Leadership & Board

As the CEO for MHIF, Kris provides visionary direction for the achievement of the organization’s mission, strategy, goals and objectives. She believes strongly in the legacy of innovation and collaboration. Every day, the MHIF vision of creating a world without heart and vascular disease is front and center.

Prior to joining MHIF, Kris served as the Director of Global Engagement at Medtronic Philanthropy. Under Kris’ leadership, Global Engagement underwent phenomenal growth and demonstrated impressive impact on communities around the globe. At the heart of Kris’ focus was the activation of 86,000 employees who channeled their time and resources toward health-focused community development and social investment.

Kris has built a track record in building effective teams, leading strategic initiatives, engaging diverse stakeholders, and translating complex science into meaningful stories. This is evident from her time building a research portfolio at HealthPartners Research Foundation, leading a team of scientists at Medtronic and most recently in her leadership at Medtronic Philanthropy. In her professional and personal life, she serves as a passionate advocate for improving community health. She currently serves on the board of the Minnesota Region of the American Red Cross, and an ex-officio member on the Abbott Northwestern Hospital Foundation Board.

Kris earned her bachelor’s degree from the College of St. Benedict, and holds an Interdisciplinary PhD focused on Health Communication from Washington State University. She was a Policy Fellow at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs. Kris lives in White Bear Lake with her husband and three sons.

Tom Cronin CPA, Master of Business Taxation (MBT) is the Chief Financial Officer for the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation (MHIF). In his role, Tom oversees MHIF’s financial strategy and stewardship of financial resources and serves as a key partner to all functional areas.

Tom brings leadership and expertise in accounting and financial reporting, and strong business acumen gained through various roles across for-profit and nonprofit organizations. His most recent role was executive vice president and CFO with Roers Companies. Prior to that he held various leadership roles at Greater MN Housing Fund, TCF Financial Corporation, Platinum Bank, Wells Fargo & Company, Travelers Companies, Inc., and KPMG LLP. His Board service includes time as Past Treasurer and Executive Board Member with Twin Cities in Motion.

Tom is an avid runner and has completed 14 marathons and 2 Ironman triathlons. He earned his master’s degree in business taxation from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota and is an undergraduate alum of St. John’s University. Tom, his wife and two children live in Edina.

Ross Garberich serves as the Vice President of Scientific Services for the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation. He provides leadership for MHIF’s investigator-initiated research program; partnering with physicians to deliver on MHIF’s mission of innovation by answering research questions and identifying pathways to improve patient care.

In his 15 years at MHIF, Ross has an established track record of designing programs and teams which provide researchers with the tools and services they need to design, conduct, and disseminate research. He has extensive knowledge of leveraging clinical EMRs, data warehouses, and statistics to help execute research and quality improvement studies. With a passion for collaboration, Ross has co-authored over 125 peer-reviewed publications spanning all sub-specialties within cardiology.

Ross earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota Duluth where he also received a Master’s degree in Applied and Computational Mathematics and his MBA. He lives in Chaska with his wife and two children.

Contact: JHicks@mhif.org

Jesse Hicks serves as the Vice President of Advancement for the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation. He provides leadership to our Development Team and has the honor of connecting the generosity of the community to support our vision of creating a world without heart and vascular disease.

Prior to joining MHIF, Jesse served as the Senior Director of Development and Interim President for the Hennepin Healthcare Foundation at Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) in Minneapolis, a position he held since January 2015. While there, Jesse and his team secured more than $25 million annually to support the mission of HCMC and support their patients, programs, and physicians.

With a passion for philanthropy, Jesse enjoys his role in establishing a culture of generosity and making transformational change for an organization!

Jesse is a graduate of Saint John’s University with a major in psychology. He lives in Mankato with his wife and three children.

Karen serves as Vice President of Human Resources for the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation. She brings deep human resources experience in talent acquisition and talent development, leadership development and organizational effectiveness gained through her work in small, medium and large organizations, primarily in the medical device space.

