Commissioner Grace Arnold leads the Minnesota Department of Commerce. She was appointed by Gov. Tim Walz in April 2021 and reappointed in January 2023.

As overseer of state industries that provide financial security to Minnesotans and energy policy in Minnesota, Commissioner Arnold is committed to ensuring Commerce’s regulated markets are fair and accessible to all Minnesotans, and that Minnesota is a leader in creating a clean energy economy.

Prior to her appointment as commissioner, she served as the department’s deputy commissioner of insurance. She also spent nearly a decade at the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. She also led product development for individual and family plans at Bright Health, a Minneapolis-based health insurer.

Aaron Cocking is the president and CEO of the Insurance Federation of Minnesota (IFM), a role he has held since 2019. In this capacity, Cocking advocates for the interests of property and casualty insurance companies doing business in Minnesota, working closely with state lawmakers to shape policies that protect both the industry and its policyholders.

Prior to leading the IFM, he was the president and CEO of the Minnesota Association of Farm Mutual Insurance Companies. With a strong background in legislative advocacy, Cocking has successfully collaborated with legislators from both sides of the aisle. Before transitioning to his leadership roles in the insurance sector, he gained extensive experience in the Minnesota Senate, holding various key positions. Cocking is also actively involved in his community as an elected member of the Albertville City Council.

Steve Minn is vice president and chief financial manager of Lupe Development Partners and is recognized for his expertise in affordable housing. Since 1989, Lupe has created over 5,000 units of housing and nearly 2 million square feet of commercial space.

Minn has more than 40 years of development experience and a varied career in state and municipal government. He served on the Minneapolis City Council from 1994–1999 and was state commissioner of public service in 1999, state commissioner of commerce from 2000–2001, a Minnesota Environmental Quality Board member from 1999–2001, and a Minneapolis Public Housing Authority commissioner from 2008–2014. He obtained his bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University and his MBA in urban development and finance from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Hue Nguyen leads the work of the Community Development and Engagement department to identify and develop policy solutions for issues affecting low- and moderate-income communities and tribal nations.

Nguyen has extensive experience facilitating community engagement and leading policy teams in both the executive and legislative branches in Minnesota state government. Nguyen has spent over 20 years advancing policies in the areas of housing, education, and taxation. Prior to coming to the Bank in 2023, she served as a director of government affairs at Target Corporation. She is also active on several community and statewide boards.

Nguyen holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and journalism from the University of Minnesota.

Laura Russ joined Aeon in February 2023 and currently oversees housing development, property operations, and asset management as chief real estate officer. Russ has an extensive background in multifamily housing including asset management, property management, and real estate development for private and nonprofit owners.

Russ previously led asset management, operations, and business systems functions at Thies & Talle Management. Throughout her career, she has consulted with numerous housing providers. She combines her detailed knowledge of field operations with systems thinking, technology application, and innovative implementation.

Russ has her bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago and her master’s degree in housing, community, and economic development from MIT. She is a board member at the Minnesota Multi Housing Association and HousingLink and a frequent contributor to housing discussions.

Christina Spicher is an intern in Community Development and Engagement at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. In her role, Spicher supports projects related to housing affordability and labor market institutions.

Spicher will graduate in spring 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in economics and a concentration in urban studies from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. Prior to joining the Bank, she interned for a local nonprofit in south Minneapolis.

Libby Starling is Senior Community Development Advisor in Community Development and Engagement at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Using the Minneapolis Fed’s capacity for applied research, data exploration, and policy analysis, she focuses on deepening the Bank’s understanding of housing affordability, concentrating on effective housing policies and practices that make a difference for low- and moderate-income families in the Ninth Federal Reserve District.

Prior to joining the Fed in 2019, Starling was the deputy director of the Community Development Division at the Metropolitan Council, where, among other accomplishments, she led the agency’s development of its 2040 Housing Policy Plan. Previously, she was the director of research and evaluation for the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency. She holds a Master of Planning degree from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota.