Our nonprofit is led by a group of dedicated individuals who are passionate about the organization's mission and serve as the leadership team. They are elected positions, based on specific skills, experience and interests, to ensure the strength and sustainability of the AAMC. Meet the members of our diverse and hard-working team.

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Carolyn Sundquist - President              

Carolyn is a leader in the State’s preservation community. She has served as an advisor to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, served on the local Duluth Heritage Preservation Commission and was recently awarded the Executive Director’s Award by the Preservation Alliance of MN. Carolyn had a career as a commercial banker prior to retiring.

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Laura Weintraub-Vice President 

Laura is co-owner and CEO of Aimclear, an internationally known marketing agency located in Duluth, MN.  She holds her J.D. from Washington University in St. Louis and was in private practice for 17 years prior to joining Aimclear full time.  She is an intrepid traveler and when not traveling is working in her garden or planning the next trip.  She is an avid Indiana Hoosiers basketball fan as well.  

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Tom Hollenhorst -Secretary                              

Tom is a ecologist that works for the EPA lab in Duluth studying water quality in the Great Lakes. Tom is active in the arts and music community and is the head of the AAMC’s Arts and Music Programming Committee.  He loves acoustic music, especially bluegrass and folk.  He also loves the exploring the lakes and rivers near Duluth, and also serves on board of the Friends of the Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve in Superior, WI.

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Sara Blanck, Treasurer  

A life-long resident of Duluth, in May of 2022 Sara started as the Development and Membership Director for Friends of Sax-Zim Bog. Previously she worked at Superior Public Museums for 14 years managing the three museums owned by the City of Superior which included Fairlawn, the Old Firehouse and Police Museum, SS Meteor. She also volunteers as a board member for the Lake Superior Marine Museum Association. In her spare time she enjoys hiking, weekend get-aways, exploring parks, historic sites, and antique stores.

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Robert Hewitt                                        

Bob is an architect and has managed many large projects. Bob most recent project was working in the state of Washington on the restoration of the Holden Village, a retreat located adjacent to the Glacier Peak Wilderness.

 

Zane Bail                                                            

Zane works at the Northland Foundation serving northeastern Minnesota.  She also serves on the Sacred Heart Music Center Board and the Duluth Dylan Fest Committee.

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Deborah Scott                                       

Deb has extensive experience in non-profit organizations including serving as Executive Director at PAVSA, YWCA, University for Seniors at UMD, and North Shore Horizons. Deb has long been interested in the Armory and has a son that has participated in the MRC and one who is a blacksmith with Forging Community at the Armory Annex.

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Mary Ostman                                  

Mary’s background is as a paralegal and has worked at several of Duluth’s most prominent law offices.  Mary enjoys time with family and granddaughters , gardening, antiquing, genealogical family research (being a member of Daughters of American Revolution) and  Duluth area history.

 

Mike Poupore

Mike is a general contractor with an architectural degree from the University of Miami. Mike is very involved in the local preservation community and serves on the City’s Historic Preservation Committee (current President) and is also the current President of the Duluth Preservation Alliance. 

Jeff Wencl

Jeff is a local attorney with a diverse educational and professional background.  It includes the privilege of leading some of America’s finest men and women at sea aboard destroyers and aircraft carriers and in the sands of the Middle East, graduate coursework at the University of North Dakota and the Naval War College, law school at the University of North Dakota, executive leadership in the field of historic preservation, continued service part-time in the Navy Reserve, teaching at the university level, and community involvement through various veterans’ organizations, bar associations, and historical organizations (including St. Louis County Historical Society and now, the Armory).  In his spare time, Jeff is an active waterfowl and upland bird hunter with his three-year-old lab/pointer mix “Sven” and girl dad to toddler Madison.

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Ivy Vainio (She/Her) 

Ivy is African American and a direct descendant of a Grand Portage Band of Ojibwe tribal member. She is currently the Arts and Culture Program Coordinator at the American Indian Community Housing Organization where she has worked since 2017. Prior to AICHO, she worked in higher education at three universities for 27 years assisting primarily Native American and BIPOC college, high school and middle school students. She is long-time advocate for racial justice and equity in all aspects of society. For the last fourteen-years, her photography has been seen around the State of Minnesota, region, nationally and internationally.

 Her connection to music has been strong all her life and brings her ultimate joy. Ivy's son joined the Music Resource Center(MRC) in his middle school and high school years. She lives in Duluth with her husband, Arne Vainio, M.D.. 

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Salute to our Founder and Former Board Member

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Susan Phillips

Susan received both her undergraduate and Medill Masters in Journalism graduate degree from Northwestern University. She was the first woman hired to work in New York City at BBDO in advertising and later worked in NYC, Amsterdam and Belgium for Saatchi and Saatchi. She eventually moved from New York City to her birthplace, Duluth and started working to save the Historic Duluth Armory.  As President, Susan led the saving of the Armory from demolition, but now with developer George Sherman at the helm of the restoration, there is no doubt the Armory will be a spectacular and sustainable place for the community to enjoy, and a resounding attraction for Duluth.