About Us

Robert Longendyke

Senior Vice President, Medica Marketing and Communications
Executive Director, Medica Foundation

Robert Longendyke is responsible for marketing, public relations, communications and strategic planning at Medica and is also the executive director of the Medica Foundation. He is a member of the senior and all-officer teams as well as the executive staff representative to the Community and Public Affairs Committee of the Medica Board of Directors. Mr. Longendyke is a senior communications executive who has more than 20 years in the field and has worked with four Fortune 500 companies in four different business sectors. 

Before joining Medica, he served as vice president of communications for Honeywell Home and Building Controls. Mr. Longendyke is a member of the Arthur W. Page Society, an organization of senior public relations professionals from large companies.

JoAnn Birkholz

Director, Medica Foundation

JoAnn Birkholz has been with Medica since 1999 and is the director of the Medica Foundation. In 2003, when Medica separated from Allina Health System, JoAnn built the Medica Foundation from the ground up.  During this re-establishment of the Medica Foundation, she led the development of infrastructure and processes which have paved the way for today’s growth. She is currently leading efforts to expand the foundation’s geographic footprint throughout the central United States.

JoAnn is an active member with the Minnesota Council on Foundations and Minnesota Council of Nonprofits. She served on the board of the Minnesota Council on Foundations from 2013 – 2018, where she was Board Secretary and chair of the Membership Committee.  She volunteers for a variety of nonprofit organizations, including serving on the board of directors for the Wayzata Lake Effect Conservancy.  JoAnn is also a past board member for Bolder Options and continues serving on their Advisory Board.

After earning her undergraduate degree in Nursing from the University of Tulsa, JoAnn went on to obtain her master’s degree in Business Administration from the Keller Graduate School of Management. Before joining the Medica Foundation, Ms. Birkholz held several positions in the health care industry, including managed care, home care consulting and direct hospital nursing. Her background as a registered nurse has been invaluable in connecting with the work of grant partners, and relating to the joys and challenges of providing quality care.

Gina DiMaggio

Program Manager, Medica Foundation

As a Program Manager for the Medica Foundation, Gina DiMaggio leads and mentors the Grant Performance Committee, oversees strategic grants, and manages Foundation and corporate social responsibility communications. She is curious about cross sector learning to improve our communities and advance the field of philanthropy.

Gina got her community organizing start in Costa Rica where she helped create the first recycling program in the district to improve waste management and environmental conditions in a community heavily reliant on tourism. She brings six years of grant program and grants management experience from the Pohlad Family Foundation where she managed several program areas, organized employee volunteer projects and oversaw special funding projects including a volunteer effort to commemorate the 2014 All-Star baseball game. She regularly volunteers at Open Arms and serves on the communications committee of the Corporate Volunteerism Council-Twin Cities. Previously, she served as the secretary of the board of directors for Eat for Equity and chaired the greening committee of her neighborhood association.

Gina studied in 11 countries while earning her B.A. with high honors from Eckerd College in Saint Petersburg, Florida.

Heather Craig

Foundation Coordinator, Medica Foundation

Heather Craig joined Medica in 1998 and has been the Medica Foundation coordinator since March 2006. Heather is responsible for the grants management and reporting processes at the Medica Foundation. In her role, she also supports the volunteer committees that make grant making decisions and provide grant oversight.

Heather is a long-standing member of the Grant Performance Committee and enjoys working with grantees that support children, families and LGBTQ issues. She has served on the steering committee of PEAK Grantmaking (formerly the Grants Manager’s Network) and has been the regional chair for PEAK. Heather earned her BA from Macalester College and worked at United HealthCare before coming to Medica.