Executive Director
Seward Redesign
Chris brings extensive leadership and management experience that spans multiple organizations and industry sectors. He is the Executive Director of Seward Redesign, a nonprofit community development corporation that operates in South Minneapolis. Seward Redesign provides comprehensive community development services including housing and commercial real estate development, infrastructure advocacy, business development and program administration. He has also served as the Chief Operating Officer for the Center for Economic Inclusion, and as the Director of Strategy and Operations for Thrivent Holdings, a division of Thrivent Financial, a Fortune 300 financial services company.
Prior to his time at Thrivent, Chris served as Executive Director for the Riverview Economic Development Association (REDA). REDA developed and implemented the District del Sol Commercial Corridor Revitalization Project and was a primary catalyst for millions of dollars in real estate, commercial, and public space investment in Saint Paul’s culturally diverse West Side neighborhood.
Earlier in his career Chris developed and led a program for Latino youth at La Oportunidad (Minneapolis) and served with the Peace Corps in Nicaragua as a Small Business Development Consultant. He began his career with MDA Leadership Consulting, a Minneapolis-based management consulting firm. Chris was the recipient of a Bush Fellowship from the Bush Foundation and he attended the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota where he received a Masters of Business Administration degree. During his time at the Carlson School, he was recognized as a National Society of Hispanic MBAs Fellow and as a Sunquist Global MBA Fellow. Chris also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Minnesota.
Chris currently serves as Chairman of the Latino Economic Development Center and has sat on multiple community committees and Boards of Directors including the Advisory Board for the University of Minnesota Tourism Center, the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation Neighborhood Leadership Program, Board member for Exodus Lending and as a career coach for the Graduate Business Career Center at the University of Minnesota.
Chris lives in Southeast Minneapolis with his wife Kerry and their children Elena (12), Danny (10) and Joey (10).
