School Board members

Laura Oksnevad was elected to the St. Anthony-New Brighton School Board in November 2013. Laura and her husband, Bjorn, have lived in St. Anthony Village since 2011 and have two children, Sonja (class of 2026) and Elise (class of 2028). She is an active volunteer in the Wilshire Park Parent Association, District 282 Wellness Committee and Nativity Lutheran Church. Laura has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree and Public Health Nurse certificate from the University of Minnesota. Laura is currently a stay at home parent and community volunteer. Her prior work experience includes Labor and Delivery Nursing as well as clinic work as a Prenatal Nurse Educator.

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Ben Phillip was elected to the St. Anthony-New Brighton School Board in November 2019. He is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Higher Education with an Adult Education specialty. Ben works at Summit Academy OIC, a vocational school in North Minneapolis, where he leads and manages a program to get underrepresented adults, primarily African Americans and women, into the IT industry. Having worked in higher education and IT for over 20 years, Ben has a firm understanding of the successes and struggles that affect educational institutions. For a number of years, Ben has been involved with the World’s Best Workforce. He has also helped with issues of equity and adverse childhood experiences through the St. Anthony Villagers for Equity and Community and Family Services Collaborative. He volunteers in the community, in association with the Wilshire Park Parents Association, and has coached and kept stats for various teams through the St. Anthony Boosters. Outside of St. Anthony, Ben is a board member for his high school alma mater, Minneapolis Roosevelt. Ben and his wife Laura have lived in St. Anthony Village since 2004 and have three children, Xander, Linden and Brannock, who attend St. Anthony-New Brighton schools.

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Mike was elected to the St. Anthony-New Brighton School Board in November 2021. Mike, his wife Marnie, and his two children Maude and Malone, moved to St. Anthony in 2014. 
Mike started out by joining the ECFE Parent Advisory Council, where he helped plan and run pre-K focused events, such as the Fall Carnival at the Community Center. Later on, he joined the SANBE Foundation, serving as treasurer and chairing their primary fundraiser, SAV for the Future. 
In his free time, Mike enjoys attending and performing in theater. And when time allows, he takes part in the St. Anthony Community Theater summer productions.
Prior to a decade-long (and still going) stint as a stay-at-home parent, Mike worked in finance and accounting and has a masters in business. The past few years he has been a regular at Wilshire Park Elementary School as a volunteer and more recently, a substitute teacher. As a substitute, he enjoys getting to know the kids and learning how classrooms operate. He looks forward to helping the district continue to strive for equity and excellence, because our kids deserve it.

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Lynne Penke Valdes was elected to the St. Anthony-New Brighton School Board in November 2019. She has worked in public service over the past 20 years, and is currently leading youth education strategies for Hennepin County. Lynne also teaches adult learners at Metropolitan State University. She was a member of the Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) Parent Advisory Council; participated as a community member in strategic planning processes and equity work at St. Anthony-New Brighton; a member of St. Anthony-New Brighton Education Foundation (SANBE), as well as the Community Fund. In addition, she is a certified Spanish interpreter. Lynne and her husband Alef have lived in St. Anthony Village since 2004 and have two children, Sofia and Stella who attend St. Anthony-New Brighton schools.

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