Steve Arnold
Steve was appointed to the DMNA board in April 2023. He and his wife Susan have been owners residing in downtown Minneapolis for the past 10 years.
Steve’s background over the past 35 years encompasses both corporate and advisory leadership roles in management consulting and governance helping companies and organizations develop and execute transformational strategies.
Steve previously served on the Legacy Lofts HOA as board chair and member. He is passionate about promoting improvements for those who reside, serve and work in our downtown community.
Steve and Susan enjoy spending time walking, biking, hiking, and cross-country skiing on our Minnesota trails and attending local theater& entertainment events.
Jim Bishop
Jim has been a homeowner at the Bridgwater Lofts since 2014, moving from Edina where he lived for 33 years. He is married, and has two adult children and three grandchildren.
Jim has been in the Human Resources management field for almost 40 years, specializing in the development of total rewards programs for large multinational companies (LDI, Abbott/St. Jude Medical, Cummins Power Generation and, Daikin/AAF-McQuay). He has a BA from St. John’s University and his MAIR from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. He is a Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS) and holds a certificate in Global Benefits Management through IFEBP. In addition, he served as a member of several HR advisory boards.
Jim has previously served on the Alumni Board for St. John’s University for six years. In addition, he has been a past volunteer for VEAP, including a member of VEAP’s Business Advisory Board, and with Habitat for Humanity as an on-site build volunteer.
Jim enjoys spending time at his lake home with family and friends, running and biking on the Minneapolis trails and recently has picked up pickleball. Jim was elected to the DMNA Board in October 2021 and is looking forward to working with many of you to make our community even better.
ANDY GITTLEMAN – PRESIDENT
Andy was elected to the DMNA Board in 2020. He is the Executive Vice President and Principal of FirstService Residential Minnesota. His primary responsibilities focus on the company’s urban portfolio, company operations, client retention, and leadership development.
Andy has been in the association management business for 33 years. In 1983, Andy and his father Melvin started a third-party association management company called Diversified Management Company. In 1992, the name of the company was changed to Gittleman Management Corporation and over the next two decades, the company experienced rapid growth and became the largest residential property management company in Minnesota. In 2012, Gittleman Management Corporation became part of FirstService Residential, the largest property management company in North America.
Andy graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in Economics and holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University Of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management. Gittleman is a Minnesota licensed Real Estate Broker and holds several industry designations including his Certified Manager of Community Associations (CMCA) certification from CAMICB and his Association Management Specialist (AMS) designation from the Community Association Institute. Gittleman is very active in the local real estate community and is a frequent speaker and moderator at real estate conferences.
Andy lives in Downtown Minneapolis and has two grown children.
ABBY LARSON, TREASURER
Abby is the Area Manager of Luxury Operations and Marketing for Sherman Associates. She was born and raised in Minnesota and studied Theater Performance at Perpich School for the Arts in Golden Valley, Minnesota.
Abby began her career in the hospitality industry and worked her way up to a management level where she opened the Home2 Suites by Hilton hotel in Eagan, Minnesota in 2018. Abby transitioned to real estate and property management when she took on her role with Sherman Associates at Encore in 2019.
Encore was the Starnet Design Awards Gold Winner for Mixed-Use Developments in 2017 and more recently won the Minnesota Multi–Housing Association’s 2021 MADACS Awards for Penthouse Floor Plan and Maintenance Technician.
Abby was elected to the DMNA Board of Directors in October 2021. She is proud to represent Sherman and further its commitment to community-building. She is an advocate for downtown renters and young residents, who she hopes to inspire to get involved in the community. She has a passion for making meaningful connections and brings a fresh perspective that will fuel our collective vision of a thriving downtown Minneapolis.
PAM McCREA – VICE PRESIDENT
Pam has served on the DMNA Board since 2015. She was born and raised in Minnesota and spent a large part of her life either working or living in Minneapolis. She has three pretty awesome grown children who are not only smart but have a wonderful social commitment to society.
Most of her career was in the not-for-profit world, working with individuals to enhance their lives. (Homeless women with children, homeless youth, individuals with developmental disabilities, disabled veterans, seniors, and families):
- Chief Operating Officer, Mains’l Services, Inc. – 10 years
- Chief Executive Officer, Good Shepherd Communities – 8 years
- Chief Operating Officer, Lutheran Social Services on MN – 4 years
- Executive Director, YWCA of St. Paul – 9 years
Community service has always been important to Pam. Listed below are some of her volunteer experiences:
- Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce- CEO TEC
- Institute of Black Chemical Abuse (IBCA) Board Member
- United Way Council of Agency Executives- Member
- City of Eagan – City Council Member
- Middle Management Association- Board Member
M.S., Mankato State University – Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor
B.A., Mankato State University – Social Work/Corrections
ISAAC RISSEEUW
Isaac was excited to join the DMNA board in 2022. He has been a proud downtown resident since 2017, living, working, and enjoying all the neighborhood has to offer.
