Brenda Raney

Senior Vice President, Library, Research, & Collections

Brenda Raney joined the Minnesota Historical Society in 2017, thrilled with the opportunity to merge her broad museum work experience with her academic background in History. She believes in the power of objects and the stories they tell to expand how people and communities understand themselves and others. As Senior Vice President, Library, Research, & Collections, Brenda oversees the teams responsible for all of the items in our collections, from acquisition to research to outreach.

Brenda’s first role at MNHS was in the Development Department, and she added Advancement and Community Engagement to her portfolio before taking her current position in 2020. Prior to MNHS, Brenda held roles in Human Resources, Government Relations, and Development at the Science Museum of Minnesota and was the director of development at The Works Museum.

Brenda began her museum career as a graduate research assistant at the Missouri Historical Society while pursuing an M.A. in History and Museum Studies at the University of Missouri - St. Louis. She holds a B.A. in History and American Studies from St. Olaf College.

Executive council

Ford W. Bell
Jesse Bethke Gomez
Linda Brekke Mona
M. Mitchell Davis
Elizabeth Driscoll Hlavka
Joanell M. Dyrstad
Richard E. Engebretson
Carolyn M. Essig
Stephanie L. Fehr
Thomas M. Forsythe
David R. Hakensen
Dustin B. Heckman
Bridget A. Larson-Lindner
Jennifer J. Murray

Richard C. Nash
Krista E. O’Malley
John Pacheco Jr.
Peter M. Reyes Jr.
Sharon Sayles Belton
Daniel J. Schmechel
Diana L. Schutter
Daniel W. Shogren
Roger J. Sit
Anton S. Treuer
John R. Tunheim
Noelle P. Turner
Kyle R. Ward
Gwen N. Westerman
Kent Whitworth (Nonvoting, Director & CEO)

Emeritus council

Nina M. Archabal+
Charles W. Arnason+
Annette Atkins+
Sharon Avent+
Bruce W. Bean+
Gretchen U. Beito+
Diane Berthel
Kathleen Blatz
Suzanne Blue
Robert Bruininks
Barbara E. Burwell
Judith S. Corson
Grant W. Davis
Mark Davis+
Michael J. Davis
Charlton Dietz+
D. Stephen Elliott
Michael B. Farnell

Harold A. Frederick
Ram Gada+
Phyllis Rawls Goff+
William Green
James T. Hale
MayKao Y. Hang
Stanley S. Hubbard
Karen A. Humphrey+
Ruth S. Huss
Lucy R. Jones+
Sylvia Kaplan+
Dennis L. Lamkin
Jean M. Larson
Monica Little
Elizabeth S. MacMillan+
Charles Mahar
Susan B. McCarthy
William C. Melton+

Joseph S. Micallef+
Dean M. Nelson
Richard H. Nicholson
Elizabeth M. Nordlie
Peter R. Reis
Mark Ritchie
Kennon V. Rothchild+
Susan Kenny Stevens
William R. Stoeri+
Edward C. Stringer
Bo Thao-Urabe
Karen Wilson Thissen
Missy Staples Thompson
Kathy H. Tunheim
Benjamin Vander Kooi
Eleanor C. Winston
Warren J. Zaccaro

Honorary council

Lowell C. Anderson
Marvin R. Anderson
Nina M. Archabal+
Charles W. Arnason+
Annette Atkins+
Sharon Avent+
Bruce W. Bean+
Gretchen U. Beito+
Ford W. Bell
S. K. Dash
Mark Davis+
Charlton Dietz+
Elizabeth S. Driscoll
Dennis Dvorak
Richard L. Ferrell
Michael J. Fox

Ram Gada+
Phyllis Rawls Goff+
Karen A. Humphrey+
John Huss
Ruth Huss+
Lucy R. Jones+
Sylvia Kaplan+
Colles Larkin
Robert C. Mack
Elizabeth S. MacMillan+
Terry McGibbon
Peg Meier
William C. Melton+
Joseph S. Micallef+
Richard Moe
Stephen Nelson

Larry G. Osnes
Donald G. Patton
Fred Perez
Mark Peterson
Kennon V. Rothchild+
Ramedo J. Saucedo
Jeff Savage
Barbara W. Sommer
William R. Stoeri+
Gerald Vizenor
Vernell Wabasha
Jeanette E. Warner
Annette M. Whaley
Mary Lethert Wingerd

+ Emeritus and Honorary
Council Member

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Brenda Raney

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