Board of Directors Information
View the 2024-25 Board of Directors Meeting and Workshop Calendar here.
Contact the Board at board@eagleridgeacademy.org.
View the 2024-25 Board of Directors Roster here.
BoardDocs
BoardDocs promotes open communication and transparency of the school governance process. As such, BoardDocs allows anyone to review Board meeting agendas, workshop topics, supporting documents, and approved minutes.
Working Groups/Task Forces
The Working Groups / Task Forces of the Eagle Ridge Academy Board of Directors are advisory groups created to support the mission of the school by focusing on certain areas of the school’s operations. The main purpose of these groups is to research and develop the best practices in each area and present them to the Board for consideration. Any courses of action approved by the Board will be assigned to the school administration for implementation. Current working groups include the Curriculum, Instruction, and Student Achievement Work Group, World’s Best Workforce, the Governance Work Group, and the Policy Work Group. View more information about the groups on BoardDocs.
Date Term Expires: 6.30.25
cmurray@eagleridgeacademy.org
Date Term Expires: 6.30.26
eloutsch@eagleridgeacademy.org
Elliott Loutsch has been involved in real estate since 2000 and has a real estate appraiser license. He has experience valuing both residential and commercial properties as well as reviewing appraisals for financial institutions. Elliott is currently employed at a financial services company as the Collateral Risk Manager and is responsible for appraisal and environmental policy, appraisal engagement and review, and real estate collateral risk. He has been married to Tina for approaching 20 years and has two children. Cadence is a student in the School of Rhetoric and Morghann is a student in the School of Logic. Both participate in athletics and activities at Eagle Ridge Academy. Hobbies that Elliott enjoys include playing volleyball in a men’s league for more than 20 years, watching his daughters’ athletic teams, exercising, cooking, and visiting the occasional brewery or winery. He also enjoys assisting the coach at ERA’s summer volleyball clinics as a volunteer.
Date Term Expires: 6.29.25
dcroson@eagleridgeacademy.org
David Croson teaches strategic management and entrepreneurship at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management. He was elected to the Board of Directors in 2021 as a Parent Representative, and currently serves as Board Treasurer. He also serves as the Board Liaison with Friends of Eagle Ridge Academy (FERA), the school’s 501(c)(3) funding entity supporting scholarship endowments and other long-term capital needs. He is the proud father of two Gryphons: one in the Class of 2025 and one in the Class of 2027.
Date Term Expires: 6.30.26
ljohnson@eagleridgeacademy.org
The 18th century philosopher Immanuel Kant stated that the rules for happiness are: “Something to do, someone to love, and something to hope for.” Lisa Johnson has been happy “doing” education since graduating from Calvin College in 1986 with degrees in art and humanities. She has completed post-graduate studies in art, technology, physics, curriculum development, and Spanish from several universities, and the Classical Teachers Certificate Program. After teaching art at Northern Michigan Christian School for two years, she taught at an international school in Colombia, South America.
After falling in love overseas with her Norwegian husband, Kirk Logan Johnson, and getting married in 1993, she became a Minnesotan and taught at Calvin Christian School (now Avail Academy). When their three kids were in elementary school, she began teaching at Eagle Ridge Academy in 2004, when the school opened.
Lisa continues to love to drink coffee and talk about art and Classical education. She hopes to spend more time paddle boarding, practicing yoga, and doodling art ideas. She enjoys reading novels and books about art, archeology, architecture, the Bible, and education. She keeps planning more trips to Italy and hopes you can come along on her next trip!
Lisa is really a nerd who likes to learn about people, their ideas, and the world through art and history. Working at Eagle Ridge has brought out her inner geek!
Date Term Expires: 6.30.26
skanneganti@eagleridgeacademy.org
Coming Soon
Date Term Expires: 6.30.26
koberstar@eagleridgeacademy.org
Kathy Oberstar is recently retired after a 28-year career at Cargill working in various roles in IT, most recently in Cybersecurity. She is currently serving as a Community Member on the ERA board of directors. Both of her children are ERA graduates (class of 2019 and 2021.) While her kids were at ERA, she served on the board for seven years, four of those years as Treasurer. As a board member, she participated in, and led, multiple strategic planning and Board training sessions. In addition, she was instrumental in starting Friends of Eagle Ridge Academy and served on their Board for a number of years. She is passionate about ensuring children have access to high quality education and seeing Eagle Ridge continue to grow and thrive as one of the leading charter schools in Minnesota.
