Staff
 |
Kim Crockett Kim Crockett is American Experiment's Chief Operating Officer, Executive Vice President and General Counsel. She is the Executive Director of Minnesota Free Market Institute at Center of the American Experiment. Prior to joining the Minnesota Free Market Institute, Kim served as corporate counsel to a national bank and had a long legal career in commercial real estate law. Kim, who is an enthusiastic student of the American Revolution and the written U.S. Constitution, has been a member of the Federalist Society since 1984 when she founded the student chapter at Penn Law in Philadelphia. She is currently Chairman of the Minneapolis Lawyers Chapter. She has a B.A. in Philosophy from the University of Minnesota and a J.D. from Penn Law (1987). Kim also started a small business in 2004 where she serves on the board. Kim is a retired member of the Deephaven City Council and chairman of the five-city Excelsior Fire District. She has served Governor Tim Pawlenty as an appointee to Minnesota Compensation Council and the Minnesota Supreme Court as member of the Committee on Minnesota’s Code of Judicial Conduct. Kim “has issues” with relaxation, but when she is not reading or working, she might be found in the garden or on the slopes depending on the season. She is a devotee of pilates/yoga despite the attendant jibber jabber. She is a huge fan of Minnesota author, Vince Flynn, and his Mitch Rapp series. |
 |
Britt Drake Britt Drake is our Director of Public Programs. She coordinates our monthly forums and annual fundraising events. Britt holds a B.A. in social work from St. Olaf College. |
 |
Ariel Johnson Ariel Johnson is our Communications Associate. She handles a broad range of communication assignments, including social media and media relations. She holds a B.A. in history and a B.S. in English from Northwestern College. |
 |
Peter J. Nelson Peter Nelson is our Director of Public Policy. As such, he spends most of his time researching and writing on issues related to health care and energy. On health care, Peter primarily focuses on issues involving insurance regulation, Medicaid, and long-term care. He regularly consults with state policy makers on these issues and contributes commentaries to the Star Tribune, Pioneer Press, and other local newspapers across Minnesota. In 2010, Peter served on the Minnesota Legislative Commission on Health Care Access Health Insurance Exchange Working Group. Peter received his B.A. in economics from Wheaton College and a law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School where he was a member of the Minnesota Law Review. |
 |
Mitch Pearlstein, Ph.D. Mitch Pearlstein is Founder and President of Center of the American Experiment. Before his 1990 return to the Twin Cities, Dr. Pearlstein served for two years in the U.S. Department of Education, during the Reagan and (first) Bush administrations, where he held three positions, including Director of Outreach for the Office of Educational Research and Improvement. Just prior to his federal service in Washington, Dr. Pearlstein spent four years as an editorial writer and columnist for the St. Paul Pioneer Press, where he focused on foreign and national affairs. He also has been special assistant for policy and communications to Gov. Albert H. Quie of Minnesota; a research fellow at the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota; assistant to University of Minnesota President C. Peter Magrath (pronounced Ma-grah); director of public information at Binghamton University; a reporter for The Sun-Bulletin, again in Binghamton; and a columnist for CityBusiness and Twin Cities Business Monthly. |
 |
Dwight Tostenson Dwight Tostenson is our Chief Financial Officer and oversees the business operations, staff and fundraising at the Center. He also serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Intellectual Takeout a completely separate 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to educating and mobilizing the public about individual and economic freedoms. Tostenson received his B.S. in Business Administration and a B.A. in Economics from Winona State University. |
 |
Shanna Woodbury Shanna Woodbury serves as our Development Director. She drives our strategic fundraising plan including American Experiment's signature Annual Dinner and Fall Briefing events. |
 |
Peter Zeller Peter Zeller is our Director of Operations and has been involved with the Center nearly from the beginning and joined the staff in 1993. He studied Speech-Communications, History, and Business at the University of Minnesota and has been active in the conservative movement in Minnesota for over 20 years. |
