The Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission (MSFC) is the owner and operator of the
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome.

The MSFC was established by legislative charter in 1977 and was responsible for the construction of the Metrodome.  The very existence of the MSFC attest to the desire of various interests -- urban and suburban and statewide, business, labor and the general public to find common ground and work together on issues related to stadium infrastructure in Minnesota.

The MSFC consists of seven members. Six are appointed by the Minneapolis City Council, and the chair is appointed by the Governor and must reside outside of Minneapolis.  MSFC members have always represented a broad cross-section of the community.

Commissioners are appointed for four years, and their terms may be renewed.  Commissioners are not paid a salary or retainer but receive a per diem of $50 per day when attending official meetings or doing other Commission business.  William J. Lester has been the executive director since 1987.  Roy Terwilliger was appointed chair by Governor Pawlenty in 2003.  Past MSFC chairs are:  Dan Brutger (1977-1983); Ron Gornick (1983-1991); Bill Hunter (1991-1993); Henry J. Savelkoul (1993-1999); Kathryn Roberts (1999-2002).

The Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission was established under Chapter 89 of Minnesota Laws of 1977 and operates under Minnesota Statutes Chapter 473, as amended.  "The Legislature finds that the population in the metropolitan area has a need for sports facilties and that this need cannot be met adequately by the activities of individual municipalities, by agreements among municipalities, or by the private efforts of the people in the metropolitan area.  It is therefore necessary for the public health, safety and general welfare to establish a procedure for the acquisition and betterment of sports facilities and to create a Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission.

Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission

List of Commissioners and Administrative Officials

Executive Director

William J. Lester

Director of Facilities/Engineering

Steve Maki, P.E.

Director of Finance

Mary C. Fox-Stroman, CPA

Commission Meeting Schedule

Commission Committees

Capital Improvements Committee

The Captial Improvements Committee is responsible for all issues involving the physical plant.  This includes all stadium systems such as stadium renovations, scoreboards, sound systems, etc.  This committee is staffed by the Director of Facilities/Engineering, Steve Maki.

Committee Members

Ray Waldron - Chair

Charles T. Lutz

Peggy Lucas

Concessions/Marketing Committee

This committee oversees the activities of Centerplate, which is the Commission's concessionaire.  The committee also approves marketing efforts of the stadium.  This committee is staffed by the Executive Director, Bill Lester.

Committee Members

Peggy Lucas - Chair

Loanne Thrane 

Timothy Rose

Finance Committee

The finance Committee has oversight of the Commission's annual budget, including operating and captial accounts.  They review all service contracts, labor agreements and personnel complements.  This committee is staffed by the Director of Finance, Mary Fox-Stroman.

Committee Members

Paul Rexford Thatcher, Sr. Chair

Ray Waldron

Timothy Rose

Intergovernmental Relations Committee

This committee oversees Commission's interaction with other units of government including the Legislature, Metropolitan Council, City of Minneapolis, Hennepin County and the University of Minnesota Board of Regents.  This committee is staffed by the Executive Director, William J. Lester.

Committee Members

Loanne Thrane - Chair

Charles T. Lutz

Paul Rexford Thatcher, Sr.

Commissioner Biographies

Roy Terwilliger

On March 21, 2003 Roy Terwilliger was appointed by Governor Pawlenty to be Chair of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission.  Mr. Terwilliger has over 40 years of experience in various areas of the private and public sector, including non-profit organization management as well as start-up and strategic planning and direction of various enterprises.  Mr. Terwilliger also has extensive leadership background in various local, state and national voluntary and professional organizations.  He served as a Minnesota State Senator from 1992 - 2003 representing the people of Edina and Eden Prairie.  He has also been in the banking industry since 1965, currently serving as President and Board Chair for the Community Bank Group, Eden Prairie.

Mr. Terwilliger is a graduate of the University of Iowa from which he has a Masters degree in Public Administration.  His undergraduate Bachelor of Arts degree is in Business Administration from the University of South Dakota.

Mr. Terwilliger also served as a 1st Lieutenant in the United States Army.

Mr. Terwilliger currently resides in Edina with his wife Mary Lou.  They have 3 children; Kathryn, Michael and Susan and 6 grandchildren.

Loanne Thrane

Ms. Thrane, a former teacher and political consultant, has served on the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission for 23 years. 

Prior to the MSFC, she worked as the State Chairwoman of the Republican Party of Minnesota from 1977 to 1980 and was the Minnesota Chief of Staff to former U.S. Senator Rudy Boschwitz from 1980 to 1991.  Ms. Thrane has been involved in various civic and community organizations and was on the Board of Regents for the University of Minnesota and Concordia College, Moorhead and served on the boards for the State Council on Quality Education; the Minnesota Educational Computer Consortium; the Minnesota Private College Council; and currently serves on the Board of Directors of Ecumen. 

