Anime Twin Cities Board

Officers:

Christina Kramer

Christina Kramer

President

From the era of Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon on Toonami, my passion for anime ignited like a fierce battle cry. Since 2010, I've been wielding my devotion within Anime Detour's merchandise ranks, and in 2022, I seized the mantle of department head.
In the heart of my dwelling, a vibrant orchestra of warriors assembles—a resolute cohort of five humans, accompanied by three loyal dogs and three steadfast cats. Each participant infuses the familial tapestry with their distinct warrior spirit, creating a home where the spirit of battle mingles with the fervor of animated realms.
Term Ends Summer 2025

Kim Hofer

Kim Hofer

Vice-President/Treasurer

I have been with Anime Detour since 2007. First as a volunteer; then as a staffer in the Registration department and finally as the Treasurer for Anime Twin Cities, Inc. beginning in 2009. I hold an Accounting/Business Management degree and have been working in the 401(k)/Retirement field since October 1997 – marking 22 years in the business. I am currently employed with a firm based in Edina, MN and enjoy the many benefits of working from my home.
I am married to Erick and we have one very energetic cat – name Leon. We are both avid fans of rollercoasters and love to spend our summer travelling to various amusement parks. In the winder – it is all about hockey for me.
One day I hope to retire to my “happy place” – a condo on Mission Beach in sunny San Diego!
Term Ends Summer 2024

Nick Nelson

Nick Nelson

Secretary (Non-voting)

I first watched One Punch Man in late 2015 and I've been hooked on anime since. I've been to Anime Detour a few times, and I really enjoy the passion and community that it fosters in people with similar interests. I've volunteered with Achieving Dreams for years and I've volunteered multiple times at Feed my Starving Children as well as the Ronald McDonald House. I thought that working with the Anime Twin Cities board would allow me to volunteer in a field I am very committed to. I would love to help grow the anime community in the Twin Cities and make more connections with those who love anime. I have been working in the financial services industry since graduating from college in 2018, where I double majored in Business Intelligence & Analytics along with Marketing. I hope that my college and work experience will help me to provide the best minutes possible and will allow me to provide value to the Board anywhere else that I can!
Term Ends Summer 2025

Chelsea "Buttons" Lieser

Chelsea "Buttons" Lieser

Member-At-Large

Detour has been my first and home convention con many years. I have excited to now be a part of Anime Twin Cities to help the organization grow. In my spare time i love watching anime and spoiling my dog
Term Ends Summer 2024

Kristen Loth

Kristen Loth

Member-At-Large

Kristen Loth has been staffing Anime Conventions since 2012 and has been in Convention management since 2018. She entered Director status in 2019 and has happily served her fandom communities in the midwest since then. She is currently a Vice Chair for Anime Detour. Kristen attended College at the University of Minnesota Duluth and has been attending ATC events since 2012. Currently she is a Cosmetologist, Artist and Graphic Designer by trade. She currently works as a Master Stylist at a leading Salon and Beauty School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she helps facilitate the growth and learning of future generations of hairstylists. When not working for multiple conventions she enjoys Tabletop Gaming, video games and fantasy literature. She also loves to spend time with her husband, Shiba Inu and Husky, and their two black cats.
Term Ends Summer 2024

Alli Cassel

Alli Cassel

Member-At-Large

I attended my first anime convention with the first Anime Detour in 2004, falling in love with conventions in general and Detour in particular. Over years of attending, I became progressively more and more involved with Detour, eventually joining staff and becoming involved in the other branches of ATC as a result. I've loved seeing and being involved in all ATC does, and am looking forward to helping us continue to serve and entertain the local community. During my off time from ATC/AD, I work as a software engineer in the medical field and volunteer with a traveling arts outreach program, or entertaining my three cats, Artemis, Havoc, and Beatrice.
Term Ends Summer 2025

Alyssa Johnson

Alyssa Johnson

Member-At-Large

Anime Detour was my first convention and has been in my heart since 2009 when I came with my college anime club. Throughout the years I have Helped out and then held several different positions. I volunteered in TableTop Games from 2010 through 2017, before joining Table Top staff in 2018 & 2019. In 2020 I was to join Artist Alley as the sub-head but that did not happen until 2021 & 2022. 2023 saw me become the sub head of Exhibit Hall, and now in 2024 I have taken on the roll as the head of Exhibit Hall.
Term Ends Summer 2025

Bruce Levine

Bruce Levine

Member-At-Large

Bruce Levine, a lifelong fan of Japanese and East Asian culture, began attending conventions in 2017! He focused on this passion during his undergraduate studies at the University of Missouri. In 2019, he moved to Omaha, Nebraska, and started staffing at Anime NebrasKon. Since December 2019, he has held a senior leadership role in the organization's technology department. In 2023, Bruce participated in a staff exchange with Anime NebrasKon, staffing his first Anime Detour and later becoming the department head. Professionally, he is an IT Infrastructure Engineer with over a decade of experience supporting large enterprise server environments. In his free time, Bruce enjoys building scale models, staying updated on technology trends, and participating in various forms of gaming.
Term Ends Summer 2024

Coordinators:

Troy MacDonald

Troy MacDonald

Anime Detour

I have enjoyed anime and manga for many years. I have been an active volunteer in the community, serving in various capacities over the years.
I have had the pleasure of serving on the ATC Board of Directors since 2014. I am very passionate about the work that we do, including our charitable works and community outreach.
I look forward to continuing to ensure that we are bringing our very best efforts to our community as we continue to explore new growth and collaborative opportunities.

