The Rainbow Rumpus Board of Directors

Cochair: Shannon Brumbaugh
Cochair: Joan Higinbotham
Interim Treasurer: Kevin Watson
Secretary: Christina Cowens-Gholson
Member: Jane Austin
Member: Lane Macalester
Member: Patina Park Zink
Member: Ellen Seagren

Shannon Brumbaugh, Board Cochair, currently works as the director of development for Minnesota Environmental Partnership, where she directs the overall fundraising program while focusing on creating an individual donor program for the organization. Previously, Shannon worked for five years at Scholarship America, based in Edina, Minnesota, and almost ten years at Wilder Research Center, Wilder Foundation in St. Paul, Minnesota. Shannon was the director of donor relations at Scholarship America, where she worked with individual donors and planned giving. Shannon was a survey research coordinator at Wilder Research Center working on projects focused on issues like homelessness, elder issues, and crime.

Shannon holds her juris doctorate degree from William Mitchell College of Law and her bachelor of arts degree in American Studies from Wells College. She lives in St. Paul with her partner of over 15 years and their son, dog, and three cats. She enjoys reading, gardening, and spending time with her family and friends.

Joan Higinbotham, Board Cochair, has worked for and with nonprofits for over 30 years. Her extensive experience encompasses both staff and board roles, from being an executive director at Common Cause to serving as a board chair of organizations such as Philanthrofund and the Ann Bancroft Foundation. She is impressed with what has been accomplished in the short life of Rainbow Rumpus and excited to be a part of the organization as it moves forward.

Kevin Watson, Interim Treasurer, was one of the founders of Tobacco Free Minnesota, a nonprofit whose efforts focused on work with young people in the LGBT community. He has extensive web design experience and has worked on the staff of a number of local nonprofits.

Christina Cowens Gholson, Secretary, holds a bachelor of arts in education from Spelman College and a master’s degree in applied psychology from New York University, having graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. In addition, she is pursuing her PhD at the University of Minnesota. She began her career as a first grade instructor (in both the public and the private sectors) and transitioned into work as an academic counselor and service learning manager in Minneapolis. Gholson is currently the career counselor at Macalester College, St. Paul, and student advisor for the Wallin Foundation. She is a member of the Links, Inc., a national and international organization. She also teaches yoga as a hobby and enjoys spending time with her family at Martha's Vineyard.

Lane Macalester has spent the greater part of her career working with organizations to support entrepreneurial growth and further innovation. She is a practicing attorney of 23 years and has provided leadership in legal and strategic business roles for a variety of established and emerging businesses, including in senior management and general counsel positions in Minnesota and Washington, DC. This experience includes significant work involving corporate governance and advising boards of directors, supporting investor relations and capital development, building consensus among diverse constituents, forging relationships with corporate and nonprofit interests, developing business processes for start-up and other organizations, structuring and negotiating strategic partner alliances, policymaking on cutting-edge issues, and protecting intellectual property rights.

In addition to work in private practice as an attorney and business consultant, Lane is a cofounder and the executive director of the Sunning Hill Foundation, an emerging nonprofit organization based in Minneapolis dedicated to advancing wellness in communities through health care innovation.

Lane is delighted to work with Rainbow Rumpus in supporting the empowerment of children through the arts and exploiting the benefits of web-based technology to help champion this purpose. She holds a bachelor of arts degree from Emory University and a juris doctorate from Washington University.

Patina Park Zink lives in rural Wisconsin with her husband of six years and her sons, Gerry (4 years old) and Gabe (2 years old). When she's lucky, Joseph, her 11-year-old stepson, visits. Patina has a bachelor's degree in psychology from Arizona State University and a juris doctorate from Hamline University. Patina currently works as a staff attorney at the Indian Child Welfare Law Center, where she provides legal representation to Native American families involved in child protection proceedings. She loves her daily involvement in improving children's lives. This is one of the main reasons she is so pleased to be a Rainbow Rumpus board member and hopes her involvement will be a benefit to the group.

Ellen Seagren has worked with children in Europe, India, Haiti, Viet Nam, and the United States. She loves the way Rainbow Rumpus combines opportunities to interact with youth and opportunities to work for social justice. She has master's degrees in public policy and social work and is a graduate of both Knox College and the University of Minnesota. Ellen speaks English, French, and Spanish. She has a background in nonprofit management including experience with grant writing, project management, and strategic planning during periods of growth and development. She currently serves as the coordinator for the Center for Cognitive Sciences at the University of Minnesota.

Board Committee Members

PR/Marketing

Jennifer Skovan Santiago has been working in marketing, events, and public relations for over a decade. Currently she is the manager or PR/media relations for Tradition Energy. Previously, she was the founding editor in chief of Texas Family Magazine. Prior to her work on the magazine, she did marketing, PR, and content development for a series of events produced by United Business Media. She holds a BA in psychology from the State University of New York at Albany. She is a proud single mom of one son and lives in Sugar Land, Texas.

Join Us! We are looking to add three members to the board in the coming year. We are particularly looking for folks with experience in the following areas: accounting, public relations, and nonprofit technology planning. You can view a board job description and apply by clicking here. We look forward to hearing from you soon!