She built her early foundation at Medtronic and St. Jude Medical, followed by continued work in cardiology at AGA Medical and at AtriCure. In more recent years, she worked at Smiths Medical and served as an HR leader for several small medical device firms owned by private equity, requiring strong business and organizational acumen. All of these valuable experiences have required her to be adaptable, a change agent, a strong communicator and action-oriented in identifying and executing relevant solutions.

Karen earned her M.A. in Human Resources & Industrial Relations from the University of Minnesota and her B.A. in Human Resources from St. Olaf College. She and her husband live in Woodbury where she enjoys traveling, working out, drinking wine and checking out the latest new restaurants.

Cindy Resman leads Marketing, Communications and Education at the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation (MHIF). She has 25+ years of experience in healthcare and med tech communications, including expertise in corporate brand and reputation, media relations, stakeholder engagement, internal communications and crisis communications.

Prior to accepting an internal role at MHIF in December 2022, Cindy founded Point Forward Communications, providing strategic communications and marketing support for medical device and healthcare organizations of all sizes, including MHIF. Cindy’s experience includes 10 years at Medtronic in various leadership roles within Global Communications. She also worked in various corporate and business unit communications roles for Baxter Healthcare and Abbott Laboratories and started her career in the healthcare practice at Golin-Harris International, a global PR agency in Chicago.

Cindy holds a master’s degree in integrated marketing communications from Northwestern University and a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communications from Drake University. She lives in Maple Grove with her husband and they have three children.

Dr. Scott Sharkey is the Chief Medical Officer for Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation as well as a practicing cardiologist at Allina Health Minneapolis Heart Institute at Abbott Northwestern Hospital and Ridgeview Medical Center in Waconia.

Dr. Sharkey completed medical school at Tufts University School of Medicine followed by a residency at Maine Medical Center and a fellowship at the University of Minnesota.

Lisa Tindell is the Vice President of Clinical Research Operations at MHIF. In this role, Lisa leads a large team of clinical staff that execute on all types of cardiovascular studies across all areas of the cardiovascular specialty.

In the 15+ years dedicated to clinical research, Lisa previously served as a Principal Clinical Research Scientist at a large medical device company where she successfully managed the execution of clinical trials in both the domestic and international spaces. She also served as a Clinical Advisor for the Electrophysiology Division in which she authored regulatory reports in support of post market requirements, product approval, indication expansion and label claim support.

Lisa has over 30 years of professional nursing experience in the critical care setting, electrophysiology lab and cardiac rhythm device patient management as well as experience as a cardiology nurse clinician.

Lisa’s passions include health and wellness with a specific focus on nutrition and physical fitness along with the impact of cardiovascular health on youth. She lives in Lakeville with her husband and is a mother of 2 grown children.

Dr. Ben Bache-Wiig joined the board in 2020 after retiring from an 11-year career with Abbott Northwestern Hospital and Allina Health, most recently serving as Allina’s executive vice president and chief clinical officer. He is currently the executive medical director at Lifesprk, a Twin Cities-based senior home care company.

Ben is excited about MHIF’s potential to leverage Allina’s enterprise data warehouse to drive quality and innovation in cardiovascular care, as well as MHIF’s research advances in heart valve disease and structural heart.

Dr. Mosi Bennett is a partner and senior consulting cardiologist specializing in heart failure and transplantation at the Minneapolis Heart Institute®. Before joining the group in 2013, he trained in cardiovascular medicine and advanced heart failure at the Cleveland Clinic. He completed his internal medicine residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He received his bachelor's degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and received his MD and PhD degrees in the Medical Scientist Training Program at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. 

Dr. Bennett's cardiovascular research interests include the role of endomyocardial biopsy in the diagnosis and management of heart failure, the effect of mechanical support on gene expression in the heart, and the effectiveness of remote monitoring of heart failure patients. 

He has had the opportunity to work closely with the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation as a mentor for the internship program, and as an investigator on multi-center clinical trials and investigator-initiated projects. As a heart failure cardiologist, he has been particularly interested in developing a robust heart failure research portfolio at the foundation in order to meet the needs of heart failure patients across the spectrum of severity of this chronic disease. It is equally important to him that the foundation works to address the disparities in health care, including inequities in participation in clinical trials and access to world-class care. 

