Walz, Flanagan Announce Appointments to Advisory Councils Focused on Improving Lives of Children

[ST. PAUL, MN] – Today, Wednesday, November 13, 2019, Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan announced appointments to the Children’s Cabinet Advisory Council and the State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care.

These appointments are supported by Executive Order 19-34, re-launching the Governor’s Children’s Cabinet and placing children at the center of government, and state statute (section 124D.141). The Children’s Cabinet Advisory Council and the State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care will make recommendations to support community engagement and work of carrying out Executive Order 19-34 across state government and the Children’s Cabinet.

“Minnesota should be the best place in the country for each and every child to grow up,” said Governor Walz. “When we focus on improving equity and outcomes for our littlest Minnesotans, we lift up all of us. I am grateful for the service of these leaders – representing youth, teachers and schools, researchers, counties and tribes, and leaders of many walks of life.”

“Too often, race, zip code, and income determine the trajectory of our kids’ lives,” said Lieutenant Governor Flanagan. “This council – made up of parents, advocates, teachers, school districts, county and tribal administrators, leaders and voices from the private and public sector, communities of color, and Greater Minnesota – will help our charge to place children at the center of government and commit to prioritizing equitable outcomes so that all Minnesotans can reach their full potential.”

Extensive outreach and conversation went in to the appointment process for these positions over the last three months, with nearly 200 people applying to serve.

“I am very encouraged by the Governor and Lt. Governor’s commitment to children and youth in Minnesota, and I am honored to be a part of the Children’s Cabinet so we can make transformative change in the lives of children,” said Bharti Wahi, Executive Director of Children’s Defense Fund – Minnesota and appointee to the Children’s Cabinet Advisory Council. “No child’s opportunity to actualize their fullest potential should be determined by their geography, economic status or race. I am ready to dig in to the work.”

“I look forward to collaborating with and advising to the Children’s Cabinet on strategies to improve the lives of Minnesota youth – especially lifting up the perspective of tribes and prioritizing Native youth to ensure all children have an opportunity to succeed,” said Leroy Staples Fairbanks, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Tribal Council District III Representative and appointee to the Children’s Cabinet Advisory Council.

“My entire work and personal life has centered around children. Starting my professional life as a student teacher in Head Start, later as a kindergarten and ECFE teacher, leading to teaching in an early childhood program at the college level provided me with a strong base of understanding as to what children need to support their healthy development and experience learning success,” said Lynn Haglin, Vice President and KIDS PLUS Director at the Northland Foundation and appointee to the Children’s Cabinet Advisory Council. “My hope is that I can bring voices from Greater Minnesota to the conversations that will take place within the Council to truly help make our state united around all of our children.”

For the first time, young leaders will be included on the advisory body informing the work of the Children’s Cabinet.

“I am excited to see the insights and opinions of others on what they can change or improve the lives of kids and young people like me,” said Jazzy Eubanks, a high school student at Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Arts and appointee to the Children’s Cabinet Advisory Council.

Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan announced the following appointments.

State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care
Supported by the Office of the Minnesota Governor
Minnesota Statute 124D.141 and Public Law 110-134

Laurie Coleman – Erskine, MN
Member
Effective: November 18, 2019
Term Expires: January 2, 2023
Vacant

Barb Fabre – Ogema, MN
Member
Effective: November 18, 2019
Term Expires: January 2, 2023
Vacant

Anna Gruber – Staples, MN
Member
Effective: November 18, 2019
Term Expires: January 2, 2023
Vacant

Daniel Gumnit – Lauderdale, MN
Member
Effective: November 18, 2019
Term Expires: January 2, 2023
Vacant

Dianne Haulcy – Saint Paul, MN
Member
Effective: November 18, 2019
Term Expires: January 2, 2023
Vacant

Michelle Keleny – Roseville, MN
Member
Effective: November 18, 2019
Term Expires: January 2, 2023
Vacant

Jennifer Mueller – Monticello, MN
Member
Effective: November 18, 2019
Term Expires: January 2, 2023
Vacant

Aaron Sojourner – Minneapolis, MN
Member
Effective: November 18, 2019
Term Expires: January 2, 2023
Vacant

Jodi Wambeke – Sunburg, MN
Member
Effective: November 18, 2019
Term Expires: January 2, 2023
Vacant

Children’s Cabinet Advisory Council
Supported by the Office of the Minnesota Governor
Executive Order 19-34 (Enabling Tenure: August 7, 2019 – April 2, 2023)

Hufsa Ahmed – Saint Paul, MN
Youth Member
Effective: November 18, 2019
Term Expires: January 2, 2023
Vacant

Toni Carter – Saint Paul, MN
Member
Effective: November 18, 2019
Term Expires: January 2, 2023
Vacant

