The Herb Brooks Foundation's
Board and Staff

Executive Board
A three person executive board is responsible to oversee the Foundation. Members of the Board:

Dan Brooks:
Dan has been a board member since the creation of the Herb Brooks Foundation in 2003. He is the son of the late Herb Brooks. Dan currently is a Sr. Vice President of RBC Dain Rauscher where has serves as a financial consultant. He has been with the firm since 1993. Prior to that, he worked as a sales rep for the IBM corp. after graduating from Denver University in 1990 where he was a four-year letter winner in hockey. He spent is high school years at St. Thomas Academy in St. Paul. Dan and his wife Marne reside in Minneapolis with their two daughters, Grace and Lucia.
Kelly Brooks Paradise:
Kelly Paradise has been a board member since the creation of the Herb Brooks Foundation in 2003. She is the daughter of the late Herb Brooks. Kelly grew up in St. Paul and attended Convent of the Visitation. She then attended University of Denver and graduated with a degree in International Business. Over the years, Kelly has worked as an account manager in the advertising industry. Kelly worked on several international ad campaigns including print, TV and radio production. She is now a full-time mother of three children.

Her creative and marketing background is a key component to the Herb Brooks Foundation. She currently manages the HBF annual gala as well as web and marketing collateral design.
William Weller:
A successful businessman Bill founded Flagship USA, Inc. a Commercial/Industrial & Residential Management/Sales/Leasing, Investment Company in 1984. Bill has been a member of the HBF Board since 2003. Bill graduated from Johnson High School in 1965, earned B.S. and a M.S. Degrees from Bemidji State University. Bill is a cousin to the late Herb Brooks and has spent many hours discussing the state of amateur hockey with Herb and his vision to bring reform to youth hockey.
Doug Johnson
has been a Board Member since 2008. Doug was born and raised in Minneapolis and attended Roosevelt High School where he played football, hockey, and baseball. He then attended St. Thomas College in St. Paul and was a four-year hockey letter winner. For three seasons, Doug skated in the Minnesota North Stars organization. For the past 23 years, Doug has been the publisher of Let's Play Hockey. Doug and his wife Linda reside in Minneapolis with their son Devon and daughter Megan.
Ross Bernstein
Ross Bernstein is a full-time motivational speaker and best-selling author of more than 40 sports books, including "Remembering Herbie: Celebrating the Life and Times of Hockey Legend Herb Brooks" and "America's Coach: Life Lessons & Wisdom for Gold Medal Success; A Biographical Journey of the Late Hockey Icon Herb Brooks." Ross and his wife Sara have one daughter and presently reside in Eagan, MN. (www.bernsteinbooks.com)
Neil Sheehy.
When Neil K. Sheehy decided to become a sports agent, it was a challenge he pursued with the same energy and determination that had pushed him to the highest levels of professional hockey as an overachieving player.

In the often confusing, conflicting world of professional sports, choosing an agent is a pivotal step for a young athlete, particularly in hockey, because many agents are not hockey people with any "real" knowledge or experience in the game. For every story about a big contract or clever manipulation, there are dozens of cases where a player's future is inhibited by an agent's inattention, lack of awareness of rules or stipulations, lack of personal contact and support, or failure to follow-up once the commission is in the bank. Sheehy's personal dedication is to be a sports agent who cares, and who can make a difference.

Sheehy has lived in the hockey world beginning in youth development and continuing through high school, prep school, college, international and professional, and he made an impact at every level. He started out gaining the asset of dual citizenship at birth. He grew up in International Falls, Minnesota, but was born in the neighboring hospital across the Rainy River in Fort Frances, Ontario.

As a rugged defenceman, Sheehy excelled in both his educational achievements and in his hockey skill development at International Falls High School and at Philips Academy in Andover, Mass. At Harvard, he starred for a Crimson team that won the ECAC championship and made it all the way to the NCAA Final Game in 1983 against Chris Chelios and the Wisconsin Badgers, which, not coincidentally, was the year he graduated with a degree in economics.

Ability, intelligence and uncompromising dedication carried Sheehy onward in hockey, first to the U.S. National Team in 1985 (he later was co-captain and shared the team's most valuable player honor in 1992), and also to the National Hockey League. He stood out during the Calgary Flames 1986 run to the Stanley Cup Finals against Montreal, and and in 1989 when he played for the Washington Capitals who were Patrick Division Champions during the regular season and in the playoffs.

Sheehy concluded his pro career as both player and assistant coach in Lubliana, Slovenia from 1992-94, where he also helped acquire players, further broadening his scope of possible opportunities for players.

When Sheehy decided to guide other players into pro hockey careers, he had gained the respect of NHL general managers and NHL hockey personnel, plus the expertise to advise players on what it takes to reach the top. In addition, he wanted a thorough educational background for the often-complex situations and intricacies that can arise, so he returned to Minnesota and attended William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, where he completed his degree in December of 1996.

A young player might choose an agent almost incidentally out of eagerness to turn pro. And many sports agents profit greatly because of that. Neil Sheehy is proving that the players can benefit, too, merely by selecting the right agent.

