Rachel Friesen

Treasurer

Rachel Friesen first came across Renewing the Countryside in 2012, as a fresh college graduate working with emerging farmers in Kansas City. She was visiting Saint Paul for a weekend conference and--awed by the incredible February weather--just three years later made Minnesota her permanent home! Rachel hails from several small towns across the Midwest, and she loves anything related to community development and food. She is currently Director of Operations at Cooper Law and is pursuing a Master of Business Administration through the University of St. Thomas. 

Kate Mudge

Chair

Kate Mudge lives with her wife on a 40-acre farm in rural west-central Minnesota, surrounded by lakes and prairie. She serves as Co-Director of the Care Farming Network, bringing more than 20 years of nonprofit leadership to the role. Throughout her career, Kate has guided organizations through periods of growth and change, with expertise in rural entrepreneurism, hunger relief, animal welfare, recycling, and community development. She has worked as Rural Initiatives Strategist with West Central Initiative, advancing local food systems and regional agriculture, and as Executive Director for several nonprofits in the Twin Cities. A creative at heart, Kate also spent more than a decade as a professional baker and continues to nurture her love for food, farming, and community connection. In her free time, she enjoys metalsmithing, foraging, gardening, and baking.

Bethany Paul

Secretary

Bethany Paul lives in Saint Paul, MN and brings a strong background of nonprofit fundraising to the RTC board. She currently serves as a major gift officer at the University of Minnesota College of Education and Human Development. Her focus is creating lasting and engaging relationships between invested community members and the causes that align with their philanthropic priorities.  In her free time, you can find her pulling weeds in her vegetable garden. 

Madeline Hyde

Maddie is a food systems specialist at Prairie Island Indian Community. She is a passionate sustainable agriculture and food justice advocate with 7+ years professional experience in fundraising, communications, program management, and community engagement. She focuses her attention on fostering resilient, community-based food systems.

Shahnaz Shahidan

After having a career spanning 25 years in the Tech industry, Shahnaz decided to break free of the confined spaces of her indoor office and explore the outdoors. Instantly Shahnaz knew where she belonged: in the Countryside! Moving to Green county in Wisconsin helped her get connected with the Soil Sisters, and subsequently to RTC. Shahnaz hopes to stay active working in her urban garden, collaboratively build community orchard/garden in order to reduce food insecurity, and enrich people’s lives in small but thoughtful ways. A surviving child of war (between East and West Pakistan in 1971), a student in the United States who later became a naturalized citizen by choice, who refuses to give up on her adopted homeland despite the current political climate in America. Shahnaz’s past non-profit work includes serving on the board of Princeton Education Foundation in Princeton, New Jersey, Championing Math and Science education in public schools. Running chess club of middle schoolers that taught the children how to think ahead, perform under pressure, and graceful sportsmanship regardless of the outcome of the game.

Madeline Summers

As the Community and Outreach Specialist at Mississippi Market, Madeline works at the
intersection of agriculture, food security, and community building. She spent twelve years as a
volunteer coordinator, leading volunteer efforts in community kitchens and St Paul Public
Schools. Madeline lives in Bloomington with her husband and their cat, Mina, and is interested
in how we work together to champion resilient and inclusive food systems.

Nathan "Nate" Reuss, a native of Willmar, MN, has been an Economic Developer with the Mid-Minnesota Development Commission (MMDC) since Sept. 2021. In this role, Nate manages a revolving loan program. He also oversees obligations under the Economic Development Administration Planning Grant, collaborating with various stakeholders to support regional development across Kandiyohi, McLeod, Meeker, and Renville addressing critical issues such as broadband access, childcare, housing, and workforce shortages. Raised on a family farm operational since 1870, Nate developed a deep appreciation for the challenges and opportunities in rural communities. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota – Morris and has an extensive background in agricultural research, having worked with leading seed companies such as Pioneer/DuPont and Mycogen/Dow. 

Nate lives on his family farm with his two children, Eric and Rylie, and enjoys exploring the trails, lakes, and fields surrounding their home.

Kimberly Klees

Kimberly Klees is an Senior IT Program Manager within the financial services sector and a poultry farmer based in southeast Minnesota. Actively engaged in local farmers’ markets, she brings both technical business expertise and hands-on farming experience to the board. She is a member of the American Pasture Poultry Producers Association and works to bridge the gap between farms and the public’s understanding of where food comes from. With a deep commitment to rural communities, food security, and sustainable farming, Kimberly is working toward ensuring farmers have the resources they need and that local food systems become more accessible to all.

Brittany Johnson

Brittany is a certified public accountant and works as a Senior Tax Manager at a regional accounting firm in the Twin Cities. She brings an accounting perspective and critical eye for financial statements to the RTC Board. She is passionate about sustainable, local food systems.