Our Staff

Mike Greco

Mike Greco, AICP

Cofounder and Director, Resilient Communities Project
Metro-Area Coordinator, Empowering Small Minnesota Communities
[email protected] | 612-625-7501

Mike has more than a decade of experience connecting Minnesota local government agencies with the research, technical assistance, and other resources the University of Minnesota has to offer. He has a Master of Urban and Regional Planning degree from the U of MN's Humphrey School of Public Affairs, with a specialization in environmental planning and sustainability, and a Master of Arts in Communication Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Mike is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP). In his spare time, he enjoys gardening, playing guitar, hiking and snowshoeing on the farm he and his wife call home, and attending live music and theater.

 

Stina Kielsmeier-Cook

Stina Kielsmeier-Cook

Program Coordinator, Resilient Communities Project
[email protected] | 612-625-6550

Stina (she/her) is a mid-career graduate student in the Master of Public Affairs program at the U of MN. Stina’s previous roles have included managing a literary publication, producing a podcast, and helping new refugee families find affordable housing. She has a graduate diploma in Forced Migration and Refugee Studies from the American University in Cairo and a B.A. in Political Science from Wheaton College. Stina loves libraries, public schools, and adventuring with her family in the woods.

 

Maximus Jennings

Maximus Jennings

Student Storyteller and Communications Assistant
[email protected] 

Maximus is a sophomore at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. He is currently studying Strategic Communications at Hubbard School of Journalism and minoring in Management at Carlson School of Management. Max is also the Marketing Chair for the Lao Student Association at the U of M. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with family and friends, creating social media content, watching basketball, movies, TV shows, or YouTube videos, and working out at the UMN RecWell.

 

Peter Nomeland

Peter Nomeland

Student Storyteller and Communications Assistant
[email protected]

Peter is in his second semester in the MS in Technical Communication program at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, having graduated with a bachelor's degree in journalism in spring 2023. He has experience in local government communications from his time working with the City of Edina, along with previous experience as co-editor of the University's student arts magazine, The Wake. In his free time he loves reading, writing, watching basketball, biking, and spending time with friends.