Celtic Junction Arts Center is a Twin Cities-based arts and cultural center formed and organized to provide a central gathering place to educate its audiences about Celtic cultural legacy for the benefit of all ages and for future generations, and to engage in any lawful activity that celebrates, supports, promotes and/or preserves cultural arts and community.
Celtic Junction Arts Center (CJAC) Board of Directors
Write Cormac at Cormac@celticjunction.org
Write Jo Ann at development@celticjunction.org
Write Nathan at treasurer@celticjunction.org
Donna Dingle is a long-time volunteer supporting the Celtic Junction Arts Center and the Minnesota Boychoir. She serves as administrator for O’Shea Irish Dance and manages the school’s social media accounts. Previously, she served as chair of Communications on the board of the PTA for Stonebridge Elementary School in Stillwater.
A lifelong St. Paul resident, Donna lives with her husband and their three children in the house she grew up in. She is a passionate advocate for in-home elder-care, and with her family served as a caregiver for her father during the last 14 years of his life. The proud parent of three open-champion Irish Dancers, Donna loves to travel with her family, frequently to and from Irish Dance competitions, finding unusual and historic sites and roadside attractions.
In her professional life, Donna is a Senior Paralegal in the legal department of a Minnesota-based manufacturer. She has over 30 years of experience working as a key member of in-house and law firm legal teams. Donna provides strategic and tactical direction to outside counsel involved in claim-related investigations, legal research, and case review. She has strong interview, negotiation, and assessment skills honed through years of interviewing, evaluating
and retaining outside counsel, assessing risk and mediating lawsuits toward resolution. Donna brings extensive experience as a director and project manager overseeing in-house teams in litigation-involvement review and regulating document productions and litigation holds. She possesses expert analytical skills working with costs and reporting on trends and supplying potential solutions to reduce risk and costs associated with litigation and claims management.
Over his 40-year career, Dennis has served in executive and fundraising leadership roles for nonprofit arts, social service and medical organizations in New York, Indiana and the Twin Cities area. He recruited and developed voluntary boards and worked with them to achieve their fundraising and organizational development goals.Â
Dennis's affiliations include the Jasper (IN) Community Arts Commission, where he oversaw the development and construction of a major addition to the Jasper Civic Auditorium; White River State Park Arts Festival (Founding Director); American Red Cross of the St. Paul Area, where he led the St. Paul area's $11 million campaign for disaster relief for Hurricane Katrina; Minnesota AIDS Project; Historic Murphy’s Landing, and others. Most recently, Dennis served as Chief Executive Officer of the Minnesota Medical Association Foundation.
As a volunteer, Dennis was a founding board member of the Indiana Association of Arts Councils, the Indiana Presenters Network and the Midwest Presenters Network. He has served on the boards of Park Square Theater and the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) - Minnesota Chapter, and in various volunteer roles with Indiana Arts Commission, Minnesota State Arts Board, and others.
Now retired from the demands of a full-time career, Dennis has renewed his creative interests in theatre and music, acting in local theatre productions and performing rock and roll classics with his band Buster Phelan.
Ruth is a former Accountant with the State of Minnesota. Â
Ruth has served on various nonprofit/community boards for over 25 years and previously served on the boards of the Irish Music and Dance Association as well as The Center for Irish Music. Ruth is a longtime volunteer for the Irish Fair of Minnesota and has also spent a number of years studying Irish through Gaeltacht Minnesota.
When not supporting or volunteering you can find Ruth playing flute, singing in a choir, knitting, spending time outdoors and traveling to visit family and friends.
Steve and his spouse Lissa recently moved to Minneapolis from Colorado, where they lived for 23 years, in order to be near their daughter and her family. A second daughter lives in Scotland. Steve is a retired United Methodist clergy.
Steve has been involved in community theater for many years acting, directing, and set-building, and served on the board of Westcliffe Center for the Performing arts and the board of Solvista Behavioral Health.
He continues to host a radio show called Celtic and Beyond for the community radio staton in Westcliffe, Colorado, streaming Mondays on KLZR.org from 5:00 to 7:00, broadcasting live from his home in Minneapolis. His great interest in all things Celtic lured him into volunteering to serve as a board member at Celtic Junction Arts Center. He and his spouse have attended the Milwaukee Irish Fest, the Spanish Peaks International Celtic Festival, Celtic Colours in Cape Breton, and Fleadh Nua in Ennis, Ireland.
His skills are primarily in personal relations, and he is keen to help with event planning and coordination. His favorite instruments to play (though still learning) include mountain dulcimer, hammer dulcimer, and concertina.
Staff
Write Natalie at executivedirector@celticjunction.org
Write Brian at library@celticjunction.org
Write Patrick at education@celticjunction.org
Write Carillon at carillon@celticjunction.org
Equity and Inclusion Statement
The Celtic Junction Arts Center (CJAC) strives to be an inclusive environment for all and does not tolerate harassment or discrimination on the basis of race, sex, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, nationality, religion, age, ability, or class. Furthermore, we strongly oppose the appropriation of Irish/Celtic culture, history and symbols by those who promote discrimination, hate, violence, or injustice.
Child Protection Policy
The Celtic Junction Arts Center (CJAC) has a zero-tolerance policy for incidents of child abuse. We understand that protecting children is our most important responsibility and that our programs serve no positive purpose if we do not ensure their safety. In EVERY case, the report of molestation and any other abuse, or suspected such activity, will be treated with absolute priority, and CJAC will do everything in its power to ensure the successful prosecution of the perpetrator to the fullest extent of the law.Â
Everyone working with children at CJAC must agree to and sign this document.