Board of Commissioners

Rick King was reappointed to chair the Metropolitan Airports Commission by Governor Tim Walz in April 2023, having been initially named chair by Governor Walz in July 2019. He was first appointed to the Board in 2011 by Governor Mark Dayton, who reappointed him in 2015. King is also past chair of both the MAC's Management and Operations Committee and the Planning, Development and Environment Committee.

King is a former executive from Thomson Reuters after more than 20 years serving as CIO, CTO and Managing Director. Previously, he held executive-level positions at Ceridian Employer Services, Jostens Learning and WICAT Systems Inc. King began his career as a teacher and coach in Vermont.

King has served on the board of directors of Huntington Bancshares since 2021 when it acquired TCF Financial Corporation, where he served on its board from 2014. He is also a member of the board of directors of Q5id.

King was also named by Governor Walz to chair the Technology Advisory Council, a spinoff of the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Council on IT in February 2019, which he also chaired. Under former Governor Tim Pawlenty, he chaired Minnesota’s Ultra High-Speed Broadband Task Force between 2008 – 2009. King received many awards for his leadership in technology, including the CIO of the Year Leadership ORBIE from TwinCitiesCIO and a special Lifetime Achievement Tekne award from the Minnesota Technology Association, both in 2020. 

King earned bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Vermont and a CERT Certificate in Cybersecurity Oversight from the Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University.

View quarterly newsletters from Chair King

Carl Crimmins, a board member since March 2011, was appointed to District A, (see other district information) which includes in Hennepin County, the cities of Corcoran, Dayton, Greenfield, Independence, Loretto, Maple Grove, Maple Plain, Medicine Lake, Medina, Plymouth, Rogers, Brooklyn Park, Champlin, and Osseo; and both the Ramsey and Hennepin County portions of the city of Saint Anthony. In Anoka County, the cities of Columbia Heights, Fridley, and Hilltop; in Ramsey County, the city of New Brighton.

Crimmins is also a member of the Product Certification and Standards Council for the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials, is a lifetime member of the 11th Armored Cavalry's Veterans of Vietnam and Cambodia and is a member of the Military Order of the Purple Heart. He resides in Champlin.

Commissioner Crimmins serves on the Operations, Finance and Administration committee.

Governor Tim Walz appointed Braj Agrawal to the MAC Board in September 2019 to District B, (see other district information) which includes several communities in the southwestern metro area, including Chanhassen, Deephaven, Eden Prairie, Excelsior, Greenwood, Long Lake, Minnetonka Beach, Minnetonka, Minnetrista, Mound, Orono, Saint Bonifacius, Shorewood, Spring Park, Tonka Bay, Wayzata, and Woodland. Also Carver, Chaska, Cologne, Hamburg, Mayer, New Germany, Norwood Young America, Victoria, Waconia, and Watertown; and the townships of Benton, Camden, Dahlgren, Hancock, Hollywood, Laketown, San Francisco, Waconia, Watertown, and Young America. In Scott County, the cities of Belle Plaine, Elko New Market, Jordan, Prior Lake, and Shakopee; and the townships of Belle Plaine, Blakeley, Cedar Lake, Credit River, Helena, Jackson, Louisville, New Market, St. Lawrence, Sand Creek, and Spring Lake.

Agrawal received his MBA from the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Business and his BA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  He currently resides in Eden Prairie with his wife, Hetal of 15 years, and three children.

Commissioner Agrawal serves on the Operations, Finance and Administration Committee.

James Lawrence was appointed to the MAC in February 2021 by Gov. Tim Walz to District C, (see other district information) which includes the communities of Bloomington and Richfield; portions of the City of Edina, including the southern half of the city between I-494 and Minnesota Highway 62, and the northeastern quadrant of the city (just west of Minnesota Highway 100); and southwest corner of the city of Minneapolis: west of Lyndale Avenue, south of 42nd Street (east of Lake Harriet), south of Lake Harriet, and neighborhoods on the west side of Lake Harriet and south of 39th Street West. The district also includes the unorganized territory around Fort Snelling. Portions of the City of Minneapolis along I-35W, generally north to I-94 and I-394 (including the eastern Bryn Mawr neighborhood) along Franklin Avenue, bounded by the Mississippi River on the east, and southwest portions of the city of Minneapolis, east of Lyndale Avenue, north of 42nd Street (east of Lake Harriet), north of Lake Harriet, and neighborhoods on the west side of Lake Harriet and north of 39th Street West (around Bde Maka Ska).

