Ed Minnema

Ed’s professional experience includes thirty-one years of educational, corporate, and administrative leadership. He started his career as a musician and teacher, composing children’s music in Ojibwe at the Nay Ah Shing School on the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe reservation.  He eventually moved into educational administration and corporate leadership, serving as Corporate Director of Education and Performance for the Mille Lacs Band Corporate Commission. Ed’s experience also includes four years as assistant professor at the University of Minnesota – Duluth where he taught strategic management, human resources, project management, and operations within the Masters of Tribal Administration and Governance program (MTAG). Joining NACDI as Chief Operations Officer in 2018, Ed has overseen the organization’s continued strength and maturity over the years. He has earned  numerous certifications in nonprofit leadership and holds a doctorate in Educational Policy and Administration from the University of Minnesota Twin cities. Ed has two grown sons who continue to make him a better person – on most days.