Board Roster: Yinghua_Academy_Board_of_Directors 2012
Professional Summaries:
Jennifer Shadowens, Chair - jen.shadowens@yinghuaacademy.org
Jennifer has a Bachelors Degree in Marketing from DePaul University, 2 years of fundraising experience, and 10 years of advertising agency experience working with national clients, including Target and Citibank. Jennifer’s agency work focused on managing a large team in the development of strategic media plans and negotiation scenarios, and then presenting and executing those plans. In addition, she served as interim Interactive Director and consulted on organizational structure and hiring decisions. A resident of Northeast Minneapolis for over a decade, she is very active in the local community. Past volunteer work includes Board Member of the Audubon Neighborhood Association, Chair of its Neighborhood Revitalization Program committee, and ESL Tutor. Jennifer currently works as a marketing and media consultant. She and her husband, Jason Burrows, have two children at Yinghua.
Doug Parish, Treasurer - doug.parish@yinghuaacademy.org
Doug is a finance professional with more than 20 years of experience, principally in the financial services industry. Presently, he serves as Senior Vice President and General Auditor for Ameriprise Financial, Inc. Prior to joining Ameriprise, Doug held various audit and financial control positions with Ceridian Corporation, Citigroup, Bank One, Boatmen’s Bank, and Price Waterhouse. He is a Certified Public Accountant (inactive) in Minnesota. Doug graduated cum laude from St. Olaf College with an Economics major with concentrations in Accounting and Asian Studies. At St. Olaf, Doug expanded his interest in China through classroom study and also spent a term in Shanghai in 1986. Doug lives in St. Paul with his wife Jean and their children Zoe and Ben. Zoe is a student at Yinghua Academy.
Karen Lu, Secretary - karen.lu@yinghuaacademy.org
Karen is currently a Senior Associate and Architect at VJAA, Inc. in Minneapolis, where she has been since 2001. Karen’s twelve years of experience in architectural practice includes project management, planning, programming, design, and construction administration. As a Senior Associate, Karen is involved in all aspects of the firm’s management, including strategic planning, financial planning, day-to-day financial management, and human resources. She previously worked with Selldorf Architects in New York City. In addition, Karen has four years of experience in the field of risk management consulting. Karen received her Master of Architecture degree in 1998 from Harvard University, and graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Arts in Design of the Environment from the College of Arts and Sciences, and with a Bachelor of Science in Economics from The Wharton School of Business in 1990. She has taught at the University of Minnesota part-time and is also active in AIA Minnesota, an organization that supports the architecture profession. Karen and her husband, Carl Gauley, live in southwest Minneapolis with their sons Kai and Anno. Kai is a student at Yinghua Academy.
Lou Bender - lou.bender@yinghuaacademy.org
Lou works for Camp Fire USA (Minnesota Council) connecting a variety of youth-serving organizations across Saint Paul with each other, facilitating their work together, and managing the resources that support their efforts. She also teaches enrichment classes at Yinghua, and substitutes in Yinghua classrooms on an on-call basis. Lou earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Wesleyan College, a Master of Music from Southern Methodist University, and a Master of Divinity from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, and has extensive training in family systems with an emphasis on non-profit organizations. During twenty years of pastoral ministry, she has chaired the boards of three different churches, as well as a variety of community service boards. Four years of teaching full-time in music classrooms, and four years as executive director of S.T.A.I.R., a literacy program for children in New Orleans housing project schools, round out her professional profile. Lou has volunteered in a number of capacities for Yinghua, where her two daughters are students.
Denny Grubish – denny.grubish@yinghuaacademy.org
Denny works in the financial services industry and has been with Wells Fargo & Co for the last 17 years. He has worked in numerous positions in sales and management. His first 10 years were in sales development, human resources, personnel training, and budget planning. During the last 7 years, he has worked in banking compliance and operational risk management. He is currently an operational risk consultant and is part of the corporate compliance and risk management team. He recently earned his Certified Risk and Compliance Manager’s designation through the American Bankers Association. Denny received his Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Business Administration from the University of Minnesota-Duluth. His personal and volunteer experience includes currently serving 5 years on an association board for an investment property and a 3-year term on the Woodbury Parks and Recreation Commission. He has been actively volunteering in the community for over the past 25 years. Denny and his wife, Moe, live in Woodbury. Denny’s oldest daughter, Samantha, is student at Yinghua Academy.
