and Tavis Morello as assistant vice president in the Legal Division. Wozniak has served as director of the Institute since 2019; Morello joined the bank in 2020 as a senior attorney and was promoted to senior counsel in 2021.

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Kay Klasse, a financial adviser with Klasse & Associates, Lake Elmo, is one of eight affiliates with Ameriprise Financial nationwide named to the Forbes list of Best-in-State Financial Security Professionals in the country. Ameriprise Financial is based in Minneapolis.

GOVERNMENT

Ramsey County announced Brian Isaacson as director of Public Works. Isaacson has served in that capacity on an interim bases since early May and has been with the county since 2018.

GRANTS

Hiway Credit Union Foundation, St. Paul, announced a $5,000 Hiway Foundation Community Impact Grant to Urban Boatbuilders, a St. Paul-based vocational boat-building program focused on underserved youth.

HEALTH CARE

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation, an arm of Eagan-based health insurer Blue Cross and Blue Shield, announced the addition of Emily Piper to its board of directors. Piper is vice president of government and external affairs at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, Center City, and previously served as commissioner for the Minnesota Department of Human Services under former Gov. Mark Dayton.

MANUFACTURING

The Toro Co., a Bloomington-based maker of lawnmowers, snow throwers and irrigation products for consumers and business, announced that Margeaux M. King has joined as vice president of human resources; King previously served in a similar capacity at Ecolab, St. Paul. The company also announced that Savoy Magazine has named Kevin Carpenter, vice president, global operations and integrated supply chain, to its 2022 list of Most Influential Black Executives in Corporate America, along with Toro board member Jill Pemberton, who is chief financial officer, North America, for LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton.

MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY

Spineology Inc., an Oakdale-based maker of ultra-minimally invasive spine surgery implants, announced the promotion of Matt Cronin to chief commercial officer; he previously was senior vice president of sales. The company also announced the appointment of Jonathan Arndt as vice president of marketing.

ORGANIZATIONS

The Minnesota Association for Justice, an association of attorneys who represent Minnesotans in civil tort matters, announced that Charles “Chuck” Slane was elected president; Slane is a partner at the TSR Injury Law Firm, Bloomington.

PUBLISHING

Capstone, an Edina-based publisher of children’s books and provider of education technology for schools and home, has named Randi Economou CEO. Economou previously was area vice president of the West at Renaissance.

RETAIL

Winmark Corp., a Plymouth-based franchisor of retail resale chains, announced the appointment of director Percy C. (Tom) Tomlinson as its independent lead director; it also said that Paul C. Reyelts has informed the company of his decision not to stand for re-election to board. Winmark’s brands include Plato’s Closet, Once Upon A Child, Play It Again Sports, Style Encore and Music Go Round.

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