YWCA St. Paul Announces New Board Chair, Officers and Director

YWCA St. Paul is pleased to announce changes to its board of directors. Every member of the board brings a wealth of knowledge, dedication and experience to this vital role, and is committed to advancing our mission of eliminating racism and empowering women.

“We are pleased to announce that Dr. Yohuru Williams has been elected as our new Board Chair.  Dr. Williams, a noted scholar, author and activist, is a strong advocate for racial and social justice in our community and we are excited to have his leadership as we re-double our efforts to promote racial and gender equity, and fight disparities in housing, employment and youth achievement,” said Gaye Adams Massey, CEO of YWCA St. Paul. “We also want to thank outgoing board chair Beverly Jones Heydinger for five years of exceptional leadership and service. Ms. Heydinger has worked tirelessly to help advance our mission and we are deeply grateful for her on-going dedication to YWCA St. Paul.”

“YWCA St. Paul congratulates Shelley Carthen Watson on her election as our new Vice Chair and Liesl Kistow as the Board Secretary. We are also grateful that Sara Gross Methner continues in her role as Treasurer. We look forward to working closely with this great team and will benefit from their valuable insights and experience,” added Massey. “Additionally, we are pleased to welcome Margie Lindberg to our board of directors. Ms. Lindberg is a talented and proven leader whose expertise and experience will enhance the work of our board. We look forward to the contributions these talented leaders will make to our organization.”

New Officers:

Dr. Yohuru Williams, Chair

Distinguished University Chair, Professor of History, & Founding Director of the Racial Justice Initiative

University of St. Thomas

Shelley Carthen Watson, Vice Chair

Senior Associate General Counsel, University of Minnesota Office of the General Counsel

Liesl Kistow, Secretary

Regional Trust Manager, U.S. Bank

New Director:

Margie Lindberg

Vice President of Marketing, Sales, and Product Management – UCare