Our Board of Directors

Diann has been a student, a teacher, the editor of a neighborhood monthly newspaper, and a technical writer. Arriving in Minnesota in 1971 for graduate study at the U of MN, she almost immediately became involved in the vibrant Seward neighborhood. Now in retirement, she has been fortunate to have even more time for community building in the diverse neighborhood that includes the amazing residents of the Seward Towers. 

Mark Ruff is a consultant for non-profits and local governments specializing in housing finance and organizations development.

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He is a former city coordinator and CFO for the City
of Minneapolis and CFO for the League of Minnesota Cities. 

Now retired, Sheldon previously provided consulting services to nonprofit organizations and foundations on technology, communications, management, and program transfers between organizations. His eclectic background also includes working on energy and environmental policy for three governors and six years of engineering design in the building industry. Sheldon has also served on the Minneapolis Planning Commission, Minneapolis Board of Estimate and Taxation, the Minneapolis Civil Rights Commission, and the Minneapolis Library Board.

He and his wife, Bev, have lived in their 110 year old home in Seward for over 40 years and finally completed their first 5 year remodeling plan 30 years after starting it. 

Melodie Bridgeman is a seasoned leader in community development and affordable housing with over three decades of experience. She currently serves as the Director of Community Development for the Carver County Community Development Agency, promoting housing access and economic growth. Previously, Melodie co-founded and led two consulting firms where she guided clients through the complexities of affordable multifamily housing development. Earlier roles include project management positions at Sherman Associates and the City of Saint Paul, and community development roles in San Diego and Minneapolis.

Melodie is known for her collaborative spirit, strategic thinking, and dedication to building strong communities.

Nancy is a resident of Seward Towers East where she has lived for 33 years. She has served on the board since 2011. Nancy has done a lot of volunteer work over the years, including many years for Seward Towers.

David Hoffman-Dachelet has lived in Seward with his family for 35 years. David previously did project management work with Seward Redesign and was appointed by Redesign to the board in 2024. He is currently the executive director of West Bank Community Development Corporation an affordable housing developer in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood.  David served on the Seward Community Cooperative board of directors from 2002 to 2016.

Mahad Dish has been a resident of Seward Tower East building since 2006. He lives there with his family and is very proud of the Seward neighborhood with neighbors there who help each other. He owns his own business, which provides office supplies, cleaning supplies, computers, computer accessories, etc. to government entities. His company is considered a disabled-owned company. Mahad enjoys working on projects that involve real estate and entrepreneurs.

Ron is a 40-plus year resident of the Seward neighborhood and lives here with his wife and two cats.  Their two children attended Seward Childcare Co-operative, Anne Sullivan Communication Center, and South High.  After retiring from teaching middle and high school science, he joined the Seward Neighborhood Group board of directors, but recently stepped down in 2026.  During some of that time, he has been the SNG appointee to the Seward Towers Corporation board of directors. He is very proud of the neighborhood visionaries who have worked to keep the Seward Towers an affordable place to call home for many seniors, immigrant families and new Minnesotans!

Ayesha Nure is a long-time and active resident of Seward Tower West, living there since 2009. She is multi-lingual and has been helping her community by translating between English, Oromo, and Amharic languages. She is known for her good listening skills and for caring for her neighbors.

Mohamed Omar is a transformational executive leader with experience advancing operational excellence, organizational growth, and mission-driven impact across the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. As Chief Operating Officer of ServeMinnesota, he leads strategy and operations across finance, technology, human resources, and program management. Previously, Mohamed served as Chief Administrative Officer and Chief of Staff at Washburn Center for Children and held leadership roles with the Greater Minnesota Housing Fund and Metropolitan Council.

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Mohamed holds an MBA in Finance & Entrepreneurship and a Masters in Information Systems from The Johns Hopkins University and is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Humphrey School of Public Affairs Policy Fellows Program. A committed civic leader, Mohamed serves as Treasurer of CommonBond Communities.

Residents are encouraged to apply.