Mark Hooley, President

Mark Hooley is the CEO and attorney at Insitu Law, PLC, a legal services firm specializing in temporary and part-time general counsel services. From 2007 to 2010, Mr. Hooley was Chief Operating Officer and Chief Legal Officer of a real estate development in Park City, Utah. From 2000 to 2007, Mr. Hooley was General Counsel of Winmark Corporation (Nasdaq: WINA) and President of an equipment finance division within Winmark. Prior to that, Mr. Hooley practiced law at the Minneapolis law firms of Briggs and Morgan, P.A. and Mackall, Crounse & Moore, PLC. Mr. Hooley is a graduate of William Mitchell College of Law and St. John’s University.

Tom Helm, Vice President

Dr. Helm was a general pediatrician in Bloomington for 10 years before undertaking Allergy-Clinical Immunology training at the University of Minnesota. He grew up in St. Paul and attended St. John’s University and the University of Minnesota Medical School. He is a member of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, and the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. He is currently Vice President of the Minnesota Allergy Society and Minnesota Asthma Coalition. Dr. Helm teaches at the University of Minnesota. With special expertise in food allergies, he serves as Medical Director for the Food Allergy Support Group of Minnesota. He is married and has two young daughters.

Ben Popp, Executive Director

Ben, SISU’s Executive Director, has coached and supported beginner to elite level athletes for the past 15 years. In 1996 after graduating from St. Olaf College, Ben became the Head coach of the Mens and Womens nordic skiing and cycling teams at Carleton College. In 1998, the Mens nordic ski team were National Champions. In 1999, Ben taught classes and coached the soccer and Nordic ski teams St Mary’s University. In 2002, Ben had the opportunity to work under the guidance of cycling aerodynamic & positioning guru John Cobb at the wind-tunnel at Texas  A&M. In 2003 Ben completed his Masters at St. Thomas University and started Endurance Athlete, a private coaching and fitness company located in St. Paul Minnesota.  As an athlete, Ben stood atop his first pair of skis at age 2…it had begun. In 2002 Ben won “the worlds toughest race”, the 2-man division of the Race Across America (RAAM) and completed the 3,000 mile solo race in 2009 (1 of less than 200 in the world). Ben has had top 25 Birkie finishes, won 24 hour bike and ski races, completed Ironman triathlons, run sub 3 hour marathons, and has won numerous ski and bike races.  His passion is enabling others to see and feel the benefits of an active, outdoor lifestyle.

Lauren Lonergan

Lauren Lonergan is head of the Business Litigation Section at Briggs and  Morgan, P.A., one of the nation’s largest law firms. She has more than 20 years of litigation experience and is a former member of the firm’s board of directors. Representing clients across many industries, Lauren focuses her practice on business disputes, including insurance claims  on behalf of corporate policyholders and defense of employment class actions.  She is listed in Minnesota Super Lawyers, Super Lawyers Corporate Counsel Edition and in The Best Lawyers in America. Lauren also has been recognized as a leading attorney by Benchmark Litigation. She obtained her law degree from the University of Minnesota in 1982 after attending Macalester College and Carleton College.

Matt Sullivan, Secretary

Matt Sullivan is a Director of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications at Minneapolis-based public relations and integrated communications firm, Padilla Speer Beardsley. Previously, he served as a Manager of Corporate and Investor Relations for Best Buy Co., Inc. He began his career at Merrill Lynch, a leading financial management and advisory company. A graduate of St. Olaf College, Matt is an accomplished writer of both fiction and non-fiction. His pieces have appeared in the St. Paul Pioneer Press, the Star Tribune in Minneapolis, Cyclingnews.com and the Saint Olaf Literary Arts Magazine. He also has written annual reports that have won NAIC Nicholson and Equities Magazine awards.

Michael Brown, Treasurer

Mike Brown is a Manager in Finance for Target Corporation, a Fortune 50 company based in Minneapolis. He supports financial planning and analysis functions at Target.  He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota and New York University. He is an active cross country skier  and cyclist.

Michael Nightingale

Mike, SISU’s Director of Operations, was a National Cross Country ski racer from 1984 – 1995. He was selected for the U.S. Ski Team Development Program in Marquette, Michigan after graduating from St. Olaf College as a two time All-American. Mike attended camps at all three Olympic Training Centers, which allowed him to be coached by most of the nationally recognized Nordic coaches of the time, including Nikolia Anikin, Russian Olympic Coach and Gold Medalist. In 1995, Mike accepted the head coaching position at St. Lawrence University, a Men’s and Women’s Division I ski program in Canton, NY. Mike moved back to the Twin Cities in 1999 to coach St. Olaf and Carleton’s Men’s and Women’s Nordic Teams. During his college coaching career, Mike qualified 9 athletes for NCAAs and was the 2002 MIAC Conference Coach of the Year. In addition to his ongoing passion for skiing, Mike is a long-time entrepreneur. He founded North Oaks Lawn Service during his high school years and sold the business in 1999 when he started Cross Country Properties, a real estate development and building company based in the Twin Cities. Mike also has served on a number of boards, including the White Bear Lake Homeowners’ Association.