Charities

Position Open
The Charities team is responsible for the management of ATC, Inc.’s various annual charitable giving efforts, to organize, manage, and present Charitable Giving opportunities and requests for assistance.
Duties of the Charities Coordinator:

  • Be the primary Point of Contact for ATC to organizations and persons requesting funds
  • This includes:
    • Prompt replies for charitable giving requests
    • Dealing with official 3rd parties
    • Attending events
  • Review any requests to confirm that they are legitimate, needful and fall within reasonable parameters of the ATC mission
  • Current funding means include
    • “Annual Giving” – yearly distribution of funds to various organizations
    • “LEG” Fund – Fund available to help people in need upon request
    • Scholarship Fund
  • Work with the treasurer to insure any grants or donations are completed in a timely manner
  • Organize and promote various means to raise additional funds for future giving
Please contact the board if you have interest in this position

Communities

Position Open
Responsible to the ATC Board of Directors to organize, manage, and maintain the community assistance presence of ATC. Primary Responsibilities:

  • Be the primary Point of Contact for ATC Clubs
  • Be the primary point of contact for ATC Partners and Sponsors
  • Collaborate with Communications Coordinator with media
  • Maintain and distribute a regular ATC Newsletter of ATC and Partner Events
  • Organize and maintain ATC external event ambassador tables/booths/room parties at internal and partner events whenever requested
  • Review and maintain a list of all partner events that ATC attends
  • Seek new partners with event that ATC may work with
  • Maintain and organize ATC Resources that may be provided by request to support internal and partner events
Please contact the board if you have interest in this position

Social Outreach Services

Position Open
The SOS coordinator is the leader of the Social Outreach Services team and takes primary responsibility for its activities. The coordinator is tasked with making regular reports to the Board of Anime Twin Cities on behalf of the SOS team, as well as submitting the annual budget and goals for SOS.
Duties of the SOS Coordinator:

  • Organize regular meetings of SOS staff
  • Track meeting attendance for the purpose of granting voting rights in ATC, Inc
  • Maintain sufficient staff numbers for the functions of SOS by engaging team members in activity planning and discussions and seeking out additional volunteers as needed
  • Lead the SOS team in scheduling and planning its activities
  • Keep the ATC, Inc. Facebook page, Google calendar, and Meetup.com group up to date with information about upcoming activities
  • Work with the ATC, Inc. Communications Coordinator to promote upcoming events
  • Assist the ATC, Inc. Charities Coordinator in staffing charitable activities
  • Take initiative in encouraging newcomers or shy attendees at events to participate and meet new people. Proactively help all to feel welcome and defuse interpersonal conflicts when possible and appropriate
  • Record event attendance data and other statistics
  • Maintain a Google Drive shared folder of event SOP documents and other information
  • Secure and maintain the SOS petty cash supply and turn over any income from events to the ATC, Inc. Treasurer
  • Manage inventory of SOS supplies at the GPS facility
  • Create and distribute marketing materials specific to SOS
Please contact the board if you have interest in this position

Brittany Hecker

Brittany Hecker

Communications

Anime Detour was my first con at the age of 19, with my first cosplay with friends as a make-shift Maka from Soul Eater. For many years after, I cosplayed Yoko (with Kristen Loth), Space Yoko, Simone, and Kamina from Gurren Lagann, hosting room parties with friends at Anime Detour…and eventually, after years of other cosplays, panels, room parties and lovingly admiring the Road-Show Ambassador Tables at other friendly conventions Detour attended, I was recruited! Having run the Duluth Teen Scene Anime Club as well as participated as President of Anime Axcess while attending the University of Minnesota Duluth, I was no stranger to event management and organization. Conventions have been a community life-saver for me, and I am so honored to be involved. I have volunteered as a Vice Chair/Division Head for Detour the past 2 years, and I am so glad to provide assistance to ATC volunteering as the Communications Coordinator.


Contact Us

Anime Twin Cities
P.O. Box 22087
Eagan, MN 55122
atcboard@animetwincities.org (No Solicitations)

Mission Statement

Anime Twin Cities is a non-profit corporation organized under Chapter 317A of the Minnesota Statutes and Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Its purpose is to conduct educational,charitable and social activities related to the promotion and study of Japanese culture, specifically animated movies and television programs ("anime") and graphic novels ("manga") as well as the study of the Japanese language as it is used in anime and manga. Anime Twin Cities shall be authorized to make distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code.