Leadership

Jay Bruns is Senior Climate Policy Advisor to the WA State Insurance Commissioner. In this role, he advises Commissioner Kreidler on strategies to encourage the insurance industry to take actions that address climate change. Previously, Jay was Senior Advisor for Private Sector Engagement at the United Nations Environment Program. Before that, Jay was VP for Public Policy at The Hartford. Earlier, Jay had a 25-year career as a Foreign Service Officer in the U.S. Department of State, rising to the Senior Foreign Service. He represented the United States in Norway, Germany, Japan, Trinidad and Tobago and Canada.

Monica Langfeldt provides counsel to clients in corporate and tax law, specializing in international tax issues, as the principal attorney of Langfeldt Law, PLLC. Monica joined PriceWaterhouseCoopers and Kaye Scholer in New York City then then completed her LL.M in Taxation at the UW and joined Miller Nash where she practiced corporate and tax law. Prior to forming her own firm in 2013, she was a partner at Garvey Schubert Barer in Seattle. Monica grew up in Norway, speaks fluent Norwegian and is active in the local Norwegian community. She also teaches international tax law as an Adjunct Professor at Seattle University School of Law.

Lisa Toftemark was initially elected to the National Nordic Museum Board in 2007, served three terms, and then returned in 2017. She attended Pacific Lutheran University and the University of Stockholm, and graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in business administration. After several years as an editor in the college textbook publishing industry, she moved back to the Northwest, where she worked at Microsoft as a technical editor and product manager before retiring. Lisa is of Danish and Swedish descent and is a member of the Danish Brotherhood Centennial Lodge in Eugene, Oregon.

David Nelson was the past President and Honorary Member of the Distribution Contractors Association and Trustee on several national union trust funds. David was chairman for 25 years of a labor committee that negotiated nationwide labor agreements for the installation of underground pipeline, power and fiberoptic utilities. He owned his own pipeline construction company for many years and is still very active in the construction industry. His family heritage is Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and Sami. He graduated from Ballard High and the UW School of Business.

Hans Aarhus retired as a finance executive for The Boeing Company. He held the position of Finance Director for the 737MAX and 787-10 Airplane Development programs. He also served as a Boeing executive focal to the University of Washington Business School and as a board member on the UW Global Business Advisory Board. Hans is a graduate of the University of Washington and holds an MBA and degrees in business administration and economics. Hans was born and raised in Norway and came to the US in 1984 to study at the UW. 

Dr. Anne-Charlotte (Lotta) Gavel Adams is Professor Emerita, Scandinavian Studies, UW and the Barbro Osher Endowed Chair Emerita of Swedish Studies. She has presented at the Museum in her field of expertise: Scandinavian drama (August Strindberg's Mother Love), Scandinavian art (The Golden Age of Scandinavian Painting; Bruno Liljeforss), Scandinavian women writers (Selma Lagerlöf) and Scandinavian Children's literature (The Moomin Trolls). In 2002, she was nominated for a Distinguished Teaching Award at the UW. Lotta holds a PhD, Scandinavian Studies, University of Washington, a PhC Comparative Literature, University of Stockholm, and a MA History of Literature & Nordic Studies, University of Linköping.

Alex Algard is a long-time visionary for trust and identity in mobile calls, having launched the first caller ID and spam blocking apps for mobile. Alex founded and bootstrapped two companies: Ekata, a leader of ID verification to enterprises via SaaS (sold to Mastercard in 2021) and Whitepages.com, which he started in the 1990s at college. Currently, Alex is the CEO of his third start-up, Hiya, leading product vision and corporate strategy. He is based in London with his wife and three children and splits his time between London and Seattle. Alex holds a B.A. in Economics and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, both from Stanford University.

Electa Johnson Anderson has significant professional and volunteer experience in fundraising, advocacy, and corporate relationships. Electa was a philanthropy/corporate partnerships consultant for over ten years and served as the Executive Director of Friends of the Missions in San Juan Capistrano. Electa is a member of the Washington Women's Foundation, Junior League of Seattle, and the Rainier Club. She currently serves on the Chapter Relations, Development and Diversity & Inclusion committees of the Alzheimer’s Association National Board of Directors. Electa is of Norwegian descent.

Laurie Black graduated from the UW and completed three post-graduate programs in communications, career counseling, and fundraising management. She enjoyed a 30-year career in the life and health insurance industry as a senior operations executive. During the latter part of her career, she moved into the nonprofit sector, obtaining large-scale federal and state grants and directing funded programs for workforce development and employment. Laurie has been active as a volunteer, donor, or board member for organizations such as the Washington Women’s Foundation, the Washington Athletic Club, ISB, and the Alzheimer’s Association.

