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At its annual meeting today, the employee-shareholders of Bremer Financial Corporation (BFC) elected three new members to its Board of Directors. With this vote, the BFC Board has increased to nine members, welcoming MayKao Hang, Anthony Heredia and Liwanag Ojala.

MayKao Y. Hang serves as vice president of Strategic Initiatives and Founding Dean for the Morrison Family College of Health at the University of Saint Thomas. She served as president and chief executive officer of the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation from 2010 to 2019. Hang previously held leadership roles with Ramsey County Human Services and the St. Paul Public Housing Agency, and has served as both director and board chair of the Ninth District Federal Reserve Bank. Hang is currently a board member for Allina Health, Hnub Tshiab: Hmong Women Achieving Together, and Leap Pediatric and Adolescent Care, and also serves on the Itasca Project Working Group. Hang previously served as a director of HealthPartners and Regions Hospital, and as a board member for other nonprofit and community service organizations.

Anthony Heredia is senior vice president, chief ethics and compliance officer at Target Corporation. He was a senior associate with Booz Allen Hamilton prior to joining Target Corporation and held early career roles in public safety and law enforcement. Heredia previously served as director, board chair, and finance and audit committee chair of The Bush Foundation, director and board chair of the Metropolitan Economic Development Association (MEDA), and director of The Hispanic Scholarship Fund.

Liwanag Q. Ojala is the chief transformation officer at American Public Media Group/Minnesota Public Radio. Prior to joining American Public Media Group in 2022, Ojala was chief executive officer and chief operating officer of CaringBridge and held leadership roles with Meijer Inc., Pear Tree Greetings and CobornsDelivers.com/SimonDelivers Inc. She held early career roles as a business lawyer. Ojala currently serves as a board member of Minnesota Women’s Economic Roundtable and Wallin Education Partners, and is a member of the Board of Advisors of the University of Minnesota Law School.

“We are thrilled to welcome MayKao, Liwanag and Tony to the BFC Board,” said BFC Board Chair Ron James. “Each have deep experience in both the private and public sectors, having spent decades leading diverse organizations throughout Minnesota. Their wealth of business experiences brings a fresh set of talents that will undoubtedly enrich our board and strengthen Bremer’s business. I look forward to working alongside them as we continue Bremer’s 80-year legacy of cultivating thriving communities.”

After seven years of service, Wendy Schoppert advised the Board that she would not stand for re-election at the April 30 meeting. “We sincerely thank Wendy for her service to BFC for the last seven years,” James said.

The sitting BFC Board members who were re-elected today include:

• Ronald James, Board Chair

• Mary Brainerd

• Jeanne Crain

• Glenn McCoy

• Kevin Rhein

• Charles Westling

All elected board members will begin their service immediately.