Kelvin Currington – Brooklyn Center, MN
Member
Effective: November 18, 2019
Term Expires: January 2, 2023
Vacant

Jazzy Eubanks – Brooklyn Park, MN
Youth Member
Effective: November 18, 2019
Term Expires: January 2, 2023
Vacant

Fanny Fernandez – White Bear Lake, MN
Member
Effective: November 18, 2019
Term Expires: January 2, 2023
Vacant

Megan Gunnar Dahlberg – Roseville, MN
Member
Effective: November 18, 2019
Term Expires: January 2, 2023
Vacant

Lynn Haglin – Duluth, MN
Member
Effective: November 18, 2019
Term Expires: January 2, 2023
Vacant

Kelly Holstine – Saint Paul, MN
Member
Effective: November 18, 2019
Term Expires: January 2, 2023
Vacant

Keenan Jones – Maple Grove, MN
Member
Effective: November 18, 2019
Term Expires: January 2, 2023
Vacant

Nicole Kern – Sartell, MN
Member
Effective: November 18, 2019
Term Expires: January 2, 2023
Vacant

Patina Parks – Minneapolis, MN
Member
Effective: November 18, 2019
Term Expires: January 2, 2023
Vacant

Rebecca Shlafer – Minnetonka, MN
Member
Effective: November 18, 2019
Term Expires: January 2, 2023
Vacant

Andrea Singh – Apple Valley, MN
Member
Effective: November 18, 2019
Term Expires: January 2, 2023
Vacant

Leroy Staples Fairbanks – Cass Lake, MN
Member
Effective: November 18, 2019
Term Expires: January 2, 2023
Vacant

Bharti Wahi – Minneapolis, MN
Member
Effective: November 18, 2019
Term Expires: January 2, 2023
Vacant

In addition to the nine appointments made by the Governor, four members of the Minnesota Legislature, two from the House of Representatives and two from the Senate, sit on the State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care, along with the Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Health and the State Head Start Director, appointed by the Minnesota Department of Education.

Tri-Valley Opportunity Council, Inc. Senior
Programs held its annual Foster Grandparent recognition luncheon at the
Crookston Eagles Club on Wednesday, October 9.

Marley Melbye (Senior Programs Director) began
the event by welcoming the Foster Grandparents and guests to the banquet. Jason
Carlson, Tri-Valley’s CEO thanked all of the volunteers for the difference they
are making in the lives of children and families in our communities.

The “World of Difference” awards were then given
to individuals who were nominated by professional staff at their volunteer
site. “With the little things you do every day, your impact spreads far and
wide. Your commitment to improving lives inspires and motivates us all… You
make a world of difference.” is engraved on the award along with the
recipients’ name.

Recipients of the World of Difference Award
are Grandpa Marvin Johnson (Lake Park- Audubon Public Schools, 1 year
volunteer), Grandma Mary Ann Altepeter (U of M, Crookston
Early Childhood Development Center, 3 year volunteer), Grandma Barbara Holum (Badger Elementary, 4 year volunteer), and Grandma Beverly Holm (Badger
Elementary, 5 year volunteer).

Following the awards
presentation, Anna Peterson spoke about her life following a snowmobile
accident on her birthday in January 2019 entitled “In the Blink of an Eye”. She
spoke about how the accident affected her family and children and how you can
find gratitude in any circumstance. The Foster Grandparents really enjoyed her
presentation and had a lot of questions for her.

For more information on how to become a Foster
Grandparent, Caring Companion or how to receive Caring Companion services,
please call Marley, Alicia, Jean, or Kristal at 1-800-584-7020.

Invitations
have been sent out to district Senators and
Representatives inviting them to join in on the activities and be involved in a
“Legislator to Lunch.”  Activities throughout the day will be held at
each center.  There will be special
guests such as the local fire department, police department, community
partners, farmers, and district legislators!

This collective crunch encourages
healthy eating and supports farm to school and local food initiatives throughout
the Great Lakes Region. We would love it if you
could join us on this day.  It would be a
great opportunity to dialog around the issues of Farm to School/Early Care and
more broadly, Child Nutrition Programs.  Tri-Valley is a strong advocate
of Farm to School and Early Care and center staff would love to have a deeper
conversation of how Tri-Valley incorporates the Farm to Early Care Initiative
in our centers and to share what Farm to Early Care looks like to Tri-Valley.

The
menu for the day will also be sourced locally and come from a variety of farms
in the area.

For
more information, or to crunch with us, please contact Jami Lee at jami.lee@tvoc.org.