Jann Blackbourn has over 30 years of advertising, marketing and management experience. As CEO of Washington Transit Advertising, Jann owned and operated the largest woman-owned media company in WA state. Her board service includes the UW Alumni Association, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and the Seattle Chamber of Commerce among others. She received many distinguished honors such as the Nordstrom Volunteer of the Year Award, the Seattle Mayor's Business Award, and the National American Advertising Federation Lifetime Award. Jann is of Norwegian descent and graduated from the UW with degrees in education and art. 

Retired, Seafood industry

Ray Brandstrom graduated from Western Washington University with a degree in accounting before starting his professional involvement with companies in a number of industries including senior housing, the Washington wine industry, horticulture and real estate. He was co-founder, Executive Vice President of Finance, Vice Chairman and Board member of Emeritus Senior Living, which started with one senior housing community is Seattle and grew to become on the of largest providers of senior housing in the US. He holds a CPA certificate in the State of Washington.

Laura Cooper is the president of the Cooper-Newell Foundation. She is of Swedish descent.

Ulf Ewaldsson is T-Mobile’s president of technology and is responsible for the management and development of T-Mobile’s wireless network, the company’s information technology services, and technology operations. Ulf joined T-Mobile in 2019 to lead and transform T-Mobile’s 5G network deployment. He previously held several leadership positions at Ericsson. He has a been credited as a founder of 5G mobile technology. Ulf earned a MSc and a Master of Business Management from Linköping Technical University. He is currently chairman of the board of the Swedish Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm.

Mike Hlastala is the Managing Director at CBRE, whose team manages real estate across the United States and Canada. Previously, Mike was the Managing Director of Project Management for CBRE in the west region. Mike also led the project management team on the Microsoft account, where his team delivered projects in Puget Sound and the North American Field Sites for a portfolio of campus and high-rise properties. Mike is of Icelandic descent. 

Gunnar Ildhuso, III currently holds the role of wealth advisor and shareholder at Coldstream Wealth Management. His work assisting business owners, provides him with a unique perspective on the operation of diverse businesses. He guides families through various financial milestones, employing his expertise in strategy implementation, financial planning, and risk management analysis. Gunnar's credentials include Chartered Financial Analyst and Certified Exit Planning Advisor.

Jonas Jonsson is the President of Stellar Holdings, a real estate development and investment company. He also serves on the board of ByggVesta, a Swedish residential property developer and manager. Jonas has a background in entrepreneurship and technology. He founded and led System73, a cloud-based data management and analytics software company, where he still serves as a board member. Jonas holds a degree in computer science and business administration from the USC. He is a passionate problem solver who strives to do the impossible. He is interested in innovation, creativity, and the health of our planet.

Terje was born in Norway and emigrated with his family to the US in 1959. After earning a Ph.D. in history, he joined University of Washington in 1977. Terje is the author of four books and over forty scholarly articles. He held the prestigious Sverre Arestad Endowed Chair in Norwegian Studies and served as Chair of the Department of Scandinavian Studies (1995-2010). He was knighted by His Majesty King Harald V of Norway in the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit in 1996.

Dr. Kimberley Lippman has a 30-year history of business management and consulting experience. As Principal for Think Smart! LLC, Dr. Lippman works with organizations to develop understanding on how best to grow their company, market footprint, investment community and/or product strategy. Dr. Osberg holds a B.A in Design, a B.S. degree in Information Systems, an MBA in Marketing and Organizational Development from Seattle University and her Ph.D. from the University of Washington in Education, specializing in alternative interface design and semiotics

Outi Mäkiniemi was born and raised in Finland, the happiest country on earth. She currently works at Microsoft as a Business Planner in Microsoft Business Applications. Prior to moving to U.S. in 2016, Outi was with Nokia for 13 years and the Association of Finnish Accounting Firms for five years She holds a master’s degree in Economics and Business Administration from Turku School of Economics. Outi has been a board member of Finlandia Foundation Seattle Chapter since 2018 and in that role, she has organized several events for the Finnish community. Outi embraces the Nordic values of equality, innovation, sisu, and sustainability.

Kurt Manchester is a Ballard resident of Norwegian descent and a longtime Museum supporter and former Vice President at Bardahl (from 1980 – 2009). He was President of Norwegian Commercial Club in 2010 and Vice President in 2009. Other affiliations include Ballard District Council, Ballard Chamber of Commerce, and General Biodiesel.

