Biography

Hi, I am Rick Heydinger (we pronounce it Hi'-dinger, although I will respond to practically anything.) I am in my “encore” career, serving on a number of boards and active in a number of local causes. Currently I am Chair of the F.R.Bigelow Foundation board. Bigelow is a private foundation with $150M in assets that annually grants approximately $7M to human service, civic, educations and arts organizations in the East Metro area of the Twin Cities. I also currently serve on the boards of United Theological Seminary, the Ramsey County Historical Society, Ujamma Place - which serves African American males between 17-32, Frogtown Gardens and Farm - a new park and urban farm in St. Paul, and the Central Corridor Funders Collaborative - a 13-foundation collaborative of national and local foundations aimed at ensuring the healthy development of a new light rail corridor in the Twin Cities. I helped start Ujamaa Place and am always interested in connecting with WKKF Fellows who have expertise in working with 18 - 30 year old African American males. Currently I am spending nearly fulltime on Frogtown Farm - a five-acre urban farm in St. Paul that is being launched in 2014. I am currently Board Chair and doing many ED things as we search for a full-time Executive Director. Kellogg Fellows who have expertise in the food system, particularly where urban ag fits into it, I want on my radar screen. Previously I served as Senior Partner at The Public Strategies Group, Vice President of External Relations at the University of Minnesota and other positions such as President's Senior Advisor and Academic Affairs Asst VP. . I received a PhD in higher education focused on statewide computer networks from the University of Michigan, an MBA in operations research from Indiana University and a BA in mathematics from Carleton College. My wife is a former administrative law judge, deputy AG, and currently Chair of the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission. We have been married for 42 years and have two children in their twenties.