Jami Lee, BSCN, CCNP, CFPM, CLC

Child Nutrition Services Manager l
Tri-Valley Head Start

(w)218-281-5832 x2047 | (c) 218-689-1907|Jami.Lee@tvoc.org

For
more information about the Great Lakes Great Apple Crunch, visit http://www.cias.wisc.edu/applecrunch

(Crookston, Minn.)- Minnesota Council of Nonprofits will host a lunch and learn entitled “The Importance of the 2020 Census” at Tri-Valley Opportunity Council, Inc. in Crookston (102 N. Broadway) on Thursday, October 10 from 12:00 – 1:00 pm.  

The objectives of the lunch and learn are to
understand the role of the Decennial Census in the geographic distribution of
funds, to discuss the development of internal strategies within your
organization that can develop a culture of civic participation, to learn about
the census timeline, to learn about census updates, and to brainstorm census
outreach efforts. There will also be a discussion and information shared about MCN census grants of up to $5,000 to
support mobilization and education efforts.

Session
Background: The census is part of
democracy that matters to all Minnesotans. 15 billion dollars that are currently
allocated to Minnesota by the U.S. are at stake. This critical funding supports
programs like Medicaid, highway planning, and programs that aid low-income
households, rural communities, and communities of color. Every person we count
matters and contributes to our beautiful and vibrant community.

Speaker
Bio: Michelle Chang is the policy and
equity coordinator at MCN. Her primary focus is building power around Census
2020 in partnership with MCN’s many nonprofit members. She also works
internally to ensure that policies and procedures center around ending disparities
in power, money, access, and more.

If you have any questions about the lunch and
learn, please contact Ashley Charwood, Northwest Minnesota regional
coordinator, at acharwood@minnesotanonprofits.org or 218-407-5202.

The Minnesota Council of Nonprofits (MCN) was
founded in 1987 to meet the increasing information needs of nonprofits and to
convene nonprofits to address issues facing the sector. It is the largest state
association of nonprofits in the U.S. Through MCN, nonprofits join together across
interest areas to work on issues of common concern to all.

ST. PAUL, Minn.—Today MNsure announced that Minnesotans will have seven weeks – from Friday, November 1, 2019, to Monday, December 23, 2019 – to shop for 2020 health coverage. Minnesota’s enrollment period is eight days longer than the federal open enrollment period that runs from November 1 to December 15. MNsure is supplementing the federal open enrollment period with a special enrollment period to give Minnesotans more time to find a health insurance plan that works for them.

“This year,
Minnesotans will have seven weeks to sign up for health and dental coverage
with an effective date of January 1, 2020,” said MNsure CEO Nate Clark. “It’s
important to be covered all twelve months of the year. We’re here to help make
sure consumers are able to choose a plan and enroll by the December 23 deadline
so they can start using their coverage right away in the new year.”

In-person help is
available

MNsure has a statewide network of over 1,600 expert
assisters who provide free in-person help for Minnesotans looking to apply
and enroll into health coverage. Consumers may work with a navigator or a
broker. Navigators specialize in MinnesotaCare and Medical Assistance, while
brokers can offer advice on selecting a private health plan.

Consumers will be
able to view and compare 2020 plans in mid-October so they can be prepared to
enroll starting November 1.

MNsure is the only
place you can qualify for tax credits to lower costs

For coverage year 2019, 60 percent of private plan enrollees are receiving tax credits averaging more than $5,500 a year per household. In total, Minnesotans are poised to save over $224 million in tax credits in 2019. Of the more than 500,000 Minnesotans who found coverage through MNsure, over 85 percent qualified for tax credits, MinnesotaCare or Medical Assistance.

For more information on MNsure or to get MNsure Navigator assistance, please contact Nancy Ramon (Tri-Valley Community Assistance Program Coordinator) at 1-800-201-3475.

(Crookston, Minn.)- Tri-Valley Transportation
Programs is offering a convenient way to get out and see the seasonal colors in
September. T.H.E. Bus will again be welcoming back autumn with Fall Leaf Tours
to Itasca State Park. Polk,
Norman, Mahnomen, Red Lake and Clearwater County riders will have the
opportunity to ride T.H.E. Bus on Wednesday, September 25 and Pennington,
Kittson and Marshall County riders will have the opportunity to ride T.H.E. Bus
on Friday, September 27. There will be opportunities to get off the bus, walk
trails, and enjoy the visitor’s center. Attendees are encouraged to bring a bag
lunch to enjoy at the park.

T.H.E. Bus will arrive at the park at 10 am and
leave at 1 pm. The cost is only $10 for round-trip transportation to and from
the park with several pick-up locations available (please call for pickup
locations). For more information or to reserve your seat for the Tri-Valley
Fall Leaf Tours call 800-201-3432. (Note: the deadline to reserve your seat is
noon the day before the scheduled trip date)

Minnesota Council of Nonprofits will host a Social Media & Messaging
workshop at Tri-Valley Opportunity Council, Inc. in Crookston (102 N. Broadway)
on Wednesday, August 28 from 1 – 3 pm.