Ms. Thrane has a B.A. in Political Science and Economics from Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota and has done graduate work at the University of Hawaii and the University of California (Berkeley).

Peggy Lucas

Ms. Lucas is a partner in Brighton Development Corporation, a Minneapolis based development company specializing in residential development.  She and the company have projects throughout Minnesota, but they specialize in inner-city redevelopment.  Prior to working at Brighton, she served in the Peace Corps in Iran and worked as a caseworker on the Navaho Indian Reservation.

Ms. Lucas is a Member of the Advisory Committee for the University of Minnesota Athletics; a Member of the Minnesota Women's Forum and the Minnesota Women's Economic Roundtable.  She has served on the National Board of the League of Women Voters and currently serves on the Advisory Committee for the League of Women Voters of Minnesota.  She also serves on the Board of Directors of Art Space, Ecumen and the University of Minnesota Alumni Association.

Ms. Lucas holds a Master's Degree in Social Work from the University of Minnesota.

Ray Waldron

Ray Waldron is recently retired from the Minnesota AFL-CIO, a Federation of over 1000 unions.

Mr. Waldron is also active in the community, including his role as Director of Tubman.  The Mission is to change lives by working to end violence in relationships through prevention and support services; to change communities through information, education and advocacy. 

Mr. Waldron is a Director of Union Bank and Trust Company and a Board Member at Hennepin County Medical Center. 

Mr. Waldron was born and raised in Minneapolis and currently lives in St. Anthony Village with his wife, Carol.

Charles T. Lutz

Charles T. (Chuck) Lutz is the Deputy Director of the Community Planning and Economic Development Department of the City of Minneapolis, a position he's held since 2003.  Chuck has held a variety of positions in the public sector, including interim Executive Director of MCDA (2002), Deputy Director for Special Initiatives at MCDA (2000-2002), Director of Section 8, Property Management and Special Projects at the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (1991-2000), Project Manager for Downtown Development at MCDA (1986-1991).  Some of the major projects that Chuck has had primary responsibility for include Target Center, the Federal Courthouse, the Hennepin Avenue theaters, the Heritage Park redevelopment on the City's Northside and the Midtown Exchange redevelopment on the City's Southside.  He holds an MBA from the University of St. Thomas in Finance.  He lives in Minneapolis.

Paul Rexford Thatcher, Sr.

Mr. Thatcher is Executive Chairman Emeritus of the Board of MEC Corporation, a Kansas-based manufacturer and global supplier of agricultural processing plants, and of industrial equipment serving the forest products industry throughout the world.

Currently, Mr. Thatcher serves as a Founding Director of Avenet, LLC, of Saint Paul; as the founder, Chairman and Director of BothEnds Data Convergence, LLC, of Minneapolis; founding Chairman and CEO of B2G Global Growth, LLC, of Minneapolis; a founding Trustee and Treasurer of The Worth Bingham Memorial Fund, Washington, D.C.; as a Commissioner of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission, Minneapolis; and as a founding member of the (University of Minnesota) Regents Candidate Advisory Council.

Earlier, Mr. Thatcher was the Chairman, CEO and principal owner of Trussbilt, Inc., the world's leading manufacturer of prison and other security and specialty doors; was President of Interoceanic Commodities Corporation, of Minneapolis; and was the founding Chairman, CEO and Director of Protein Technology, Inc., of Petaluma, California, a high-tech developer of specialty proteins in an international collaboration with Fonterra of New Zealand, the world's largest globally-operated milk processor; and was President of First Interoceanic Corporation, subsequently know as National City Bancorporation of Minneapolis. 

Mr. Thatcher began his career as an associate of Touche, Ross, Bailey & Smart, Certified Public Accountants, Minneapolis (nka Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu).

Formerly and for many years, Mr. Thatcher served as an officer and Trustee of the Minnesota Orchestral Association and as Member of The Chapter and Chairman of the Finance Committee of The Episcopal Cathedral of Saint Mark in the City of Minneapolis and as a founding Trustee of its foundation.

Mr. Thatcher has been variously involved in US political life, including service as the Chief Deputy of the Chairman and National Treasurer of the Hubert H. Humphrey Presidential Campaigns of 1968 and 1972 respectively.  In the decade of the 1970's, Mr. Thatcher was significantly involved in the campaigns and public life of Governor Wendell R. Anderson.  Active in The Democratic Leadership Council, Mr. Thatcher became acquainted with then Governor William Jefferson Clinton and was subsequently involved in both of his Presidential campaigns in Minnesota.  Mr. Thatcher was the convener of the John Edwards 2004 Minnesota Presidential Campaign Committee and its Finance Chair and is assuming comparable roles in the John Edwards Presidential Campaign of 2008.