Kristen Bowlds has a passion for marketing. A young leader at C.H. Robinson working in market research and industry marketing, her focus abruptly shifted following the birth of her second child as she experienced multiple heart attacks due to Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD). After her diagnosis, Kristen has worked hand in hand with MHIF to raise awareness and generate research funds to make a difference.  

Her advocacy forums include the first-ever Minnesota 5K SCADaddle run for research, NBC’s the Today Show,  ABC News Live, and multiple local television and radio network specials that put heart health at the forefront. She brings a wealth of marketing knowledge, a passion for heart health, and a unique personal perspective to MHIF.

Kristen has a Marketing & Management degree from Iowa State University and lives in Chanhassen with her husband and two young children.  

Dr. Steven Bradley is a general cardiologist at Allina Health Minneapolis Heart Institute. He enjoys working with patients and meeting their needs in achieving optimal health.

Dr. Bradley grew up in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, and completed his training in cardiovascular medicine at the University of Washington in Seattle. During his training, he also completed a Master of Public Health degree and he applies these skills in the development of care delivery solutions that meet the needs of individual patients. Dr. Bradley is a nationally recognized and published expert in healthcare quality improvement and he has received national awards for his efforts to achieve exceptional cardiovascular care delivery.

Carmen rejoined MHIF's board of directors in 2024 after a short break–she originally served from 2014 - 2020. She brings with her extensive experience from serving as a chief financial officer in both public and privately held medical device companies for over 26 years, as well as over 15 years within the healthcare industry. She earned her Bachelor's in Accounting from the University of North Dakota and MBA from the Carlson School at the University of Minnesota.

When asked why she was passionate about MHIF and wanted to serve on the board, Carmen answered, "I had the good fortune of meeting Dr. Hauser years ago and, through him, learned to appreciate the remarkable work underway at MHIF. During my first years on the MHIF board, I met so many other physicians involved in that work and felt how truly passionate they were to further fundamental research and education in serving the community’s cardiovascular health needs, one patient at a time. Upon my return recently to the board, I have seen not only so many familiar physician faces as they continue their dedication to MHIF, but also many new talented ones dedicated to the mission of MHIF."

Joshua Buckler, MD is a Senior Consulting Cardiologist at Allina Health Minneapolis Heart Institute at Abbott Northwestern Hospital and the Director of TeleHeart Service. He received his medical degree from University of Michigan Medical School and is board certified in cardiology, echocardiology, and nuclear cardiology.

When asked why he was passionate about MHIF and wanted to serve on the board, Dr. Buckler answered, "MHIF is a one-of-a-kind organization that I am blessed to be a part of. The work that the foundation does through research and education touches so many lives and I am excited to be able to contribute to its continued success."

Dr. Michael Cummings is an internal medicine specialist at Allina Health Abbott Northwestern Hospital. With over 34 years of experience, Dr. Cummings has been recognized as a 2019, 2020 and 2023 Mpls St. Paul Magazine Top Doctor. He enjoys teaching medical students and residents about critical thinking and the art of medical practice.

As the CEO for MHIF, Kris provides visionary direction for the achievement of the organization’s mission, strategy, goals and objectives. She believes strongly in the legacy of innovation and collaboration. Every day, the MHIF vision of creating a world without heart and vascular disease is front and center.

Prior to joining MHIF, Kris served as the Director of Global Engagement at Medtronic Philanthropy. Under Kris’ leadership, Global Engagement underwent phenomenal growth and demonstrated impressive impact on communities around the globe. At the heart of Kris’ focus was the activation of 86,000 employees who channeled their time and resources toward health-focused community development and social investment.

Kris has built a track record in building effective teams, leading strategic initiatives, engaging diverse stakeholders, and translating complex science into meaningful stories. This is evident from her time building a research portfolio at HealthPartners Research Foundation, leading a team of scientists at Medtronic and most recently in her leadership at Medtronic Philanthropy. In her professional and personal life, she serves as a passionate advocate for improving community health. She currently serves on the board of the Minnesota Region of the American Red Cross, and an ex-officio member on the Abbott Northwestern Hospital Foundation Board.

