Our Team

Leadership
 Roger Cummings
Chief Cultural Producer
Cred
Co-Founder
Loeb Fellow, Harvard University (2009)
Started at JXTA in 1995
Contact
Our Staff
 Mikesha Barnes
Development Coordinator
Cred
M.B.A. | Project Management, Metropolitan State
B.A. | International Business & Spanish, Metropolitan State
Contact
 Desiree Bogan
Office Operations Coordinator
Cred
JXTA Alum
Started at JXTA in 2018
Contact
 Changó Cummings
Enviromental Design Lab Lead
Cred
B.A. | Architecture, Parsons School of Design, The New School
Architecture Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology
Fine Arts Columbia Chicago
Contact
 Nesra Cummings
Development Director
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M.A. | Teaching, Relay Graduate School of Education
B.A. | Psychology, Hampton University
Contact
 Namir Fearce
Contemporary Lab Lead
Cred
B.F.A. | Studio Art with a focus on Film and Sculpture, University of Illinois at Chicago
Walker Arts Fellow (2021)
Black Harvest Film Festival-nominated Director (2023)
Contact
 Julia Garcia
VALT Instructor
Cred
B.F.A. | Visual Critical Studies, School of Visual Arts, New York (2014)
M.F.A. | Painting, Maryland Institute College of Art (2016)
Exhibited in Minneapolis, New York, Miami, Baltimore, Cologne, Palma De Mallorca, Rome
Contact
 Joe King
Maintenance Coordinator
Cred
Contact
 Kristoffer Knutson
Project Manager
Cred
B.F.A. | Minneapolis College of Art & Design
Mini-M.B.A. | Non-Profit Management from University of St. Thomas
Former owner of design store ROBOTlove
Contact
 Ethan Nevalainen
Graphic Design Lab Lead
Cred
B.F.A. | Graphic Design, University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Design Internship at Knock (2021)
JXTA Alum
Contact
 Drew Peterson
Art Director, Director of Programs
Cred
M. F. A. | School of the Art Institute of Chicago
B. F. A. | University of Minnesota
JXTA Alum ‘00
Contact
 Qadiym Washington
Enviromental Design Lab Lead
Cred
Contact
 Erika Wilkinson
Finance Accountant
Cred
10+ years of experience as an Operations Manager
Proven expertise in driving operational efficiency and cutting costs
Strong analytical skills and strategic insights
Contact
Board of Directors
 C Terrence Anderson
Board Member & Previous Co-Chair
Dir. Of Community Based Research
U of M, Center for Urban and Regional Affairs
 Lynnea Atlas
Vice Chair
Chief Diversity Equity and Inclusion Officer
Girl Scouts River Valleys
 DeAnna Cummings
Treasurer & Finance Committee Chair also Co-Founder
Program Director of Arts at McKnight + Co-Founder, Former CEO at JXTA
McKnight Foundation, Bush Foundation Board of Directors
 Roger Cummings
Board Member & Co-Founder, Chief Cultural Producer
youth ed, Biz. Dev. enterpenuership visual artist
Co- founder of JXTA, Harvard Loeb Fellow
 Gregory G. Cunningham
Board Vice Chair
Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer
U. S. Bank
 Stephanie Englund
Chair
Sr. Manager, Talent Acquisition
Best Buy Co., Inc.
 Travis Lee
Board Member
Consultant/Photographer
Urban Trends LLC
 Leah Leyendecker
Secretary
Attorney
Saul Ewing LLP
Anne Paape headshot Anne Paape
Board Member
General Counsel
Meristem Family Wealth and Meristem Trust Company
 Dorion Taylor
Board Member
Chief Marketing and Growth Officer for Wildfire Water Solutions.