Timothy  M. Rose

Mr. Timothy Mack Rose, President and Founder, is a Minnesota native with over 27 years experience in the securities industry.  Prior to forming T. Rose & Associates, he was a senior vice president with a leading private Wall Street investment-banking firm, where he particpated in the structuring and marketing of more than 30 transactions totaling over $3 billion in securitizations.

During his investment career, Mr. Rose has been responsible for the overall development and management of municipal finance, equity research, and fixed income securities marketing activities for the Midwest region.  He has extensive experience in institutional trading, corporate research, and capital formation.  Prior to founding Minnesota Business Capital, a private investment banking firm, he established offices in Chicago, Minneapolis and Denver for the New York Investment firm of United Daniels Securities where he was a principal and senior vice president.  Mr. Rose was also President of United C.A.S.E. Alliance, the institutional money management arm of United Daniels Securities, Inc.

Mr. Rose is founder and president of T. Rose & Associates, Inc.  Registered with the S.E.C. in 1995, T. Rose & Associates provides investment advisory services to major institutions, municipalities and wealthy individuals.  T. Rose & Associates, Inc. is a registered investment adviser.

Mr. Rose earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from North Park University, Chicago, IL, 1981.  He earned the Series 7, 24 (General Securities Principal), 53 (Municipal Securities Principal) and 63 National Association of Securities Dealers licenses.

He is a past founding board member of The Learning Center for Homeless Families, located in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  Currently he serves as a board member and Chair of Investments for the Children's Cancer Research Fund.  He serves on the board of North Park University, Chicago, IL, has been appointed to the Minnesota Twins Ballpark Implementation Committee, and is also a visiting lecturer at the University of St. Thomas for their MBA program.

Mr. Rose is married to Karen L. Rose and has four children.

William J. Lester

Bill Lester has served as the Executive Director of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission since June 8,1987. The Commission owns and operates the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. Lester also has served as an Adjunct Professor in the Masters of Business Administration (MBA) Program at the University of St. Thomas from 1997 - 2006.

The Metrodome serves as the home for the Minnesota Vikings Football Team. The Metrodome also hosts approximately 200 additional events   each year including amateur girl's and boy's soccer, softball, baseball and football, motor sports events, charity, training site and every other manner of event up to and including NCAA Final Four. The Metrodome has also served as host to the Billy Graham Crusade, Promise Keepers, Rolling Stones, U2 and numerous other large capacity-venue events. The Metrodome remains the only stadium to have hosted the Super Bowl (1992), NCAA Final Four (1992 and 2001) and the World Series (1987 and 1991).  The all time season attendance record  was set in the Metrodome by the Timberwolves in 1989-90.

In November 2002 Major League Baseball announced its intention to "contract two teams". Their objective was to eliminate the Minnesota Twins thus denying the people of the State of Minnesota one of its most reassured assets. The Commission was able to thwart this effort through a Hennepin District Court case, a decision that was sustained by the Minnesota Court of Appeals.

The next significant challenge is to secure the Vikings long-term future in Minnesota. The MSFC will play a significant role in the stadium debate. Its expertise in design and financial analysis of potential new stadiums has been utilized by the public sector, the team and the Minnesota Legislature.

In the community Lester currently serves as a member on the board of Directors of Meet Minnesota. Meet Minnesota functions as the convention and visitors' association for the greater Minneapolis area. Lester is a former President and member of the Stadium Manager's Association. (SMA). SMA is the trade association comprised of the managers of the hundred largest stadiums in North America. In October 2005 Lester was named to the Board of Trustees of Carroll College. He is an alumnus of the Helena, MT school.

He is also the past president of Twin Cities Dunkers (a business and community leader group) and serves on the Twin Cities Communications Council.

He is also an active participant in the Inter-City Leadership Program sponsored by the Minneapolis-St. Paul Chamber.  Finally, Lester, is an overnight volunteer at St. Stephen's Shelter in Minneapolis and Head Basketball Coach of Special Olympics Maplewood Monarchs.

Key Staff

William J. Lester, Executive Director
Telephone: 612-335-3316; e-mail: lesterb@msfc.com

Mary Fox-Stroman, CPA, Director of Finance
Telephone 612-335-3311; e-email:foxstrm@msfc.com

Steve Maki, P.E., Director of Facilities & Engineering
Telephone: 612-335-3313; e-mail: makis@msfc.com

Nancy Matowitz, Executive Assistant
Telephone: 612-335-3310; e-mail: matowin@msfc.com

Leo Pidde, Manager Building Services
Telephone: 612-335-3327; e-mail: piddel@msfc.com

Bobbi Ellenberg, Events Services Manager

Telephone:  612-335-3318; email: ellenbb@msfc.com