Mr. Lawrence is Chairman of Lake Harriet Capital LLC, a private investment firm. Previously, Mr. Lawrence served as chairman of Rothschild North America and earlier as Chief Executive Officer of Rothschild North America and as co-head of global investment banking at Rothschild from 2010 to 2015. 

Prior to Rothschild, Mr. Lawrence was Chief Financial Officer of the Anglo Dutch company, Unilever, and he served as Executive Director on the boards of Unilever NV and Unilever PLC.  He joined Unilever in 2007 after serving as the Vice Chairman and Chief Financial officer of General Mills for nine years.  Also, he had responsibility for General Mills’ international business.  Prior to General Mills Mr. Lawrence was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Northwest Airlines from 1996 to 1998, and before that Mr. Lawrence was a division president at PepsiCo, serving as CEO of Pepsi-Cola Asia, Middle East, Africa from 1992 to 1996. 

In 1983, he cofounded The LEK Partnership in London.  Before that he was partner of Bain and Company, having opened their London and Munich offices.  His first job after business school was working for The Boston Consulting Group. 

Mr. Lawrence is currently a Non-Executive director of Avnet Inc., Smurfit Kappa group and AerCap and until 2018, IAG (International Consolidated Airlines Group).  Since 1990, Mr. Lawrence has served on 17 public company boards, several private company boards and numerous non-profit boards. In his various roles, he has been advisor or principal in numerous mergers, activist campaigns, acquisitions, joint ventures and divestitures. 

Mr. Lawrence earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Yale University and an M.B.A. with distinction from Harvard Business School.

Commissioner Lawrence is a member of the Planning, Development and Environment Committee.

James Deal was appointed to District E, (see other district information) which includes the cities of Andover, Anoka, Bethel, Coon Rapids, East Bethel, Ham Lake, Nowthen, Oak Grove, Ramsey, St. Francis; and Linwood Township. Also the cities of Blaine, Circle Pines, Lexington, and Spring Lake Park; and in Ramsey County, the cities of Arden Hills, Falcon Heights, Lauderdale, Mounds View, North Oaks, Roseville, Shoreview, and Vadnais Heights.

He is the former owner and chairman of the board of NAU, Mountain States and NAU Country Insurance companies. He was also the former owner and chairman of a national managing general agency, NAU Underwriters. Mr. Deal was appointed by former President Jimmy Carter as administrator for the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation from 1977 through 1980. Presently he and his wife, Pam, are the owners of PSD Holding, LLC and its subsidiaries, which are land development companies. Over the years, he has been involved in numerous other ventures which have included real estate development, business investments, farming, recreational vehicle retail sales, travel services, and resort, restaurant and fishing facility operations.

Deal currently serves on the Board of Achieve Services, an organization that creates innovative opportunities to inspire people with disabilities to lead a meaningful and self-determining life. He previously served as Treasurer of ClearWay Minnesota, a non-profit corporation that administers investments and grants tied to the 1998 tobacco settlement; board member on the Anoka Ramsey Community College Foundation and on the primary fundraising arm of the Mercy Hospital Foundation. He was also active in the fundraising for the St. Paul Archdiocese and St. Stephens Church in Anoka, Minnesota.

Deal serves on the Operations, Finance and Administration committee.

Gov. Tim Walz appointed Rodney Skoog to the Metropolitan Airports Commission board in July 2019 to District F, (see other district information) which includes in Anoka County, the cities of Centerville, Columbus, and Lino Lakes; in Ramsey County, the cities of Gem Lake and White Bear Lake; and in Washington County, the cities of Afton, Bayport, Birchwood Village, Dellwood, Forest Lake, Grant, Hugo, Lake Elmo, Lake St. Croix Beach, Lakeland, Lakeland Shores, Mahtomedi, Marine on St. Croix, May, Oak Park Heights, Pine Springs, St. Mary’s Point, Scandia, Stillwater, White Bear Lake, Willernie, and the northeast quadrant of the City of Woodbury, south of I-94, east of Woodbury Drive, and north of Bailey Road; and the townships of Baytown, May, Stillwater, and West Lakeland. In Dakota County, the district includes the cities of Coates, Hampton, Hastings, Miesville, New Trier, Randolph, Rosemount, South St. Paul, and Vermillion; and the townships of Douglas, Hampton, Marshan, Nininger, Randolph, Ravenna, and Vermillion; in Ramsey County, the portion of the city of Maplewood south of I-94; and in Washington County, the cities of Cottage Grove, Hastings, Newport, St. Paul Park, and the remaining two-thirds of the City of Woodbury west of Woodbury Drive and south of Bailey Road; and the townships of Denmark and Grey Cloud Island.