Join
Sarah Crumrine, of MCN for “Let’s Get Social” – a workshop all about social
media and how to utilize it in your organization, even if you have few staff,
little-to-no budget, or just aren’t sure how to get going. In this workshop,
we’ll discuss a number of topics, including:

*Developing a social media plan                                             *Time
management while wearing multiple hats

*Increasing engagement among fans and
followers             *Cost-effective
strategies

*What happens when social media goes wrong                     *Tools to make social media
easier

Attendees
will walk away with increased confidence working with social media, as well as
tools they can use to make working with social media easier and more impactful.

The
cost of the workshop is $20 for MCN members and $45 for nonmembers. To register
for the Crookston workshop visit: https://www.minnesotanonprofits.org/events/event-detail/2019/08/28/default-calendar/social-media-101

If you have any questions about the workshop, please contact Ashley
Charwood, Northwest Minnesota regional coordinator, at acharwood@minnesotanonprofits.org
or 218-407-5202.

The Minnesota Council of Nonprofits (MCN) was founded in 1987 to meet the
increasing information needs of nonprofits and to convene nonprofits to address
issues facing the sector. It is the largest state association of nonprofits in
the U.S. Through MCN, nonprofits join together across interest areas to work on
issues of common concern to all.

Laurie
Coleman, Tri-Valley’s Head Start, Child and Family Programs Director, was
invited to the Minnesota State Capital on Wednesday, August 7 for the
announcement of the Children’s Cabinet re-launch. Coleman was invited as a key
partner in making Minnesota the best state for each and every child. She
currently serves on the Early Child Reform Committee and the BUILD Initiative.

The
executive order to reestablish a Children’s Cabinet will make children’s issues
a more visible priority in Walz’s administration. The Children’s Cabinet works
to bring efficiency and effectiveness to state government efforts to improve
child and youth outcomes. The work of the Cabinet can also involve
collaboration with counties, local communities and other stakeholders. It will better
align state services related to children and their families, including
education, health care, childcare and housing. For more
information about Minnesota’s Children’s Cabinet visit https://mn.gov/governor/administration/childrenscabinet/.

The Early
Childhood Reform Committee operates in an advisory capacity to state
agencies and was established in response to a lack of equitable opportunity
which has caused significant disparities in developmental outcomes for children
prenatally through age 8.  The committee’s goal is to ensure children and
families are receiving the supports they need in a manner that encourages their
optimal growth and development and eliminates racial disparities in program
access and outcomes. 

The BUILD
Initiative
works with early childhood leaders within states
and nationally to better prepare young children to thrive and succeed. The Initiative
helps state leaders develop an early childhood system – programs, services and
policies tailored to the needs of the state’s unique young child population.

An interactive workshop
presented by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) entitled “Understanding
the Children’s Mental Health System” will be offered in Ada on Tuesday, August
20 from 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm. at the Ada Event Center. On Wednesday, August 21 the
workshop will be held in Erskine from 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm at the Erskine
Community Center.

 Learn about Minnesota’s children’s mental
health system. Gain information about the different types of services and
supports available to families who have a child with a mental illness, and how
to access them. Understand best practices and the rights of children and their
families in the clinical treatment setting as well as the school. This class is
designed for parents, school staff, and other providers who support children
and their families.

Ada: To register, visit: https://childrensmhsystem-ada8-20.eventbrite.com

Erskine: To register, visit: https://childrensmhsystem-erskine8-21.eventbrite.com

For more information, contact Sarah at 651-645-2948 ext. 130 or shovseth@namimn.org.

(Crookston,
Minn.)- Area community members interested in learning more about Tri-Valley
Opportunity Council, Inc. and the programs offered at the community action agency
will have an opportunity to do just that this summer.

Tri-Valley
in Crookston will host a series of “Tri-Valley on the Go” events in area
communities. Staff will travel on T.H.E. Bus and set up an informational booth
at designated locations in several communities including Warren, Argyle,
Hallock, Ada, Mahnomen, Fertile, Roseau, Warroad, Brooks, Oklee, and Red Lake
Falls.

The upcoming event
in the series will be held on Thursday, August 15 in Brooks (Brooks Travel
Plaza) at 9:30 am, Oklee (Community Center) at 11:15 am, and Red Lake Falls
(Downtown) at 1:15 pm and will last approximately one hour in each location.

For
more information on “Tri-Valley on the Go” or to have Tri-Valley staff and
T.H.E. Bus visit your community, please call 800-584-7020.