Jens is the founder of NewImpact, a humanity benefit non-profit that seeks to utilize a data-driven “tri-sector” approach to align the resources available in the private, social, and public sectors to generate superior societal and financial outcomes than would be possible if organizations were restricted to the resources within their sector alone. Jens first learned of potential for tri-sector solutions when he founded Coinstar in 1990, with the goal of creating a company that could simultaneously benefit the private, public, and non-profit sectors. Jens holds an MBA from Stanford University and a BA from Yale University.

Timo Naalisvaara serves clients as a technology consultant. He previously held the role of Customer CTO at Nokia, working closely with Nokia’s HQ in Finland and major customers. During his 30-year career as a technology leader, Timo established a wide network in the wireless community, ranging from advising university post-grad students to collaborating with global technology giants. Timo has worked in Finland the U.S. and consistently engages in technology collaborations between Finland and the U.S.-based entities. One such initiative is between Finnish and the U.S. government to expand technology and economical collaboration. 

Krystn Nesselquist actively participated in furthering the commercial and cultural ties of Norway and the United States. Her role in the community grew when His Majesty King Harald V appointed Krystn's husband Kim to represent Norway as Honorary Consul of Washington State and Idaho, a position he served with distinction for 20 years until his untimely passing in 2018. In 1998, Krystn purchased the industrial clothing business of Svino Enterprises, rebranded it Work Wear Inc. and built the company into a leading supplier of specialized, industrial clothing designed to meet the rigorous demands of the North Pacific and Bering Sea commercial fishing industries.

Per Norén has had a successful career in multinational high-tech corporations such as Carmen Systems, Jeppesen, The Boeing Company and Anuvu. He is currently the CEO of Ovzon, a world leader in revolutionizing mobile broadband via satellites. Per is passionate about building high performing cultures. Per was born in Karlstad, Värmland, Sweden and lived in Göteborg, Sweden and in Seattle and Washington DC. His ancestors hail from Stockholm, Upsala, and Brunskog.

Aaron Overland works as a commercial fishing broker for Dock Street Brokers. Aaron has worked alongside the fisheries for over a decade, previously as a commercial banker. His family connection to Ballard goes back to his grandparents. His grandfather was the head pastor of a predominantly Norwegian church on Phinney Ridge that served many members of the Ballard community. All of Aaron’s family lineage can be traced back to Norway. Aaron is a graduated of WSU with a degree in history and makes his home in Ballard.

Susanne Rockwell retired after a public service career with the City of Seattle. Susanne has expertise in long range strategic planning, capital project development, and extensive community engagement with Seattle Parks and Recreation. Susanne served as planning analyst with the City’s Planning and Design Commissions, as Strategic Advisor to Parks Superintendent, Levy Oversight Committee, and the Board of Parks Commissioners, and was Co-Lead in the Park District formation. A long-time mentor and part of the leadership team, she has also served as Planning Manager and Public Arts Manager.

Maria Staaf was born and raised in Sweden. She graduated from Brown University and studied at Uppsala University, Sweden. Maria worked in Stockholm at Enator (now TietoEnator) as a computer consultant then moved to Microsoft in Redmond with a focus on software development, product design, and project management on the Office team. Maria has been a board member for Svenska Kulturförbundet and Svenska Skolföreningen i Seattle, and is also involved with SWEA.

Johan Erik Strand was born and raised in Björklinge, a small town located 100km north of Stockholm, Sweden. He served in the Swedish marines prior to attending Uppsala University where he studied business. Following university, Johan worked at Swedbank Robur; the asset management arm of Swedbank—one of the largest banks in Sweden. While working at Robur he pursued his MBA at Edinburgh Business School. He is currently a wealth manager and research analyst working to create an investment vehicle which will invest capital raised in Sweden into US companies. Johan is passionate about infusing Nordic values into American companies.

Tor Tollessen was born on Karmøy, Norway in 1945. He attended an electrical technical school and moved to Seattle in 1966. He serves as the CEO of Lunde Marine Electronics. Tor is a member of Sons of Norway, the Karmøy Club of Washington, the Norwegian Commercial Club, Norwegian American Chamber of Commerce, Masonic Lodge, Scottish and Nile Temples, Rotary, and the Board of Pacific Fishermen Shipyard, LLC. Tor is a recipient of the Fishermen’s Night Heroism Award, the King Neptune Award from the Norwegian Commercial Club, and was distinguished as the Person of the Year from the Norwegian American Chamber of Commerce.

Previous to becoming the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer at the National Nordic Museum, Lāth as the founding Executive Director of the Museum of The Future in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, He was responsible for the opening of the museum and ensuring that all aspects of MOTF came together to enable guests to learn, explore, and actively participate in building a better future. With tickets sold out since opening In February of 2022, MOTF has welcomed over 1.2 million guests a year from 182 countries, making it one of the most successful new museum ever built.

