Storyboard / Twin Cities PBS Welcomes Three New Members to Board of Trustees

Back to Storyboard Posts

Twin Cities PBS Welcomes Three New Members to Board of Trustees

January 27, 2025

Twin Cities PBS (TPT) is proud to announce the election of three distinguished leaders to its Board of Trustees: Orson Ledezma Castro, Maria McKean and Eric Rucker. Serving as the cornerstone of TPT’s governance, the Board of Trustees plays a pivotal role in guiding the organization’s strategic vision, ensuring financial stewardship, fostering meaningful relationships with stakeholders, and upholding TPT’s mission to enrich lives and strengthen communities through the power of media.

“Our Board of Trustees is essential to TPT’s ability to serve our community and remain a trusted leader in public media,” said Sylvia Strobel, TPT’s President & CEO. “Orson, Maria and Eric each bring exceptional expertise and unique perspectives that will strengthen our ability to innovate and connect with our audiences. Their leadership will help shape TPT’s future as we continue to tell stories that matter and create meaningful impact.”

In addition, TPT is pleased to announce its newly elected officers of the Board of Trustees for 2025:

  • Martha MacMillan, Chair (Vice President, Cargill Foundation)
  • Peter Hatinen, Vice Chair (SVP, Managing Director of Wealth Strategy, Ascent Private Capital Management)
  • Jesse Overton, Secretary (Chairman & CEO, SkyLearn/O4, LLC)
  • Bob Rinek, Treasurer (Managing Director and Partner, Piper Sandler Merchant Banking Group)
  • Donna Zimmerman, Immediate Past Chair (Retired SVP Government and Community Relations, HealthPartners)

About the New Trustees

Orson Ledezma Castro, Senior Vice President, Global Business Transformation, Food & Beverage at Ecolab, is an executive with 28+ years of B2B industry experience in the Americas region. He was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela, where he received his Material Engineer degree in 1995 and his Marketing Specialist degree in 2001. He has worked for Ecolab since 1996, starting his career in sales and marketing for the company’s water and process solutions for industrial customers. From there, he grew in responsibilities and scope while working and living in Venezuela, Brazil, Mexico and North America. Throughout his career, Orson has been involved in various initiatives focused on education, environment and migration with non-profit organizations. Between 2018 and 2022, he served on the United Way Brazil board, becoming Board Chairman for the 2020–2021 term.

Maria McKean is Vice President, Global Partners Leader – Sysco at Cargill. In this role, she is responsible for business strategy and planning, team leadership, customer relationships, and overall accountability for Cargill’s global business with Sysco. Maria joined Cargill in 2000 and has held various roles of increasing responsibility across multiple Cargill businesses and geographies. Maria holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Food Science and a Master of Business Administration, both from Iowa State University.

Recently retired, Eric Rucker served as Vice President, Associate General Counsel – Litigation at 3M. Eric came to 3M in 2015 and is the longest-standing member of the litigation department, as well as one of its most senior leaders. He previously spent 22 years as a veteran litigator in private practice at the firm Briggs & Morgan. Rucker is also chair of 3M’s Legal Affairs Diversity and Inclusion Committee, as well as being a longstanding member (and former co-chair) of Twin Cities Diversity in Practice.

For more information about TPT’s Leadership, visit TPT.org.

###

About Twin Cities PBS

Twin Cities PBS (TPT)’s mission is to enrich lives and strengthen our community through the power of media. Established nearly 70 years ago, TPT now operates as a public service media organization that harnesses a range of media tools to serve citizens in new ways — with multiple broadcast channels, online teaching resources, educational outreach and community engagement activities reaching more than 4.3 million people each month. Over its history, TPT has been recognized for its innovation and creativity with numerous awards, including Peabody awards and national and regional Emmy® Awards. Find more information at TPT.org.

© Twin Cities Public Television - 2025. All rights reserved.

Comments

Read Next

Top
To Top