April 2, 2026
from Dr. Lori-Anne Brogdon, head of school
The Mounds Park Academy community recently lost one of its earliest founders, Karen Benz, whose vision, generosity, and steadfast commitment helped bring this remarkable school to life.
In my first year at MPA, I have found myself reflecting on the courage it took for those early founders to build something from nothing. Karen Benz was one of those people. She believed in the promise of this school before it existed—and because she did, generations of students have benefited. In many ways, we are all standing on the shoulders of Karen and her fellow founders.
MPA itself began as a dream. In December of 1981, founder Bob Kriescher gathered a small group of friends and parents from Breck School to form the first board of Mounds Park Academy. At that moment, there were no students, no teachers, and not even a building—only a compelling idea: a new kind of independent school rooted in curiosity, strong academics, and an inclusive community.
By the spring of 1982, that dream began to take shape—and one of the people who immediately believed in it was Karen.
Karen attended a coffee hosted by early board member Harvey Kaplan in April of that year and was drawn to the vision of the new school. She was especially attracted to the welcoming and inclusive spirit that distinguished MPA from more established independent schools in the Twin Cities. Within weeks, she enrolled her two sons and volunteered to host a gathering in her own home to introduce others to the school.
That gathering became part of the school’s early story. Among those who attended was Karen’s friend, Joan Gardner, who returned home inspired and encouraged her husband, Jim Gardner, to become involved. Karen herself suggested that Jim—whose financial expertise was invaluable—would make an excellent treasurer. Soon after, he joined the board.
In September 1982, Karen was invited to join the Board of Trustees and soon became board secretary. She served on the board until 1995, including two years as board chair. Friends and fellow founders often said Karen’s priorities were clear: her family first, followed closely by Mounds Park Academy and St. Paul Children’s Hospital.
Karen was known as someone who simply “dug right in.” As Sandy Kriescher Smith, co-founder with Bob Kriescher, recalled, her commitment only deepened the more she became involved. She tirelessly promoted the school—calling prospective families, encouraging them to enroll, and drawing on her deep network in St. Paul to help the young institution grow.
In June of 1982, just two months before the school was scheduled to open, the future of MPA was uncertain due to financial challenges. At that critical moment, Karen stepped forward with a generous gift that helped sustain the school and carry it to opening day. Her leadership during those early years was both decisive and deeply impactful.
Karen served on the school’s first development committee and co-chaired its first capital campaign. She and her husband, George, remained faithful benefactors for many years. In recognition of their generosity and leadership, the Upper School courtyard was later named in their honor.
Karen also helped shape one of the school’s most cherished traditions. She began the practice of placing a rose on each graduate during commencement, personally pinning a rose on students as they prepared to cross the stage. It was a simple yet deeply meaningful gesture—one that reflected her care for students and her belief in celebrating their journeys.
In those early days, Karen also served on committees interviewing teachers—spending Saturdays meeting candidates and even visiting their classrooms to see them teach. Remarkably, this work took place before the school had students or even a building. It was all part of building something from the ground up.
Karen Benz embodied the very spirit of Mounds Park Academy’s founding generation. Joan Gardner remembers her warm smile that greeted everyone and her energizing presence that inspired others to believe in the school.
Honoring founders like Karen is not simply about remembering the past—it is about understanding why the school exists at all. The early founders created MPA with a clear purpose: to be a place where intellectual curiosity, character, and community matter as much as academic achievement.
Their stories provide institutional memory. They remind us why traditions exist, how the school navigated its earliest challenges, and what values guided the decisions that shaped its future.
Just as importantly, they help every generation of students, faculty, trustees, and families understand that they are part of something larger than themselves.
Karen and her fellow founders did not simply imagine a school—they built one. They took risks, gave generously of their time and talent, and believed deeply in what Mounds Park Academy could become.
Today, when we ask our students to dream big and do right, we are continuing the work that Karen and others began more than forty years ago.
We are deeply grateful for Karen Benz’s vision, leadership, and generosity. Her legacy lives on in the school she helped build and in the generations of students whose lives have been shaped by Mounds Park Academy.
Her life reminds us that each generation is called to be a steward of this institution—entrusted with carrying forward a dream that began in 1981. As a new member of this community, I feel that responsibility deeply. May we move forward together with the same courage, generosity, and quiet determination that Karen brought to this school, ensuring that the promise she believed in continues to flourish for generations to come.