At the University of New Mexico’s Maxwell Museum of Anthropology, Lāth created exhibitions while completing his degree in Cultural Anthropology. From there, his interest in interactive design and engineering led him to becoming an exhibit designer and project manager at the Please Touch Children’s Museum in Philadelphia, as well as the Franklin Institute Science Museum.

Lāth’s experience in the private sector includes 11 years in roles developing interactive and media-based experience for museums and corporate installations of all kinds. He completed innovative projects across North America while at Lynch Exhibits and Art Guild Inc., in New Jersey. He rose to Vice President for Museums and Environments at Art Guild and led the overall operations of the company.

From 2012 to 2015, Lāth held the position of Vice President of Exhibits and Content Development, at The Tech Museum of Innovation in Silicon Valley. Under his leadership The Tech was revitalized under a $60M capital campaign that refreshed the building and replaced all core exhibitions. In 2015, The Tech was awarded the highest honor an American museum can achieve: a National Medal for Museum and Library Service.

Before his directorship at the Museum of the Future, he was a Founding Executive Director of Living Computers: Museum + Labs in Seattle, Washington, a project initiated by Microsoft Co-Founder Paul G. Allen. Within a year of reopening, LCM+L was at the forefront of open access policies and use of artifacts, making it the highest rated museum in Seattle on Google. Carlson led the creation of 12,000 sf of hands-on contemporary technology exhibits, opened four co-created temporary exhibits, and developed numerous community-driven programs.

Lāth has served on the board of the National Association for Museum Exhibition (NAME), Future Oriented Museum Synergies (FORMS) and is a Noyce Leadership Institute Fellow. He has lectured in graduate programs at the University of Washington and the University of the Arts, where he occupied a Senior Lecturer post. He has also contributed to three books on museums and was a keynote panelist on Technology at the 2022 International Council of Museums triannual conference in Prague.

As a student he competed in the United States Skills Olympics in Precision Machining, is a former Master’s National Mountain Bike champion, and RYA licensed sailing skipper. Lāth lives on Vashon Island with his wife Liz, a former Team USA Track Cyclist, their two daughters, and Portuguese Water Dog.

Previous to becoming the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer at the National Nordic Museum, Lāth as the founding Executive Director of the Museum of The Future in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, He was responsible for the opening of the museum and ensuring that all aspects of MOTF came together to enable guests to learn, explore, and actively participate in building a better future. With tickets sold out since opening In February of 2022, MOTF has welcomed over 1.2 million guests a year from 182 countries, making it one of the most successful new museum ever built.

At the University of New Mexico’s Maxwell Museum of Anthropology, Lāth created exhibitions while completing his degree in Cultural Anthropology. From there, his interest in interactive design and engineering led him to becoming an exhibit designer and project manager at the Please Touch Children’s Museum in Philadelphia, as well as the Franklin Institute Science Museum.

Lāth’s experience in the private sector includes 11 years in roles developing interactive and media-based experience for museums and corporate installations of all kinds. He completed innovative projects across North America while at Lynch Exhibits and Art Guild Inc., in New Jersey. He rose to Vice President for Museums and Environments at Art Guild and led the overall operations of the company.

From 2012 to 2015, Lāth held the position of Vice President of Exhibits and Content Development, at The Tech Museum of Innovation in Silicon Valley. Under his leadership The Tech was revitalized under a $60M capital campaign that refreshed the building and replaced all core exhibitions. In 2015, The Tech was awarded the highest honor an American museum can achieve: a National Medal for Museum and Library Service.

Before his directorship at the Museum of the Future, he was a Founding Executive Director of Living Computers: Museum + Labs in Seattle, Washington, a project initiated by Microsoft Co-Founder Paul G. Allen. Within a year of reopening, LCM+L was at the forefront of open access policies and use of artifacts, making it the highest rated museum in Seattle on Google. Carlson led the creation of 12,000 sf of hands-on contemporary technology exhibits, opened four co-created temporary exhibits, and developed numerous community-driven programs.

Lāth has served on the board of the National Association for Museum Exhibition (NAME), Future Oriented Museum Synergies (FORMS) and is a Noyce Leadership Institute Fellow. He has lectured in graduate programs at the University of Washington and the University of the Arts, where he occupied a Senior Lecturer post. He has also contributed to three books on museums and was a keynote panelist on Technology at the 2022 International Council of Museums triannual conference in Prague.

As a student he competed in the United States Skills Olympics in Precision Machining, is a former Master’s National Mountain Bike champion, and RYA licensed sailing skipper. Lāth lives on Vashon Island with his wife Liz, a former Team USA Track Cyclist, their two daughters, and Portuguese Water Dog.