Susan Bass Roberts Joins Pohlad Family Foundation as Vice President, Executive Director

The Pohlad Family Foundation announced today that Susan Bass Roberts has joined the organization as its vice president, executive director. Her appointment is effective immediately.

Most recently, Bass Roberts served as executive director of the Best Buy Foundation in her role as senior director of community relations/diversity inclusion for Best Buy.

In her new role for Pohlad, Bass Roberts will oversee all aspects of the Foundation's giving and community outreach activities, working closely with family members representing both the second and third generations of the Pohlad family.

“Our commitment is to helping improve the quality of life in our communities, and we are confident that, under Susan's leadership, the Foundation will be well positioned to continue its work addressing important issues and needs,” said Bill Pohlad, president of the Pohlad Family Foundation.

“I am very excited to join such a prestigious organization whose mission is to improve quality of life in the Twin Cities,” Bass Roberts said. “The Pohlad family has a long history of giving back to our community, and I'm honored to help continue that legacy.”

Bass Roberts brings 20 years of experience in philanthropy, community relations and communications to the Foundation. Since 2010, she has served as senior director of community relations for Best Buy, where she oversaw community outreach and the foundation. She added responsibility for diversity and inclusion in 2013. Prior to that, she owned a boutique agency specializing in foundation management, community outreach and communications strategy for five years. From 2002-2005, Bass Roberts was vice president of communications and community relations for the Atlanta Falcons Football Club in Atlanta, where she managed public relations, community relations and the Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation. She also worked as director of community affairs and philanthropy for Limited Brands, Inc. Her early career involved stints with media companies, a public school system and a public relations agency.

Bass Roberts holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism with an emphasis in public relations from Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. She has a long history of community involvement; she currently serves on the boards of the Twin Cities YWCA, Minnesota Council on Foundations and Breck School. She and her family reside in Minnetonka, Minnesota.

About the Pohlad Family Foundation
Founded by Carl and Eloise Pohlad in 1993, the Pohlad Family Foundation has a broad mission to help improve the quality of life in the Minneapolis-St. Paul region with an interest in youth programs, community programs and special initiatives. As a family foundation, grantmaking is motivated by needs in the community that intersect with the philanthropic interests of the Pohlad family. For more information, visit www.pohladfoundation.org.