Kris earned her bachelor’s degree from the College of St. Benedict, and holds an Interdisciplinary PhD focused on Health Communication from Washington State University. She was a Policy Fellow at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs. Kris lives in White Bear Lake with her husband and three sons.

Thom Gunderson is current chair of MHIF’s Board of Director and former managing director and senior research analyst at Piper Jaffray. His passion for MHIF was first stirred years ago when he heard a speech by Dr. Robert Van Tassel, one of MHIF’s Founders, in which he laid out the importance and community benefits of having a top notch cardiovascular team in Minnesota. The passion was fueled by the ongoing interaction he has had over the years with physicians and staff and Thom believes MHIF is a world-class operation.

Dr. Harris moved from Washington University School of Medicine to his current position as Director of the Aortic Dissection Program at Allina Health Minneapolis Heart Institute in 1998. He is a clinical cardiologist and echocardiographer with clinical and research interests in aortic disease and aortic dissection, valvular heart disease, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and heart disease in athletes.

He is actively involved in cardiology education, serving as associate program director for cardiology training for the HCMC/Minneapolis Heart Institute at Abbott Northwestern Hospital training program. Prior to this role, he was a member of the University of Minnesota fellowship committee for 12 years. Dr. Harris is also the current director of the Aortic Dissection Program and serves as a member of the International Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection (IRAD) group, having authored over 100 manuscripts.

In 2024, Dr. Harris joined MHIF's board of directors, feeling grateful for the support he'd been given over the years. Since it's inception, he's been closely involved in the MHIF clinical research internship program and has enjoyed mentoring several interns, noting how gratifying it is to see research come to completion and witness the career trajectory of the interns. 

"Investigator-initiated research which would not be possible without the direct support of the foundation and my colleagues. I'm grateful for opportunities to participate in the educational mission of MHIF, both with healthcare professionals and the community at large." - Dr. Kevin Harris

Sharon Hawkins has lived in Minnesota since 2002 and has been active in several civic and philanthropic endeavors in the Twin Cities. In addition to serving on the Abbott Northwestern Hospital Foundation (ANWF) board, she is a member of the board of Twin Cities Rise, Charlemagne Institute, King Milling Company, Lake Minnetonka Garden Club, past member of MN Opera, and is founder and past president of the Middle School Schoolgirls’ Lacrosse Association.

She has served as gala chair and committee member for several charity benefits, including the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation, Children’s Heart Link, MN Opera, Twin Cities Rise, and ANWF. Sharon was an active volunteer at Blake and Breck Schools and is a past member of the parent advisory committee of Duke University, where her three children and son-in-law obtained degrees. Her hobbies include skiing, boating, golf, platform tennis, pickleball, biking, bridge and mahjong.

Frances Hoffman joined the MHIF Board of Directors in 2023 after retiring from Allina Health – Abbott Northwestern Hospital where she served as Administrative Director of the Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Programs. During a career that spanned over 30 years, she was privileged to work closely with physicians and staff of MHIF on multiple clinical studies involving state-of-the-art technology for the treatment of heart failure. She has also held leadership positions in several professional associations, including participating on national committees, serving in elected office and on boards of directors of NATCO – the organization of Transplant Professionals, the United Network for Organ Sharing, and the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation.

Frances’ passion for improving the quality of health care through education and research fuels her strong commitment and enthusiastic support for the mission and work of the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation.

Frances earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing from the College of St. Scholastica and completed her Masters of Science in Nursing and Acute Care Nurse Practitioner programs at the University of Minnesota. 

Ann Houser, ACC, MSIR, GPHR, SPHR serves as CEO of The Bailey Group, a premier leadership development and executive coaching firm. She brings over two decades of leadership expertise, including 16 years at Medtronic where she rose to Vice President of Human Resources, overseeing HR for a $5.7B global business.