Mr. Skoog served as the Executive Administrator for the Minnesota Laborers Fringe Benefit Funds from 1991 until his retirement in May 2022. The Funds are multiemployer employee benefit plans covering more than 28,000 participants throughout the state of Minnesota and North Dakota, providing essential healthcare coverage, retirement security and training benefits. He is also a delegate to the Laborers District Council of Minnesota and North Dakota. 

Skoog has served as the project leader for the Research Grant Steering Committee, a non-profit entity associated with the Mitchell Hamline College of Law providing grants directed to tobacco cessation programs. He is also a former member of the Board of Directors for HealthWORKS Coalition and a frequent presenter on topics including healthcare, pension, and retirement security.  

Skoog is a lifelong resident of the Twin Cities area. He received his B.S. in Finance and Economics from the University of St. Thomas. He has been active in the aviation community since 1995 and holds a Commercial Pilot Certificate and a Certified Flight Instructor Certificate. 

Commissioner Skoog serves on the Operating, Finance and Administration Committee.

Richard Ginsberg was appointed to the MAC by Gov. Mark Dayton in January 2017 and reappointed by Gov. Tim Walz in February 2021 to District G, (see other district information) which includes the communities in Ramsey County of Little Canada, North St. Paul, the portions of the City of Maplewood north of I-94, and the portions of the City of Saint Paul south of the Mississippi River and east of Edgerton Street; and in Washington County, the cities of Landfall and Oakdale. Also portions of the City of Saint Paul north of the Mississippi River and west of Edgerton Street.

Ginsberg is the sole proprietor of The Rotunda Group, a government relations firm that focuses on state and local government issues. Previously, he worked in the administration of Gov. Rudy Perpich, Hennepin County's Office of Governmental Affairs and the law firm Lockridge Grindal Nauen.

Additionally, Ginsberg served as a member of the Visit Saint Paul Board's Executive Committee and also chaired the board's Building and Finance committees.

Ginsberg was born and raised in Hibbing, Minn., earned his BA in criminal justice and public administration from St. Cloud State University, and completed course work at Mitchell Hamline School of Law. 

Ginsberg serves on the Operations, Finance and Administration committee.

Governor Tim Walz appointed Yodit Bizen to the MAC board in July 2019 to District H, (see other district information) which includes in Dakota County the cities of Apple Valley, Eagan, Inver Grove Heights, Lilydale, Mendota, Mendota Heights, Sunfish Lake, and West St. Paul; also Burnsville, Empire, Farmington, and Lakeville; and the townships of Castle Rock, Eureka, Greenvale, Sciota, and Waterford; and in Scott County, the city of Savage.

Bizen has been a member of the workforce at the MSP Airport since 2001, and previously worked in occupational therapy for Lake Ridge Healthcare Center and the Wilder Adult Health Care Center. She has also served as a personal care provider with Augastena Health Center, Activity Aide, and JCC. She is a member of the American Occupational Therapy Association and the Minnesota Occupational Therapy Association.

Commissioner Bizen serves on the Planning, Development and Environment Committee.

Leili Fatehi was appointed to the MAC by Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey in January 2018.

Fatehi is owner and principal at Apparatus, a public policy and affairs practice specializing in complex challenges at the nexus of social, natural, and built systems. Before that, she was on the faculty at the University of Minnesota with cross-appointments at the Law School, Humphrey School of Public Affairs, and Center for Bioethics and was the co-founding director of the University's Initiative on Governance of Emerging Technological Systems. 

Fatehi serves on the boards of directors of the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy and Transit for Livable Communities/St. Paul Smart Trips. She is also a mayoral appointee to the City of Minneapolis' Capital Long-Range Improvement Committee.

Fatehi holds a JD from the University of Minnesota Law School and a BS in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University. She was a recognized as one of MN Business Magazine's top entrepreneurs under 35 in 2017.