Ruth Hansen – ruth.hansen@yinghuaacademy.org
Ruth is currently the 2nd and 3rd grade English teacher at Yinghua Academy. She returned to the classroom in 2010 after being a stay at home mom for 11 years. Ruth holds a Minnesota Teaching License in K – 6 Elementary Education. She received her Master of Arts, Elementary Education degree from DePaul University in Chicago, and her previous teaching experience includes Scammon Elementary, a Chicago Public School, and Washington Elementary in Mundelein, Illinois. Ruth has pursued a wide variety of professional development opportunities in her career, including Gifted / L.D. Instruction (Levels 1 & 2), Performance – Based Assessment, Strategies for the Multiage Classroom, Integrated & Thematic Training, Northeastern Illinois Assessment Consortium, and Multiple Intelligence Training. Additional professional accomplishments include mentoring, facilitating staff training, member of Spelling, Science, Math, and Professional Development Teams, work with multiage/looping, grant implementation, and being nominated for the Disney’s American Teacher Award, which honors creativity in the classroom. Ruth thoroughly enjoys being back in the classroom and all the challenges that come along with the teaching profession.
Scott Jax – scott.jax@yinghuaacademy.org
Scott’s professional background is in the financial services industry, having worked at SPIRE Federal Credit Union (formerly known as Twin City Co-ops FCU) in Falcon Heights, MN for nearly 17 years in a variety of member service, marketing and administrative capacities. His current role as the Director of Strategic Management primarily involves assisting SPIRE’s Leadership Team with corporate strategy, planning and research, along with being a resource for SPIRE’s Board of Directors, leading SPIRE’s governmental and regulatory affairs efforts at both the state and federal levels, and serving as a staff liaison to the Kentron Foundation. Scott graduated with a Bachelors of Science degree in Business Administration with concentrations in Finance and Management from Minnesota State University, Mankato and earned his MBA degree from the University of Phoenix. Scott’s personal and professional experience also includes service on the Boards for two small credit unions in various officer roles, a 4 year term on the Charter Commission for the city of Brooklyn Park, and as a working secretary for The Cooperative Foundation. Scott and his wife Karin along with his two children live in Brooklyn Park. Scott and Karin have previously served as foster parents for the Anoka County Crisis Nursery. Scott’s two daughters attend Yinghua Academy.
Rosemary Lawrence – rosemary.lawrence@yinghuaacademy.org
Rosemary currently works with three universities: she teaches and supervises principal-interns at Hamline, is an adjunct professor at St. Mary’s, and works with the Minnesota Principal Academy through the University of Minnesota. Dr. Lawrence received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland and taught for two years prior to moving to Illinois. There she became a curriculum specialist with a primary focus on reading. After moving to Minnesota, Rosemary received a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction, an Educational Specialist Degree in Administration, and a Doctorate in Leadership. While in Minnesota, she taught remedial reading and gifted/talented classes before becoming a principal in the Anoka Hennepin Schools. Dr. Lawrence became the principal at Eisenhower Elementary School, and started XinXing Academy, the Chinese Immersion program in Hopkins. She retired from this position two years ago and has continued her connections with Chinese immersion education through a XinXing Confucius Institute Grant and her involvement now with Yinghua. Rosemary and her husband, Granville, live in Minneapolis.
Joel O’Malley – joel.omalley@yinghuaacademy.org
Joel is an attorney with Dorsey & Whitney, LLP specializing in labor and employment law. He regularly advises human resource professionals at large and small companies on compliance with antidiscrimination, wage and hour, workplace leave, and labor laws. In addition, Joel provides frequent pro bono legal services to small Twin Cities non-profits and organizations devoted to offering services to underserved populations, and has represented before immigration authorities several individuals seeking political asylum in the United States. Joel graduated summa cum laude from Creighton University, received a Master’s degree from the University of Rochester, and his law degree from the University of Michigan. Joel and his wife Clare live in South Minneapolis with their children Grady (currently attending kindergarten at Yinghua), Scarlett (adopted from China and starting kindergarten in fall 2012), and Vivien (starting Kindergarten in fall 2013).
Note: You may contact all board members by emailing board@yinghuaacademy.org