After retiring from my machinist career in June 2014, I was able to pursue my love of music to a much greater degree. I had grown up with interests in rock and jazz and found that both were based in the blues. I was able to go to Memphis for the International Blues Challenge in 2015, where I met many members and musicians from the MnBS. We had such a great time that I got more involved in MnBS events and was later asked to fill a vacancy on the Board of Directors.
In my time on the Board I have helped to organize and work at all of our annual events. I have been a volunteer at the Road To Memphis competitions, the annual picnic, the Lowertown BluesFest, and various fundraising activities. I hope to meet more of our members and I will work to get even more people involved in the Minnesota Blues Society and to help them find the joy of the music and the friendships that come from being a member of the Minnesota Blues Society.
Sue Bujold, Vice President
Term Ends: 12/31/2024
Focus: Communication, Merchandise and Marketing, Event Planning
I am proud to be a member of the board since my appointment in 2019. I will continue to make this organization the best it can be. I love to meet folks at events and share this wonderful organization with new people.
As Vice President my responsibilities include: creating and launching the new website, as well as increasing the use of Social Media to inform our membership. I am an avid user of technology to make tasks more efficient. I hope to make MnBS even better for the folks who will follow me.
I am a retired middle school choir educator and a classically trained musician but I have always loved blues music. As an educator I was a Building Technology Specialist and an Apple Educator.
I will continue to bring the organizational, project completion, technology, and communication skills that I developed as an educator to the work of the board.
Deb Hills, Secretary
Term Ends: 12/31/2024
Focus: Monthly Minutes, Communications,
Marketing and Merchandise
It has been a joy to serve on the board since 2008. I serve the MnBS Board of Directors as secretary, which keeps me updated of everything that is going on. I look forward to continuing to serve as a director, volunteer, and member of various committees. I do much of the graphics work for the society, which helps keep the Minnesota Blues Society visually present as well as promoting the fabulous musicians we work with.
I enjoy volunteering at the events and meeting new people within the blues community. We have such a strong blues presence in the Twin Cities and it is my hope that we can spread out our mission of supporting the blues culture throughout the entire state on Minnesota.
I love the blues and I have been involved with the Minnesota Blues Society since 2016 and have taken on the Chairman duties of the Membership Committe. I became a Lifetime Member October of 2016.
It has been very rewarding to be able to manage the membership of the Society, which I expect to be able to continue doing for the foreseeable future. In our last Board of Directors meeting due to a vacancy that has occurred I volunteered to be a director to fill that vacancy until the end of that term. The board has accepted me for this directorship. I will continue to perform my role as Chairman of the Membership Committee. I look forward to working with the board and members of the Society.
Lynne Oldre-Mortenson, Director
Term Ends: 12/31/2023
Focus: Sponsorship program, Communications
I have been an avid music fan from a very young age, as my parents always had music in our home. Dad loved the old style country, and mom loved Nat King Cole, etc. I dabbled in piano and chorus while in school, but never felt the drive to excel or perform myself.
My adult career path led me to graphic design. I worked for several newspapers, ad agencies, and finally as recruitment design specialist with Mayo Clinic until my retirement late in 2020.
Over the last 30 years I became increasingly involved with helping to promote live music in the southern Minnesota area. I was asked to contribute an article each month to his successful monthly Blues Bugle magazine. When the Blues Bugle discontinued, John Hammer asked me to help him get his new venture Blue Monday Monthly off the ground.
Around this time the concept of Hambone Blues Jam was being developed as a one day music event in Austin, MN. This led to me being asked by a founder to volunteer my services first as a graphic designer, then assisting on the day of the event. I was asked to serve on the board of directors. By year six, I was asked to take over as president.
I’ve been interested in the blues since the early 70’s when I used to lie awake late at night listening to radio stations such as WLS out of Chicago and hearing shows like “King Biscuit Flour Hour”. Got my first harmonica from an uncle when I was about 12 and played it on and off (mostly off) ever since. I volunteered at the Whole Coffeehouse at the U of M while a student and was blessed to hear such artists as Sonny Terry and Brownie Mcghee and Corky Siegel in such an intimate venue. I loved wandering the West Bank and bumping into guys like “Spider John Koerner” who was recently inducted into the Minnesota Blues Hall of Fame.
Spent about 40 years in the business world and raising a family. Now since my retirement I’m enjoying the vibrant local blues music scene catching gigs whenever I can and trying to improve my rudimentary blues harp skills. I’ve been proudly serving on the Board since January. It provides a unique perspective on the joys and challenges of the Minnesota Blues Society.
I look forward to meeting new friends and blues family at upcoming events and festivals.
Barry Tannenbaum
I’m honored to be asked to serve on the board of directors for the MN Blues Society. I’m a lifetime member of the Blues Society. I feel humbled to participate in an organization that wants to preserve, celebrate, and advance the musical genre of the blues.
As I scroll through the Blues Foundation’s web site, I’m reminded of all the categories that represent the blues (previously the Handy awards) . Some examples are: Traditional Blues, Contemporary Blues, Acoustic Blues, Blues Rock, Soul Blues, and the list continues. I’m pleased that there is plenty of room at “blues” table as we feast. I personally like to talk about what is the blues, rather than to speak of what is not the blues.
As a working musician in the Twin Cities, I have enjoyed the continued support from this organization. I’ve had the pleasure of participating in the Road to Memphis Challenge, and ultimately the International Blues Challenge in Memphis TN in 2020. I’ll be forever grateful for these opportunities granted by the MN Blues Society.
Members of the Board are volunteers who are elected to a two year term.
Each board member chooses a focus area for their work for the MnBS.
Board meetings are held the second Thursday of each month on Zoom. Meetings are open to the public. See the Blues Calendar listing for any monthly meeting for information on how to join a meeting.
