Our People

Cynthia Bauerly has extensive experience in law, management, and public policy, serving in key public sector leadership and management roles in Washington D.C. and in Minnesota. She has also worked and volunteered for national, state, and local campaigns and recounts for over thirty years.

Most recently, Cynthia served as Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Revenue from 2015 to 2020. She led over 1,400 employees as they helped Minnesotans access the economic opportunities of the tax code and collected over $23 billion annually to fund state services. Prior to joining Revenue, she served as Deputy Commissioner of Workforce Development at the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) where she led the department’s work of providing economic security for transitioning workers and workforce training and readiness.

From 2008 to 2013, living and working in Washington, D.C., Bauerly served as a Commissioner of the United States Federal Election Commission and as Chair of the agency in 2011. She also served as Legislative Director for Senator Chuck Schumer developing and implementing a broad policy agenda that included working with the Senate Rules, Judiciary, and Finance Committees and the Joint Economic Committee of Congress. She has also worked in private practice in both Minnesota and Washington, D.C.

Bauerly earned a BA from Concordia College in Moorhead, a JD from Indiana University School of Law-Bloomington, and a MPA from Indiana University’s School of Environmental and Public Affairs. She grew up in central Minnesota and now lives in Minneapolis with her husband and their dog, Kiko.

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Nadia Siddiqui is a fundraising and partnerships executive with over 18 years of passion for uniting teams in achievement of impactful business objectives. This includes delivery of transformative work through immersive and meaningful engagement offerings with organizations such as Alight (formerly American Refugee Committee), MDA (Muscular Dystrophy Association), Big Brothers Big Sisters, and MEDA (Metropolitan Economic Development Association). She values the opportunity to serve as a trusted partner to external funders and donors, advising them through fundraising and partnership opportunities that offer strategic alignment. Through her collaborative leadership style, she believes that all voices have valuable perspectives. She is an unconditional advocate for marginalized communities.

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Elizabeth Zalanga (she/her) is committed to developing solutions to the conditions that create inequities in society. She has five years’ experience in public service, in Minnesota’s state and city government, and has served in leadership on the boards of several nonprofit organizations that advance equity in opportunities and outcomes for marginalized youth. She is an alumni of the WFMN Innovators program.

Elizabeth’s policy experience includes co-authoring recommendations to the G20 and Women20 (W20) on promoting women’s economic empowerment by improving labor conditions for women; bridging the digital gender divide to further digital inclusion by developing women and girls’ digital skills; and requiring employers to adapt policies in line with International Labor Organization’s (ILO) Convention No. 190 standards on eliminating sexual violence and harassment in the workplace. Elizabeth served as an advisor for the 2022 Women7 (W7) recommendation process hosted by Germany. She was also named a UN Women National Youth Gender Activist. She is from Saint Paul, Minnesota.

“I am excited to bring my policy experience and passion of advocating for gender and equity issues to my new role as the Dr. Reatha Clark King Fellow with the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota.”

Chanida Phaengdara Potter (she/they) is a cultural organizer, community strategist, narrative storyteller, and most importantly the mother of two. She has worked 18+ years in the nonprofit field in community development and strategic communications across multiracial movements locally, nationally, and in Southeast Asia on refugee and immigrant rights, anti-trafficking, and anti-deportation. She has a Bachelor’s in Global Studies and Communications from University of Minnesota Twin Cities and Master’s in Public Administration from Hamline University. Chanida is author of Planting SEADS: Southeast Asian Diaspora Stories (2018) and has been featured in Asian American Press, The Uptake, Minnesota Public Radio, MinnPost, Star Tribune, Pioneer Press, Radio Free Asia, Voice of America, NBC America, CBS, Vox, Sahan Journal, Pollen Midwest; among others. She has served on advisory boards for Legacies of War, Twin Cities Media Alliance, and The Jay & Rose Phillips Family Foundation. She enjoys her time moving at the speed of life through travel, writing, and wholeheartedly believes in the mantra “we do this till we free us.”

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Heidi Walsh received her BA in elementary education from St. Catherine University and her BA in accounting from Metropolitan State University. As vice president of finance and operations, Heidi enjoys aligning the mission and values of the Foundation with our investments and was an early leader in Program Related Investments (PRIs). With a tenure spanning 18 years at the Women’s Foundation, Heidi can understand the story and impact of NGOs through their financials. Heidi sits on the advisory board at her children’s school. In her free time, Heidi enjoys gardening and raising poultry with her children and husband, Kevin.

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Erika Idrovo-Cuesta, previously the Wenda Weekes Moore Intern and Dr. Reatha Clark King Fellow, returned to WFMN in August 2019 after working as a legal assistant in immigration law and participating in policy training. She graduated from Augsburg University, and plans to continue as the first in her family to pursue higher education by obtaining a master’s degree in public policy.

“Philanthropy to me means opportunity. It wasn’t until I was introduced to philanthropy that I realized a community of supporters believed in this opportunity for all people to thrive, regardless of legal status, educational experience, skin color, gender or sexuality. As a Fellow, I find impact in the relationships, support, and opportunities to lead that strengthen my skills. In this role, I hope to learn more from my community and from influential leaders to grow in my leadership. I hope to respond to the growing needs from communities impacted by the coronavirus, anti-Black racism, and anti-immigration policies.”

Hailing from Minneapolis, LaCora Bradford has over two decades of experience living, volunteering and working in the Twin Cities metro area. She is a Northside Community Member in the Camden-Lind Bohanon neighborhood. LaCora graduated from the College of St. Scholastica and completed two years of AmeriCorps, completing over 3,400 service hours for her community.

Previously, she worked for the federal government at the agency the Corporation for National and Community Service as a Program Officer and the African American Leadership Forum as the Program Director for Collective Impact. She is board co-chair for Hope Community, where she has served for five years.

In her free time, she enjoys spending quality time with family, going on bike rides, walks, and salsa dancing.

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