We are thrilled to share that our board of directors recently elected DeAnna Cummings as board chair. DeAnna joined the board in 2014 and currently serves as the program director of arts and culture at McKnight Foundation.

Bush Foundation President Jen Ford Reedy had this to say: “I’m thrilled to have DeAnna as our new Bush board chair! She has been a wonderful board member, and it is extra-special to have a board leader who is also a Bush Fellow and who founded a Bush Prize-winning organization. DeAnna exemplifies the kind of creative community problem solving that Bush Foundation is all about.”

DeAnna has had a long relationship with the Bush Foundation as a creative problem solver and innovator in the region. She was awarded a Bush Fellowship in 2007 and used the fellowship to earn a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University in 2009.

She was a co-founder of Juxtaposition Arts (JXTA), a social enterprise organization rooted in North Minneapolis that engages and employs young urban artists to become problem solvers and innovators. JXTA was a 2013 recipient of the Bush Prize, which celebrates organizations that are highly valued within their communities and have a track record of successful community problem solving.

The Bush Foundation’s mission to inspire and support creative problem solving to make our region better for everyone is more important than ever,” said DeAnna Cummings, incoming board chair. “I am honored to assume the role of board chair and look forward to continued collaboration with Bush Foundation staff, board, and partners, who are bringing this mission to life every day.”

DeAnna has been celebrated locally and nationally for her leadership — including being recognized as an outstanding woman in business by the Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal and as an “arts hero” by Minnesota Public Radio. Within Bush Foundation, she has served on the Governance Committee, Finance & Audit Committee, Executive Committee, selection committees for the Bush Fellowship and the Bush Prize, and as board vice chair.

In 2014, we published a feature story about DeAnna, her Bush Fellowship and her work with JXTA.