As CEO, Ann partners with C-suite executives—particularly those navigating complex, mission-driven organizations—to tackle strategic challenges, strengthen board relationships, implement succession planning, and develop high-performing talent strategies.

Her distinguished client portfolio spans the life sciences sector, including leaders from Medtronic, Boston Scientific, Abbott, Insulet, GE Healthcare, Optum, Thermo Fisher, Medica, Medela, Beckman Coulter, CVS Health and others.

Ann currently serves on the boards of The Bailey Group and The Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from St. Olaf College and a Master of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Josh currently serves as the President & CEO of Life Link III, the largest provider of emergency air medical transportation services in the state of Minnesota, of which Allina Health is a founding consortium member.

A former EMT/Paramedic, Josh discovered a passion for cardiovascular care & intervention early in his career. As a son & grandson of patients successfully diagnosed and treated for cardiac arrhythmias, Josh recognizes the importance of support for continued, innovative research of cardiovascular injuries & disease. Josh strongly believes MHIF is a leader, internationally, in those very important efforts.

Josh holds graduate degrees in both Business Administration and Healthcare Administration, is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE) and a Member/Certified Healthcare Financial Professional (CHFP) of the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA).

Josh lives with his wife, Tara, and their three children in Elk River, MN.

Dr. David Hurrell is a cardiologist at Allina Health Minneapolis Heart Institute and chair of MHIF’s Education Committee. He provides both inpatient and outpatient cardiology care with special interests in several modalities of non-invasive cardiology including echocardiography and nuclear cardiology. Dr. Hurrell is also recognized for his interest in integrative and complementary therapies.

Dr. Hurrell commonly treats disorders of coronary artery disease, heart rhythm disorders, heart failure, high blood pressure, hyperlipidemia and valvular heart disease.

Ariel Johnson brings together a wealth of experience across investor relations, strategy, and marketing. She is the Vice President of Strategy and Investor Relations for Endotronix. Dr. Johnson has a PhD in Oral Biology from the University of Illinois at Chicago, a MS in Chemistry from the University of Minnesota and a B.S. and B.A. in Chemistry, Biology and Physiology from the University of Minnesota.

She is excited to work on the board to ensure our community (and all cardiology patients) get the best possible cardiology care and MHIF is working to provide access to innovative, state-of-the-art technology to enable the best possible outcomes for the patients. 

Mark Johnson is a serial information technology entrepreneur with a number of successful startups over the past 35 years. After graduating from St. Olaf College in 1982 with a degree in Economics, Mark spent 8 years in the financial services industries in a variety of roles. In 1990, Mark co-founded his first technology start-up, MTI Group, before moving on nearly a decade later to co-found several more companies in the years to come.

His many corporate and civic and charitable roles have encompassed both leadership and volunteer responsibilities. Highlights include his role as a member of the St. Olaf College Board of Regents (2001-2013), chairing the board (2004-2015) of a global development organization called MSAADA which helps build Hospitals, Schools, and Clinics in places like Haiti and India and throughout Central America and Africa. Mark’s corporate board experience has been focused on organizations in the information technology industry, and have included board roles with past successful public and private companies like Eltrax, Workstations International, Provation, Solutionary, and more. 

Mark is active with consulting and advising a number of organizations in the Twin Cities, and happily spends time mentoring younger professionals in their career progressions especially when they are looking towards charting a course to start their own businesses.

When asked why he was passionate about MHIF and wanted to serve on the board, Mark answered, "Over the past 20 years, MHI and its various care teams have been there for me as I have experienced a wide variety of heart health problems. I want to contribute and give back to the amazing team and the foundation in every way I can."

Dr. William Katsiyiannis is the president and chairman of cardiology at Allina Health Minneapolis Heart Institute. He has a special interest and experience in performing complex catheter ablations, as well as device implants and extractions. He is the co-director of the Genetic Arrhythmia Center and screens, diagnosis and cares for families who have been affected by genetic arrhythmias. He is a recognized expert in his field, speaking nationally on the latest in abnormal heart rhythms.

