Board of Managers

Sherry White joined the MCWD Board of Managers in 2012 and has served as President of the Board since 2014. During her time with MCWD, White has chaired the Policy and Planning Committee, led the Board through staff leadership changes, and facilitated the development and adoption of MCWD’s 2017 Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan. President White is a strong advocate for the MCWD’s Balanced Urban Ecology approach and serves as a liaison to the 325 Blake Road Restoration and Redevelopment project, which demonstrates our integrated approach to land-use and water planning.

White has practiced as a licensed attorney for over forty years, serving as legal counsel for Three Rivers Park District and the Government Relations Coordinator for the Minnesota Council on Foundations. White has also served as an active board member for several other organizations, including the Minnesota Association of Watershed Districts, Three Rivers Park District Foundation, and the Museum of Lake Minnetonka. Previously, White volunteered with Hennepin County Environmental Services through its Wetland Health Evaluation Program and Stream Health Evaluation Program.

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Bill Olson was appointed to the MCWD Board of Managers in 2011 to represent Carver County and currently serves as vice president. During his tenure with the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District, Manager Olson has worked alongside the Board President to steward the MCWD through staff restructure and leadership changes. Olson is most proud of the District’s work on the Minnehaha Creek Greenway, Arden Park, the Six Mile Creek-Halsted Bay Habitat Restoration, and MCWD’s continued efforts to restore Lake Wassermann in Victoria, MN.

Olson has extensive experience in the field of business management and electrical automation and software. For over forty years, he managed corporate accounts at Rockwell Automation, where he supported over one hundred plants and hundreds of automation professionals. His other roles include volunteering with local Boy Scout troops, chairing the Lake Minnetonka “Save the Lake” Fund, and serving as a board member for the Lake Minnetonka Conservation District and the Metro Association of Watershed Districts.

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Arun Hejmadi was appointed to the MCWD Board of Managers in 2019 and currently serves as secretary. Hejmadi is a strong supporter of the Balanced Urban Ecology approach that underlies MCWD’s work, and is most proud of projects along the Minnehaha Creek Greenway, which demonstrate the water resource and community benefits of MCWD’s approach. Manager Hejmadi is excited to continue working with Managers and staff to develop MCWD’s strategy for climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Prior to joining the Board of Managers, Hejmadi worked for over three decades as a mental health practitioner for both private and non-profit organizations. Hejmadi is an active volunteer with neighborhood associations near his home in Minneapolis. Previously, Hejmadi also taught meditation in an award-winning program at the Dakota County Men’s Jail in Hastings, MN.

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Eugene Maxwell was appointed to the MCWD Board of Managers in 2019 and currently serves as treasurer. As a long-time resident of Hopkins, Maxwell has been an advocate for MCWD’s work along the Minnehaha Creek Greenway, located in Hopkins and St. Louis Park. He’s particularly energized by the 325 Blake Road Restoration and Redevelopment project, which is an exciting opportunity to align water resource improvements with community need.

Maxwell brings a wealth of city government experience to the Board. He held positions on the Hopkins City Council and served as Mayor of Hopkins for sixteen years. Apart from his public duties, Maxwell owns and manages a business in the retail and restaurant industry. Maxwell is also a member of the First Minnetonka Bank Board of Directors and Global Synergy Group’s Board of Directors.

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Ricardo Bonner was appointed to the MCWD Board of Managers in 2026. He grew up on a family ranch in Uruguay, where the importance of effective water management was instilled in him at a young age.

He has continued this lifelong appreciation for water through service as a Minnesota Master Water Steward and as a former member of MCWD’s Citizens Advisory Committee.

Bonner brings more than two decades of experience in financial management and project leadership. He currently works as a Senior Financial Consultant at Securian Financial, where he supports financial planning and analysis initiatives. Earlier in his career, he oversaw multi-million-dollar budgets and helped deliver financial and operational improvements for international programs across several countries.

He is also active in mentoring youth in his community and serves as Treasurer of the Minnesota Youth Rugby Foundation.

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Steve Sando joined the MCWD Board of Managers in 2021. A lifelong resident of Edina, Sando strongly supported MCWD in its Restoration of Arden Park, which involved removing a dam, treating regional stormwater, re-meandering the creek, and improving recreational features that allow the community to enjoy the park.

Sando worked as a Sales and Marketing Manager in the furniture industry for thirty-two years, during which time he traveled across the U.S. to hire sales representatives, cultivate loyalty, and create new relationships with furniture stores and manufacturers. When Sando is not stewarding natural resources as an MCWD Board Manager, he often finds ways to do so in his community as a volunteer with the Adopt-a-Drain program and an organizer of “Buckthorn Busts” in Arden Park.

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Janet Schaefer was appointed to the MCWD Board of Managers in 2026. Born and raised in Long Lake, she has had a lifelong passion for the watershed’s communities and natural resources.

Before her time on the Board, Schaefer served as the treasurer of the Long Lake Waters Association and as a member of MCWD’s Citizens Advisory Committee, demonstrating her dedication to responsible water stewardship and advancing MCWD’s Balanced Urban Ecology vision.

Schaefer brings extensive experience in managing complex operations and strategic leadership. For more than 30 years, she worked in the global relocation services industry, most recently as Senior Vice President of Altair Global. Within the global mobility space, Janet served as the Chairman of the Worldwide ERC Foundation’s Board of Trustees Executive Committee. In addition to her corporate leadership, Schaefer served as Mayor of Long Lake from 2001-2005, during which she had the privilege of immersing herself in city operations, partnerships, and providing critical services for her community.

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