Isaac is a marketing and communications professional, currently working as a digital strategy consultant with RBA. He previously served as the Social Media and Content Manager with the Minnesota Orchestra, where he collaborated with musicians, staff and board members to create and share engaging content with Orchestra audiences. He began his career in communications at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire as the Community Manager, after studying public relations and music.
When not working, you can find Isaac at the many Minneapolis theaters, restaurants and breweries. He is looking forward to connecting with neighbors through volunteer opportunities and events!
CARLETTA SWEET – SECRETARY
Carletta is a homeowner at RiverWest Condominium in the Downtown West neighborhood of Minneapolis and co-owner of a small business consultancy also located in the Downtown West neighborhood. She enjoys promoting public and private sector collaborative relationships that foster affordable housing, business development, and cultural as well as educational opportunities for the residents, businesses, employees, and visitors to downtown Minneapolis. To accomplish these goals she has been instrumental in forging relationships between the DMNA and:
- East Town Business Partnership (https://easttownmpls.org/) on which she currently serves as the DMNA neighborhood representative;
- NūLoop Partners (https://www.nulooppartners.org/) on which she currently serves as the DMNA representative and staff;
- Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership (https://www.facebook.com/MinneapolisRiverfrontPartnership/) on which she formerly served as the Central Riverfront neighborhood representative;
- Above the Falls Community Advisory Committee on which she formerly served as the Central Riverfront neighborhood representative; and
- Aeon (https://www.aeon.org/) on which she formerly served as chair.
Carletta’s enthusiasm for serving her neighbors to help make their community a great place to live, work, play, eat and shop has not waned since she joined the DMNA in 1998. She brings a rich historical perspective of the issues that impact the downtown community, similar to what she experienced in the late 1980s and early 1990s during the renaissance of the South Loop community in downtown Chicago, Illinois where former warehouses and factory lofts were converted to residential buildings, and new high-rise apartments sprang up on vacant or underused land.
JOE TAMBURINO
Joe is proud to live and work in downtown Minneapolis. An attorney for over 25 years, he and his wife Amy recently returned to downtown after raising three children in the suburbs. He is a partner at his law firm, Caplan & Tamburino, in the Lumber Exchange Bldg. Joe graduated from New York University in 1986 and the University of Minnesota Law School in 1989. Originally from NYC, he fell in love with Minneapolis and remained here to build his life and career.
Joe is a board member of the Italian Cultural Center (ICC) in Minneapolis, an organizer of the annual Italian Film Festival presented by the ICC, an instructor of legal education, and an active board member of his homeowners’ association. A frequent legal commentator in print, radio, and TV media, Joe is able to demonstrate his interest in and commitment to current issues facing our state and city. As for downtown, Joe is an enthusiast in all areas from addressing social concerns to attending fun cultural events, enjoying a dinner out, or walking over to Target Field to take in a game.
Joe is honored to be elected to the DMNA board and is looking forward to meeting more neighbors and getting to work!
DIANNE WALSH
Dianne was first elected to the DMNA Board at the October 27, 2016, Annual Meeting. She has resided in downtown Minneapolis for twenty years. Prior to that, she and her husband raised two sons in the Highland Park neighborhood of St. Paul.
Dianne retired from the practice of law with Heacox, Hartman, Koshmrl, Cosgriff & Johnson in June of 2015. She had concentrated her law practice in workers’ compensation, representing employers, insurance companies, and self-insured employers. She litigated numerous cases, resolved complicated issues through mediation, and counseled her clients regarding procedural, medical, and litigation issues. Dianne maintained the highest Martindale-Hubbell rating throughout her years of practice.
Dianne and her husband reside at the Bridgewater where she is active on various committees including the Pet Committee (of which she is chair), the Communications Committee, and the Bridgewater Neighbors and Friends of the Arts. Dianne is secretary of the Board of Directors of the homeowner’s association at her family’s lake place. Two days a week, Dianne volunteers at Paul Wellstone International High School working with ESL students to improve their reading, writing, and speaking skills.
Dianne brings to the DMNA strong writing and organizational skills. She is committed to living downtown and developing the downtown area into vibrant residential neighborhoods. Having observed two decades of change in the number of people living downtown, she is aware of the importance of neighborhood communication. Having also worked in downtown Minneapolis for more than twenty years of her practice, she is committed to supporting businesses and employees in the downtown area.