James King spent over 20 years as an institutional investor in public healthcare companies. He is passionate about the complexities and innovation in healthcare and was initially exposed to the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation when he spoke with MHI cardiologists while conducting research on clinical stage transcatheter aortic heart valves. He decided to become a board member at MHIF due to his mother who continues to battle vascular disease, and after his father passed away from a stroke in 2020.

James received his BS from University of Wisconsin and his MBA from University of Minnesota.

Working to advance a wide range of new therapies and technologies to improve patient outcomes has been the focus of Ginny Kirby’s leadership career in the medical device industry for more than 30 years. She has served on global senior management teams for companies ranging from Fortune 500 to early-stage startup, focusing on strategies to establish clinical value and to drive regulatory approvals, reimbursement and market acceptance of new therapies and technologies. Ginny continues to consult with medical device companies, primarily for those in the start-up stage of development, as well as with the Discovery Launchpad, a technology incubator at the University of Minnesota, Office of Technology Commercialization. 

Ginny earned her bachelor’s degree in communication disorders from the University of Minnesota, a master’s degree in audiology and speech sciences from Purdue University and a master’s degree in management of technology from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota.

Over the expanse of her professional life, Ginny has had the great fortune to partner with leading medical researchers and to focus her passion and effort on designing and executing clinical trials, always with the goal of establishing evidence to deliver new therapies and technologies that improve the lives of patients. Working with the MHIF board affords her the opportunity to contribute to an organization with a powerful mission that aligns well with her personal values and experience. 

John Mack retired in 2023 as President of Cardiac Surgery after a 27 year career at Medtronic. He has had a passion for helping patients through advancing cardiovascular medicine throughout his career, and currently continues to be active in consulting and advising.

John is excited to share his expertise in medical devices, clinical trials and medical education with the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation as a member of the Board of Directors.

Richard Meyer is president of the Abbott Northwestern Hospital Foundation (ANWF), a position he has held since 2007. Previously, Richard was vice president of organizational advancement for Minnesota Masonic Homes and director of the Children’s Theatre Company’s development program. 

Richard is passionate about his role as a member of the MHIF Board because the mission to eliminate heart and vascular disease is a noble and worthy cause. He has seen firsthand the amazing impact that MHIF has had on the quality of cardiac care in our community, the region and the country and feels MHIF is a worthy and reliable partner for ANWF.

He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington in Seattle and a law degree from the University of Minnesota.

Dr. Marc Newell is a senior consulting cardiologist and vice president at Allina Health Minneapolis Heart Institute. He has special interests in advanced cardiac imaging and CT, coronary prevention, systems of care, and physician leadership.

Allison O'Connor is a senior executive with over 20 years of developing and driving strategy execution across organizations, including healthcare. She is an experienced leader with strategic planning, M&A, investor/Board relations, organizational redesign, value based contracting and delivery, integration and implementation accomplishments. She is passionate about partnership development driven through relationship building and value creation.

Allison joined MHIF's Board of Directors for the ​​​​​opportunity to work for an organization that impacts lives every day and is leading the change in cardiac care. She received her MBA from Cornell University in New York and BSBA from Denver University in Colorado.

Dr. Peterson is currently the director of the EP lab and cardiovascular chair at United Hospital, and his passion is to bring the highest level of cardiovascular healthcare to our world. He is proud to be on MHIF's board of directors as he believes the MHIF mission of research and education is a pivotal component of clinical care, and MHIF is uniquely poised to connect the researchers, educators, providers, patients, and their loved ones for best outcomes.

Dr. Peterson holds a BS from the University of Notre Dame and MD from Medical College of Wisconsin.

Joe is a semi-retired executive from the industrial automation industry, where he continues to serve in support of M&A activity and board service, balancing that with volunteer and personal interests.  He and his wife are both from the St. Louis area, and have lived in the Twin Cities since 2001, where they’ve put down deep roots and two of their three children also now live.  

Cardiac health has a personal significance to Joe, as his father passed away from a cardiac disease at age 45.  Joe was four years old.  That was in 1967, and while the body of knowledge around heart health has advanced dramatically since then, we still have a long way to go, and Joe is keenly interested in ensuring progress in the realm.