Fatehi serves on the Planning, Development and Environment committee.

Ikram Koliso was appointed to the MAC board in May 2018 by Saint Paul Mayor Melvin Carter.

Koliso is a Policy Associate for Mayor Carter’s administration, managing and coordinating the mayor’s Children’s Savings Accounts initiative.

Prior to this, Koliso worked for Allina Health at United Hospital as a care management intern, and as a case management assistant for Hennepin County Multicultural Services. She was also an Urban Scholar for Governor Mark Dayton’s Children’s Cabinet in the summer of 2015.

Koliso is a recent graduate of St. Catherine’s University, graduating as valedictorian with a degree in Social Work and Public Health: Public Policy and is the recipient of St. Catherine’s Mary E. McCahill Leadership Award, Thomas More Leadership Award, and the Abigail Quigley McCarthy Center for Women Leadership Award

Koliso resides in Saint Paul, MN.

Koliso serves on the Planning, Development and Environment committee.

Patti Gartland was appointed to the Metropolitan Airports Commission on March 26, 2014 by Gov. Dayton, and reappointed in January, 2018. She was reappointed to a third term by Gov. Walz in January 2022. She is one of four outstate representatives (see other district information) on the board.

In addition to serving as president of the Greater St. Cloud Development Corporation, Gartland served as the city administrator for Sartell for nearly 12 years. During her tenure, the city of Sartell experienced a more than 65 percent increase in population growth and development activity totaling nearly a half billion dollars.

Gartland has also served on the boards of the MN Land Trust and the Coalition of Greater MN Cities. She is also past chair of the St. Cloud Area Wastewater Advisory Commission and is a past board member and chair for the United Way of Central Minnesota. 

Gartland is a lifelong resident of the greater St. Cloud community. She is a graduate of St. Cloud State University (SCSU).

Commissioner Gartland is a member of the Planning, Development and Environment Committee. 

Dixie Hoard, of Thief River Falls, was appointed by Gov. Mark Dayton on February 9, 2015. She is one of four outstate representatives (see other district information) on the board.

Hoard, a Realtor serving the Thief River Falls area, previously worked as a flight attendant for almost 30 years for Northwest Orient Airlines, Northwest Airlines, and later Delta Air Lines, where she was based out of the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, flying mainly international routes.

Hoard lives in Thief River Falls with her husband, Chuck, of 29 years. She has two grown children. 

Hoard serves on the Operations, Finance and Administration committee.

A resident of Duluth, Monaco is the owner of Monaco Air Duluth, LLC, a full-service, fixed-base operator at the Duluth International Airport serving airline, military, and general aviation customers. He is one of four outstate representatives (see other district information) on the board. Monaco is also the principal owner of the Fly Duluth flight school. Previously, Monaco spent 28 years as an international information technology and business management consultant, including 18 years as a partner and senior executive with Accenture in Chicago.

Monaco is currently Chairman of the Board of NASDAQ-listed NextTrip, Inc., treasurer and director of Honor Flight Northland, treasurer and trustee of the Duluth Aviation Institute, and serves on the Military Affairs Committee of the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce.

He is married to Patricia and has two adult daughters and four grandchildren. Monaco is a retired pilot who earned his master's and bachelor's degrees in computer science engineering from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill.

Commissioner Monaco is a member of the Operations, Finance and Administration Committee and has served as its chair since July 2016.

Randy Schubring, of Rochester, was appointed to the Metropolitan Airports Commission in June 2016 by Governor Mark Dayton and reappointed by Gov. Tim Walz in February of 2020. He is one of four outstate representatives (see other district information) on the board. He works as State Government Relations and Policy Development Director for Mayo Clinic. In this role, Randy leads strategic planning for public policy development for health care issues at the state and federal levels.

Prior to joining Mayo in 2008, Schubring served in public policy roles for Tubman, a nonprofit devoted to violence prevention, Allina Health System and as political director for Minneapolis Mayor Sharon Sayles Belton. A long-time community leader, Schubring is currently president of his Rochester neighborhood association. He received his M.A. in Public Administration from Hamline University and his B.A. from the University of Minnesota. He has two grown children, Dan and Rachel, and is married to David Dobmeyer.

Schubring is the chair of the Planning, Development and Environment committee.