 Synopsis of Neil Sheehy's Hockey Career

Michael Reilly:
Michael J. Reilly, Mike Reilly Retired as Managing Director, UBS Securities spring 2007 after 22 years in Institutional Fixed Income Sales/ Management. Mike's responsibilities have ranged from distributing Municipal Securities, High Grade Credit to distress debt, along with fixed income derivatives, and credit structuring sales. He began his career at Salomon Brothers Inc. Institutional Fixed Income sales in 1985. He joined the Municipal Bond sales group and later moved to the Taxable Fixed Income Credit group in 1988. Mike was a Director in credit sales for Salomon Brothers and was positioned as one of the top-producing salesman in North America. In 1995, Mike was hired along with Marc Levin as Managing Directors to start up a Midwest institutional office for Fixed Income at UBS. Mike also was named Co-head of North America institutional sales and spear headed the success that UBS has enjoyed as a top tier investment bank. Mike also had responsibility while at UBS for directing the North American sales management committee post, along with being a member of the fixed income credit risk committee from 1995-2007.

Mike has an enormous amount of small business experience over the last 10 years as owner, board member, and consultant to over 20 companies. Mike has been actively involved with the Minnesota Wild NHL as a "minority owner", Sioux City Musketeers USHL Hockey "minority owner", Palma Vista Real estate Partners -Florida developer, TPG Sports -Magazine publisher "minority owner" active Board Member, Midwest Microcoatings-industrial paint distributor active board member, Wayzata Investment Partners 6 billion PE fund manager -active board member and investor. Mike is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, BGS degree, College Varsity Hockey player for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers, Drafted by the Montreal Canadians NHL -1977, played minor league Hockey in 1981. Mike is Married to Lisa and has 5 children living in Chanhassen, Minnesota..

William B. Johnson
William “Butch” Johnson is a businessman from northern Wisconsin. He owns three mills in Hayward, Ashland and Park Falls, which produce wood chips, used for paper manufacturing. In 2006 he and several investors bought the bankrupt Smart Papers mill in Park Falls, and a short time later manufactured the first paper from Flambeau River Papers. The Johnson operations have increased sales to over $250,000,000. Butch is active in many organizations and sits on the Board of Directors of the Johnson Bank and the American Pulp and Paper Association. He was formerly on the Board of the National Pettit Ice Center, Wisconsin Sports Authority, State Fair Park Board, Wisconsin Racing Commission, the Wisconsin Lottery, and on the Advisory Board of the College of Natural Resources at the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point. In addition, he has also held numerous positions with the Republican Party within the county and state, and held the position of President of the Hayward Community Schools Board of Education. He is also the owner of the Waterloo Black Hawks, a Junior A hockey team in the USHL, which is a showcase league for young athletes seeking college scholarships and entrance into the NHL.

He and his wife, Patricia, live in Hayward, Wisconsin. They have six children ranging from age 22 to 34, in addition to two grandchildren. Butch enjoys relaxing with his family as well as trying to find the time for a round of golf, boating, or hunting.

Winny Brodt
A 1996 graduate of Roseville Area High School Born Feb. 18, 1978 Majoring in journalism Shoots left Parents are Jack and Marelene Brodt Sister, Chelsey, is a freshman on the Gopher women's hockey team Brother Vic played hockey at St. Cloud State Cousin, Craig Selander, was a three-year letterwinner with the Gopher baseball team

Left the Gopher squad after her junior season to play on the U.S. National Team Scored 38 points in 58 games played for with the U.S. National Team Transferred from New Hampshire following 1997-98 season Earned most valuable player honors at 1998 AWCHA Championship, leading the Wildcats to the title Tallied 11 goals and 34 points in 39 games in 1997-98 Had a goal and an assist in three games versus the Gophers Did not attend college in 1996-97 Played women's senior A for McGovern's that season, scoring 64 goals and 128 points while leading the team to the state title Played on 1995 and 1996 U.S. Junior National teams and participated at the 1998, 1999 and 2000 USA Hockey Women's Festival Played with the national under-22 team in 1999 as well Led Roseville to an undefeated season and the state title in 1996 while earning the inaugural Ms. Hockey Award.

Executive Director
The Executive Director serves as the Chief Executive Officer for the Foundation. The Executive Director shall have the authority to organize and administer the day-to-day operations of the Foundation. The main office is located at the National Sports Center in Blaine, Minnesota.

Skip Peltier:
Skip Peltier has served as the Executive Director for the HBF since September 2005. He brings a long history of athletic and sport administration to the HBF. Skip recently retired following 20 years of service from his position as the Associate Director of the Minnesota State High School League. In addition to serving the HBF Skip is an Adjunct Instructor in Athletic and Sport Administration at the University of St. Thomas Graduate School and has his own consulting business.

Aaron Paitich
A defenseman all his life, Aaron played for Forest Lake High School before attending the University of Minnesota, where he majored in journalism and graduated in 2009. Aaron has written for the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the Minnesota Daily and many other publications. Serving as the voluntary Director of Communications, Aaron is helping spread to the word and engage the community with events, stories and up-to-date information at the Herb Brooks Foundation.