Joe received his BS in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue, and MBA from Washington University in St. Louis.

Dr. Scott Sharkey is the Chief Medical Officer for Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation as well as a practicing cardiologist at Allina Health Minneapolis Heart Institute at Abbott Northwestern Hospital and Ridgeview Medical Center in Waconia.

Dr. Sharkey completed medical school at Tufts University School of Medicine followed by a residency at Maine Medical Center and a fellowship at the University of Minnesota.

Dr. Robert J. Steffen is a cardiothoracic surgeon at Abbott Northwestern Hospital. He received his medical degree from University of Minnesota Medical School and has been in practice between 11-20 years, and was featured in 2021 as a Top Doctor Rising Star in Mpls. St. Paul Magazine.

Dr. Steffen received his undergraduate education in Biomedical Engineering at Northwestern University. He received his medical degree from the University of Minnesota Medical School. He did his postgraduate training at the Cleveland Clinic. During his training he spent one year as a research fellow in the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. He was the Chief Resident in his final year of cardiothoracic surgery training and received the Charles Bryan award for Clinical Excellence. Dr. Steffen was a clinical instructor in the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine and received multiple teaching awards. 

Dr. Steffen has specific interests in the surgical treatment of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, valvular heart disease, coronary artery disease, aortic disease, and heart failure. He has published many peer-reviewed manuscripts, book chapters, review articles, and podcasts and has spoken locally, nationally, and internationally on topics in cardiac surgery. 

Jeff Steinle is the former MHIF board chair and works as an attorney at Fredrikson and Byron advising health care clients.

Jeff's passion for the health care industry developed starting in 2004 when his father had a heart attack on the family farm and was flown from his local hospital in St. James to Abbott Northwestern Hospital where he had a quadruple bypass. Jeff was practicing law at a large law firm in Chicago at the time, but while his dad was recovering from surgery, he took a job interview at Medtronic in Minnesota. He got the job and developed a passion for helping health care companies develop and commercialize medical technology, attracting investors, and completing M&A transactions. MHIF is at the crossroads of his professional passion and his personal gratitude; his dad is doing great.

Dominica Tallarico is Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Allina Health and is responsible for leading operations across the care continuum, driving the delivery of the safest, best health outcomes for our communities. She joined MHIF's board of directors in 2024, bringing strategic leadership around safety and quality, consumer-driven and growth-minded innovation, and a passion for advancing health equity and access.

Dominica holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Loyola University Chicago and a Master of Science degree in health systems management from Rush University. 

Tim Thorpe holds extensive for-profit and non-profit knowledge and experience. His career history includes for-profit business planning, marketing and advertising with strong strategic, media and communications planning experience. Tim has also built strong non-profit expertise through experiences with various organizations focused on social services, arts, education, youth and the elderly.

When asked why he was passionate about MHIF and wanted to serve on the board, Tim answered, "With the aging of the baby boomers, heart health research and best practices become even more front and center. I've always admired the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation for the work they've accomplished and continue to do. I personally have had grandparents, parents - even me - be the beneficiaries of MHIF's research. I look forward to learning how I can support the organization as a board member, but also advocate and contribute to MHIF. I am honored to be part of this great organization."

Dr. Jay Traverse is a senior consulting cardiologist at Allina Health Minneapolis Heart Institute and the director of research at MHIF. His special interests include interventional cardiology, stem cell therapy, biomaterials, and ischemia/reperfusion injury. He is also an associate professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota School of Medicine.

Bree Williamson is a strategic advisor to high net worth individuals, business owners, families, private foundations, endowments, and non-profits. She helps clients articulate vision and purpose for their wealth. Bree also serves on the board and Executive Committee for VEAP, the largest food pantry and housing assistance program in MN, as well as serving on the Advisory Committee for Venture, an organization committed to addressing food insecurity and human trafficking.

As an avid marathon runner, Bree is passionate about health, wellness, and access to equitable health resources for all.