SMIF Kraus New President and CEO

Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) has announced the appointment of Benya Kraus as its next President and CEO, effective June 16th.

Kraus succeeds Tim Penny, who has served the Foundation with distinction for nearly two decades. 

A nationally recognized rural leader and social entrepreneur, Kraus brings a deep personal commitment to southern Minnesota and a career defined by advancing rural vitality across the country.

She is part of a sixth-generation family native to Waseca County, she embodies what it means to choose to live and work in rural Minnesota as a powerful, intentional commitment to community and opportunity.

Since 1986, SMIF has invested more than $170 million in their 20-county region, which includes Goodhue, Wabasha, and Olmsted counties, supporting entrepreneurship, early childhood development, and community vitality initiatives.