Claudia Parliament
Executive Director
Email: cparliam@umn.edu

Claudia is Executive Director of the Council and Professor, Department of Applied Economics, University of Minnesota. Her Ph.D. is in agricultural and resource economics from the University of California, Berkeley. She received her B.S. and M.S. from the University of Minnesota. She taught mathematics in the Minneapolis Public Schools and in the Peace Corps in Nigeria, Ethiopia and Liberia. Claudia owned and managed her own small handcraft retail business from 1971 to 1977. She received the Bush Faculty Development Program for Excellence and Diversity in Teaching for 1995-96. Claudia enjoys traveling and she participates in synchronized swimming competitions.

Thomas Klein
Associate Director
Email: klein046@umn.edu

Tom Klein joined the Council as the Associate Director in July 2007. Prior to this position, Tom worked for the University of Minnesota Extension for nine years as Chief Financial Officer, Director of the Resource Development Unit and as Director of Marketing. These positions included responsibility for working with field staff, county attorneys and administrators on memoranda of agreement covering $11 million in county funding for Extension positions. Tom also provided leadership and worked with campus and field faculty to write program business plans for all 56 Extension programs. The University of Minnesota Extension was the first Extension group in the nation to write business plans for all its programs. Tom also has 20 plus years experience in marketing, sales and accounting in the private sector with Fortune 500 and startup companies. He served as Director of Marketing and New Business Development for SurVivaLink, which developed, manufactured and marketed the first automated external defibrillators (AEDs). He was the Director of Marketing for start-up Recovery Engineering, the developer of PUR line of water filters. Tom began his career as an accounting analyst at Kohler Co, an international plumbing and engines manufacturer and marketer. Over 10 years he worked in international sales and as product manager in the plumbing and specialty products division. Tom has an MBA in Accounting and Finance from the Carlson School of the University of Minnesota and a BA in Humanities also from the U of M. Tom and Kip Palmer have three grown children and live in South Minneapolis. Tom serves on the board of the early stage non-profit Doing Good Together, which promotes family volunteering.

Linda Maleitzke
Development Coordinator
Email: lmaleitz@umn.edu

Linda joins the Council with over 17 years of marketing and communications experience, much of it in the financial services industry. Her experience includes developing marketing, communications, and educational materials for the Web, print and multimedia presentations. Most recently, Linda worked as a marketing communications specialist for I.C. System and before that, as a regional marketing manager for RBC Dain Rauscher. Her background includes operating a successful marketing communications consulting business, which provided services to Fortune 500 companies such as Ameriprise and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and nonprofit organizations such as the Minnesota Pharmacists Association. Linda earned a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management with a minor in Economics. She is an active community volunteer, serving on the Coordinating Committee of Centerpoint Elementary School for over five years, leading their marketing efforts and participating in fund raising initiatives. Linda enjoys golfing, reading, traveling and spending time with her family.

Jo Prouty
Administrative Coordinator
Email: jprouty@umn.edu

Jo is the Administrative Coordinator of the Council. Prior to joining the Council she administered federally-funded special projects at the University of Minnesota. She has been an elementary school teacher in Fairfax, Virginia and in the St. Paul schools. Before moving to Minnesota she taught at The George Washington University and consulted with school districts on integrating handicapped students into regular classrooms. She received a B.A. from the College of William and Mary in Virginia and a M.A. in Education from The George Washington University. She and her husband, Bob, have one son. They enjoy biking, golfing, camping and skiing.

Lois Epstein
Financial Coordinator
Email: epste043@umn.edu

Lois Epstein joined the Council in 2006 as part-time Financial Coordinator. She originally moved to Minnesota from Massachusetts to study dance at the College of Saint Benedict in St. Joseph. Later she attended the University of Minnesota and graduated with a degree in psychology. In addition to working with the Council, Lois provides accounting and financial management services for several non-profit organizations including National Handicap Housing Institute, Minnesota Council on Foundations and League of Women Voters. Lois enjoys gardening, biking, and dancing with her husband and daughter.

John Jodzio
Program Associate
Email: jodz0001@umn.edu

John Jodzio recently joined the Minnesota Council on Economic Education as an Executive Office and Administrative Specialist. John has previously worked as a grant coordinator for the PRRS-CAP project, in the St. Paul Public Schools and with IBM. He has a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Minnesota.

Sue Pohlod
Administrative Specialist, Department of Applied Economics
Email: spohlod@umn.edu

Sue is Executive Office and Administrative Specialist in the Department of Applied Economics. She grew up on a dairy farm in north central Wisconsin. She attended North Central Technical College in Wausau, WI for clerical training and graduated in 1974 with the "Outstanding Graduate Award." Sue was employed with the Univ. of MN, Medical School Curriculum from 1974-1980. She took a break to travel and live on the east coast, where she was employed as Secretary to the Head of Pediatric Nephrology at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD. In 1982, she returned to the Univ. of MN in the Dept. of Agricultural and Applied Economics. She has remained with the department since 1982 and currently serves as Administrative Specialist for department faculty, the International Science and Technology Practice and Policy (InSTePP) center, and the MN Council. Sue organized a women's pool league for 10 years, participated on intramural and city league softball teams, enjoys music and is an avid Packers fan. Most recently in furthering her interest in music, Sue joined the Twin Cities Women's Choir, which performs concerts and participates in various musical events in the Twin Cities Metro area.