Join us for our Tenth Anniversary Celebration — a conversation with former White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough — on Friday, Oct. 13, at the Cowles Center for Dance and the Performing Arts.
Buy individual tickets
Program-only tickets are $60 and can be purchased online or at the Cowles Center box office.
Become a sponsor
Sponsors get multiple tickets to the program and the sponsor-only pre-program reception.
About the Program
Less than a year after leaving the White House, former Chief of Staff Denis McDonough will sit down with MinnPost Editor Andrew Putz and an audience of MinnPost readers to discuss the unique challenges of the role, his observations on President Donald Trump’s White House, and life as a Minnesotan in Washington, D.C.
McDonough was President Barack Obama’s last and longest-serving chief of staff, holding the position from January 2013 until Obama left office in 2017. Prior to that, McDonough served the Obama administration in a number of high-level national security positions.
A 2016 Politico profile described McDonough as “Obama’s Obama,” crediting his ability to impose “military-like rigor on a sloppy, uncoordinated bureaucracy” as one of the reasons McDonough held the position so much longer than the four who preceded him in Obama’s first term.
A Stillwater native, McDonough is now a senior principal of the Markle Foundation and a frequent voice in news stories on everything from the chief-of-staff position to the Obama administration’s response to Russian hacking, the conflict in Syria, and President Trump’s claims of Obama-ordered wiretapping.
Schedule
The event includes a reception for sponsors and their guests at the Loews Minneapolis Hotel from 5:30 to 7:00, followed by the program at the Cowles Center at 7:30 and a post-show reception in the Cowles Center atrium.
Location
The location of the event is the Cowles Center for Dance and the Performing Arts in downtown Minneapolis (map).
The Cowles Center provides parking information on their site. Sponsors will receive parking vouchers for a parking ramp near the Loews Hotel and the Cowles Center.
Tickets & Sponsorships
Sponsorship Packages
| Sponsorship Levels | What you get | Cost | Tax-deductible |
|---|---|---|---|
| Presenting Sponsor Edward R. Murrow |
12+ tickets to the event and pre-event reception. Premium show seating. Complimentary parking. Prominent recognition at pre-show reception, lobby, online and in program book. Extra sponsor tickets available. |
$5,000+ | * |
| Tier I Ida Tarbell |
8 tickets to the event and pre-event reception. Premium show seating. Complimentary parking for up to 4 cars. Recognition at pre-show reception, online and in program book. Extra sponsor tickets available for $150. |
$2,400 | $2,000 |
| Tier II Carl Rowan |
6 tickets to the event and pre-event reception. Premium show seating. Complimentary parking for up to 3 cars. Recognition at event, online and in program book. Extra sponsor tickets available for $150. |
$1,200 | $900 |
| Tier III A.J. Leibling |
4 tickets to the event and pre-event reception. Premium show seating. Complimentary parking for up to 2 cars. Recognition at event, online and in program book. Extra sponsor tickets available for $150. |
$600 | $400 |
| Tier IV I.F. Stone |
2 tickets to the event and pre-event reception. Premium show seating. Complimentary parking for 1 car. Recognition at event, online and in program book. Extra sponsor tickets available for $150. |
$300 | $200 |
Individual Program-Only Tickets
Program-only tickets are $60 and are available now. MinnPost Gold and Platinum members — who donate $10 a month or more — receive a 20% discount on program-only tickets. Become a member today and contact us at members@minnpost.com or 612-455-6950 to receive your discount code.
You can also stop by the Cowles Center box office to purchase tickets.
Event Sponsors
Become a sponsor today to ensure you’re recognized here (and at the event).
Presenting Sponsor
John and Linda Satorius
Tier I
At Sara’s Table Chester Creek Cafe
Jim and Joy Erickson
Kim and Garry Kieves
Joel and Laurie Kramer
Lee Lynch and Terry Saario
McCarthy Center for Public Policy & Civic Engagement at St. John’s University/College of St. Benedict
Tier II
AARP Minnesota
Accredited Investors Wealth Management®
Mark Abeln and Monica Little
Fran and Barb Davis
Jack and Claire Dempsey
Fred and Kay de Sam Lazaro
Nancy Feldman
House of Charity
Jennifer Martin
The Minneapolis Foundation
The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
The Otto Bremer Trust
Rapid Graphics & Mailing, Inc.
UCare
Tier III
Kevin and Lisa Armstrong
CenturyLink
Karla Ekdahl and Peter Hutchinson
FairVote Minnesota
Jill and Larry Field
David Hage and Therese Sexe
Vernae and Mike Hasbargen
Sam and Sylvia Kaplan
Darla Kashian – RBC Wealth Management
Barbara and Paul Klaas
Becky Lourey
MillerHale Associates
Kandace Olsen and Scott Peterson
Susan and David Plimpton
Amy Radermacher and David Ratz
Rebecca and Mark Shavlik
Nancy Speer and Jim Shaver
Missy Staples Thompson and Gar Hargens
KaiMay and Dr. Joseph Terry
Tier IV
Paul and Jan Anderson
Tasha Byers
Joe and Lois Duffy
Civic Caucus
Page and Jay Cowles
Beverly Fitzgerald
Meg Forney
Arvonne and Don Fraser
Gary Gardner and Helen Kivnick
Deborah and Phil Gelbach
David Hartwell and Elizabeth De Baut
Rachael A. Jarosh
Phyllis Kahn
Kathryn Klibanoff and Jeremy Edes Pierotti
Robert and Rosemary Miller
Jane Mauer
Susan Marchand Higgins
MicroGrants
Gretchen Musicant
Kay and Michael O’Keefe
Ed and Peggy Pluimer
Nancy Gaschott and Mark Ritchie
Ken and Betsy Roering
Tom and Lynn Rusch
Judy Schwartau
Chelle Stoner
Jennifer Jewell Thomas and David Thomas
Lesa and John Tieszen
Marcia Townley
Stephen and Jayne Usery
Wendy Wehr
Ellen Wolfson