Date Term Expires: 6.30.26
ssundermeyer@eagleridgeacademy.org
As a third generation teacher, I am invested in creating a positive environment for everyone at Eagle Ridge Academy. I live with my wife Ann and our three children – Ford, Winston, and Ernest – in St. Louis Park. I am entering my fifth year in education, teaching in public, private and charter schools through all grades in Minnesota and Wyoming. In addition to education, I have worked in the non-profit, public, and private sectors. I was on the Board of Directors for Linden Hills Coop from 2016-2017 and have been a member of the Hopkins Area Little League Board since 2022. Additionally, I am a member of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). In this work I research and write about the history of baseball, particularly the history of the color barrier in organized baseball and labor relations. In this capacity I have presented across the country, including at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, and have published two articles of historical work. At Eagle Ridge Academy, I teach eighth grade American History and will likely coach JV Baseball this spring.
No Expiration Term
julbrich@eagleridgeacademy.org
Coming Soon
2025 Board Election Information
Board of Directors Composition
The 2025-2026 Board of Directors will consist of seven seats. The Board of Directors includes teacher, parent, and community member seats. The bylaws were amended over the last year to ensure that no single group can hold a majority of the seats. There must be at least one member from each group.
There will be two seats open for the 2025 Board of Directors election. Based on the current makeup of the Board of Directors, the following seats will be opening:
- One teacher member
- One parent member
Under the new by-laws, this means that the following groups can fill the seat openings:
- Only one teacher member
- Only one parent member
- Up to two community members
The Nomination Process
The Board of Directors invites you to nominate yourself or other individuals who possess the competence and vision to provide skilled leadership for the Academy. Any member of the corporation, parent, or staff may submit a nomination. To submit a nomination, please complete the Board Election Nomination Form. Nominations are due on or before 4:00 p.m. on Friday, January 31, 2025.
Nomination Considerations
Please consider the skills and attributes that are desirable for members of the Board of Directors. It is important to nominate individuals who possess these qualities to ensure the Board has a broad range of expertise to guide the school’s future. These include:
- Commitment to the Academy’s Classical Mission and Vision
- Development/Fundraising
- Non-Profit Management
- Education
- Facilities Management
- Finance/Accounting
- Governance/Law
- Human Resources
- Marketing/Public Relations/Advertising
- Strategic Planning
Additional points to consider:
- Board members can expect to spend roughly 12-15 hours per month contributing to Board efforts through meetings and assignments.
- If you are nominating someone other than yourself, please discuss the nomination with that person so that they are aware of the nomination.
Thank you for giving this election your careful thought and attention. Participating in this cornerstone of our country’s system of government is an excellent way to exercise and model true citizenship.
Board Member Election Process
Once nominations are received, the election process will follow this sequence:
- Friday, January 31: All nominees will receive an information packet containing a detailed description of the requirements of Board service as well as details for accepting the nomination, including a candidate questionnaire.
- Friday, February 7: A complete questionnaire, submitted by 4:00 p.m., is the official notification that they accept the nomination.
- Friday, February 14: An Election Guide with information on all candidates, their qualifications, and their views as stated in the candidate questionnaires will be available on the official election site and Eagle Ridge Academy Board page by 4:00 p.m.
- Wednesday, March 12: A Candidate Forum will be held virtually at 6:00 p.m. This online forum will provide an opportunity to meet and question all the candidates who are running for election. All candidates are encouraged to take part in this online forum.
- Wednesday, March 12: The official election will open at the conclusion of the Candidate Forum. All eligible voters will receive an individualized ballot passcode and log-in information as well as further directions via email.
- Monday, March 17: Election will close. All votes must be cast no later than 12:00 p.m.
- Tuesday, March 18: Official results will be announced at the Annual Board Meeting at 6:00 p.m.
Election Communications
Please note that all communications regarding this year’s election will take place primarily through email. If you do not have access to email, please contact the school office by calling 952-746-7760 so that other arrangements can be made.
If you have any questions about the election, please contact Elliott Loutsch, the Board of Directors Election Coordinator, at eloutsch@eagleridgeacademy.org.