Sarah Fossen

MCA Executive Director Sarah Fossen is a creative leader who has tackled many sectors (government, retail, private, nonprofit, higher education) and owned her own business. Because of her depth of experience, she can look at problems with many different lenses to find creative solutions and innovative strategies to get results.

Sarah Fossen was the Director of marketing and experience at Rosedale Center/JLL, where she gained national media headlines by reinventing retail marketing and how malls are positioned as community gathering places, rather than just shopping centers. Sarah helped create and launch the new Potluck food hall and organizes special events, like the Haunted Basement attraction, held in vacant mall space. Other projects she has led at the mall include the FashionABLE fashion show, which highlighted adaptive clothing; an art program that includes rotating exhibits spotlighting diverse Minnesota artists; and a family-friendly drag show. Rosedale Center is currently undergoing a $200 million expansion and a host of new attractions and stores.

Prior to joining JLL, Fossen served in marketing roles at the city of St. Paul and the Capital City Partnership (now Greater MSP) until starting her own marketing communications firm, Agency NORD. She also worked at Augsburg University.

Sarah received her Bachelor of Arts Degrees in PR/Advertising and Art from Concordia College-Moorhead; strategic leadership/exec certificate from Harvard University; Mini Master, real estate development from University of St Thomas; and studied Art History at the International School at the University of Oslo.

Sarah speaks 5 languages poorly, but with gusto and is kept humbled by her energetic and precocious 8-year-old son.