The Executive Board consists of seasoned professionals and dedicated residents from the Duluth community, bringing expertise in hospitality, legal counsel, finance, promotions, and the nonprofit sector. Their primary focus is on fundraising and guiding key decisions, all with the aim of enhancing the visitor experience year after year.
Introducing the 2025-2026 Board of Directors
Nathan Bentley
Nathan is the President of Advantage Emblem & Screen Printing in Duluth. In his leisure time he enjoys domestic and international travel, spending time outdoors. In 2001, Nathan began putting up holiday lights at his home in Esko, MN. His personality of going over the top with things has grown from a weekend obsession of holiday lights to overseeing and putting on Bentleyville Tour of Lights that is now hosted at Bayfront Festival Park in Duluth with a yearly attendance of over 300,000 visitors.
Jesse Hinkemeyer
Jesse Hinkemeyer, General Manager of Pier B Resort, grew up near Cass Lake, Minnesota. He moved to Duluth in 2004 to attend UMD graduating in 2009 with a double major in Health Care Management & Human Resource Management with a minor in Communication. He started working in 2005 in the hospitality industry. Since then he’s managed several hotels and served on a few non-profit boards. Jesse is married and enjoys being outside and visiting all of the local establishments Duluth has to offer.
Chad Nagorski
Chad Nagorski, retired in January of 2025 after serving 26 years with the Duluth Police Department. During one of his assignments, Chad worked with Bentleyville for seven years to assist with risk assessments, educating staff on safety and security procedures along with overall security planning for the event. The safety and security of all Bentleyville guests still remains a priority for him. Chad enjoys being outdoors and spending time with his wife and two children.
Tim Clay
Tim is General Manager of Sunbelt Rentals. After growing up and living outside Minneapolis, he and his family moved to Lake Vermilion outside Cook MN. Duluth has been his home for the last several years. Tim has been in many leadership roles and has owned a number of small businesses over the last thirty years. In his spare time, Tim enjoys traveling, golf, photography, exploring Duluth and spending time with his family.
Regina Fodness
Regina is the current Sales Manager at the Holiday Inn & Suites- Duluth Downtown and the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Duluth North. She was born and raised in Duluth and continues to call the Northland her home with her husband and two children. Since 2005, Regina has been an active member of the hospitality industry, holding various roles and being a part of different boards. However, she especially enjoys being on the Board of Directors for Bentleyville. If you want to catch a glimpse of Regina during the holiday season, you will often find her helping out in one of the various outlet stores at Bentleyville.
Tony Bronson
Director of Business Development for the Grandma’s Restaurant Company. A life-long resident of this area, Tony has served on a number of local boards and has been active with many non-profit and youth activity groups. As a Past Chair of the Visit Duluth Board of Directors, and present member of the Bentleyville Board, Tony has a great deal of pride in this area and a desire to see it continue to be a wonderful place for visitors and residents alike.
Kristi Stokes
Kristi Stokes has been the President and Chief Operating Officer of the Greater Downtown Council of Duluth since 2000. The organization is dedicated to promoting and supporting development of a clean, safe and vibrant central business district. Stokes has more than 26 years of management experience in the private and non-for-profit sectors. Prior to assuming her current position, she served as a News Director/Anchor at six radio stations, including the local CBS affiliate. She is a past board chair of Bentleyville Tour of Lights and also serves on the Duluth Area Family YMCA Board of Trustees.
Cathy Slack
Cathy Slack is the Branch Manager of Bell Bank. Banking has been her career for the past 43 years, including positions in private banking, business banking and personal banking. She is proud to call Duluth home. Family is her husband and her two grown sons. In her spare time she really enjoys spending time with her family and friends and being outdoors, especially biking, hiking and spending time at the cabin.
Jessica Hehir
Senior Advisor, Communication and Marketing Jessica Hehir plans and direct public information programs, coordinate overall marketing efforts, and serve as the primary contact in the Mayor’s Office for major events and other City of Duluth sponsorships. Jessica also serves as liaisons between the mayor’s office and constituents and represents Mayor Reinert at various meetings and events.
Craig Vanneste
Craig Vanneste has been with Advantage Emblem & Screen Printing since 1997 and currently is the Operations Manager. He is married with two adult children. He enjoys sunny Mexico days on the golf course or on the beach and road trips throughout the U.S. Craig is an integral part of the new lighting designs, merchandising and day-to-day operations of Bentleyville.
Sandy Sand
Raised outside Detroit MI, Sandy moved to Duluth in 1981 to be closer to Isle Royale and Lake Superior. Sandy retired from the Imaging department at St Luke’s in 2021. With retirement came more time to give back to the wonderful community where she and her husband raised 3 children. She is active with several local nonprofits. Sandy first volunteered at Bentleyville in 2019 and in 2021 was hooked. You can find her somewhere in the park through setup, live and tear down assisting wherever needed, learning something new and dancing to whatever tunes are playing. Sandy enjoys being out and about.
Mark Mahla
Director of Marketing, Grandma’s Inc. With over 30 years of marketing experience Mark has been responsible for creative direction and design across a diverse array of industries including restaurant, retail, and tourism ventures. A dedicated Northlander, he enjoys fostering his creativity through involvement in local boards, committees, and personal projects. Bentleyville fulfills 3 hobbies: one creative, one physical, and one social.
Stella Sorenson
Stella Sorenson has worked at Bentleyville since 2023. Born and raised in Duluth, she is a recent graduate from Duluth East High School. Stella has been visiting the Tour of Lights since she was little and is excited to be helping out behind the scenes. In her free time she trains karate, sells at craft fairs and hikes all over Duluth.