Ronnie Brooks is the founding director of the James P. Shannon Leadership Institute, a program of the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, providing a yearlong renewal experience for foundation and nonprofit organization leaders. Ronnie also consults on strategic planning, leadership development, and nonprofit organization governance and management.

When working in state government, Ronnie served as director of research for the Senate Majority and as special assistant to the Governor as well as on the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board.

FMR activities: Joined the board in 2015 and serves on the Planning Committee.

Education: Goucher College, University of Michigan and Michigan State University. Graduate and undergraduate degrees in political science.

Interests: Ceramics, poetry, cooking, public policy and travel especially with husband Roger, children and grandchildren.

Favorite Mississippi River experiences: Passing through Lock and Dam #1 in a canoe and traveling on a houseboat for a week south from Winona and back.

Quotes: "We must begin thinking like a river if we are to leave a legacy of beauty and life for future generations." — David Brower
"One place understood helps us understand all places better." — Eudora Welty