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July 2025
2024 Annual Report
7/1/25 - Adam Suomala
Over the past 20 years, we have served as a trusted convener and connector in the aging sector. Our members are respected for their missions of service and our shared table has brought many voices together to learn, co-create, and move Minnesota forward.
Our strong foundations are built on a belief that systems change is possible when we listen deeply, know each other, trust each other, and think beyond our own day-to-day needs to advance the common good. Learn more about our past twenty years as a Leadership Council and our new strategic framework in our 2024 Annual Report.
June 2025
Leadership Elections Announced
6/26/25 - Adam Suomala
At our meeting this month, new leadership was unanimously elected by the Delegates of the MN Leadership Council on Aging. Their terms begin July 1 and run through June 30 in line with our Fiscal Year. Please join us in congratulating the following members for being elected by their peers to serve in these key leadership roles:
- Kristin Rigg, Chair
- George Schoephoerster, Vice Chair
- Patrick Rowan, Treasurer
- Paula Woischke, Events Committee Chair
- Robert Freeman, Policy Committee Chair
- Dawn Simonson, Director At Large
Beyond Belonging: How Employee Resource Groups Can Drive Equity and Organizational Change
6/10/25 - Chao Yang
Join our November 18 Catalyst Conversation featuring Der Yang. Together, we'll explore how Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) often seen as spaces for community and connection have potential for far more. In the final fall series, we’ll explore how ERGs can be powerful drivers of equity, inclusion, and structural change within aging organizations. Through real-world examples and candid dialogue, we’ll examine strategies for aligning ERG efforts with broader organizational goals, including securing leadership support, and measuring impact. Whether you're a senior leader, ERG member, or ally, join us for this conversation on how the aging sector can transform ERGs from affinity spaces into engines of equity.
Minnesota's 2025 Special Session Passes HHS Bill
6/9/25 - Adam Suomala
Following weeks of discussions across legislative leadership and the community, lawmakers have ultimately passed a $7 billion health and human services budget for the state's 2026-2027 biennium that again found little prioritization of the aging policy solutions raised by our sector. You can access the final spreadsheet and bill language online for details now. In the coming days, we will begin to understand what comes next for several key programs impacting Minnesotans as they age and the essential infrastructure work, such as the Age-Friendly Minnesota Council, which is scheduled to sunset in June of 2027.
Minnesota's Approach to Dementia and Aging
6/9/25 - Adam Suomala
Check out this recent post by the American Society on Aging that recognizes how our state is leading the nation in our shared efforts on dementia issues. With June being Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month, this is a great time to recognize the leadership and power found in collaborative work, from Minnesota's Multisector Blueprint for Aging to the community engagement efforts of the Minnesota Department of Health, and establishment of a Minnesota Dementia Strategic Plan.
Beyond Surveys: Psychological Indicators of Equitable Organizational Culture
6/7/25 - Chao Yang
Join our October 14 Catalyst Conversation, featuring Alvin P. Akibar, who will teach us to read psychological signals that reveal whether equity truly exists in our aging organizations. You'll learn to decode subtle communication patterns, energy, and behavior that indicate whether people feel genuinely safe to be authentic, take risks, and bring their full selves to work. Through practical observation techniques, discover how to spot invisible signs of stress, code-switching, and emotional labor that marginalized employees often carry silently. By the end of this session, you'll have a new lens for assessing organizational climate.
Delegate Profile: Mike Lavin
6/2/25 - Adam Suomala
Our members DARTS announced their selection of Mike Lavin to serve as their new President starting June 2, 2025. No stranger to the DARTS community, he brings a wealth of experience from his long career at the YMCA, including past service as Executive Director at the Eagan and Hastings locations. Mike and his wife live in Hastings and have been DARTS yardwork volunteers for the past decade. His experience with the Y’s healthy aging programs gave him a deep appreciation for supporting older adults, and he is excited to continue that work by leading DARTS in building connections that enrich aging. In their announcement, the DARTS Board of Directors noted they selected Mike for his strategic leadership, ability to build strong teams, commitment to inclusivity, and dedication to community connection. "We are confident that under Mike’s leadership, DARTS will continue to grow and serve our community with heart."
May 2025
Delegate Profile: Karina Forrest Perkins
5/29/25 - Adam Suomala
Our members Volunteers of America - MN/WI announced their selection of Karina Forrest Perkins to serve as their President and CEO starting July 14, 2025. With more than 25 years of experience leading transformational change across behavioral health, integrated care, and nonprofit systems, she currently leads Vail Communities and is a nationally recognized voice in trauma-informed, whole-person care. Karina has also held CEO roles with NAMI Oklahoma, Prevent Child Abuse Minnesota, Wayside Recovery Center, People’s Center Clinics and Services, and Heartspring. She also served as a senior advisor to three Oklahoma governors and one Minnesota governor. Her work has earned national and international recognition for its emphasis on dignity, healing, and systems-level change. From the VOA Board announcement, "Karina is widely respected for her relational leadership, visionary thinking, and unwavering dedication to mission- and community-driven service. Her proven ability to cultivate innovation, foster collaboration, and deliver measurable results makes her the right leader to carry our work forward."
New American Resource Map
5/29/25 - Adam Suomala
Recognizing nearly one in three healthcare workers in Minnesota are immigrants, our members at LeadingAge Minnesota published a new resource designed to strengthen connections betwen New Americans and employers, including English-language learning programs, immigration law firms and legal referral services, resettlement services, community-based organizations, family and childcare resources, transportation, and more. This resource is made possible through the New Americans Long-Term Care Workforce grant from the MN Department of Human Services.
Real Connections, Real Impact:
Partnering with BIPOC Communities
5/29/25 - Chao Yang
Our next Catalyst Conversation features Yao Yaj, who brings us a powerful workshop on building real, meaningful relationships with BIPOC professionals, small businesses, and organizations. We’ll talk about how to create welcoming spaces where people feel seen and valued, not just included. You’ll learn how to plan networking events that help people connect in genuine ways, and how to share tools and resources so they actually make a difference. If you work with communities, give out funding, or want to build stronger partnerships, this session will give you the tools to work better, together.
25 Years in Aging: Stepping Back to Step Forward
5/29/25 - Adam Suomala
This coming month marks a milestone in my time working alongside you all in this amazing aging sector. It felt like a fine opportunity to listen to the advice I often give others and take a beat just to sit and reflect on the times we are in. In gathering my thoughts, I hope you will takeaway the sense empowerment and hope I have for what we can and must accomplish by working together in the days ahead.
"When there is a big disapointment, we don't know if that's the end of the story. It may just be the beginning of a great adventure."
Pema Chödrön
National Aging Policy Issues Emerge
5/23/25 - Adam Suomala
At a national level, long-valued policies and programs appear to now be in jeopardy, including Medicaid, the Older Americans Act, and programs directly impacting our health as we age. This includes Senior Nutrition, Adult Protective Services, the State Health Insurance Assistance Program, the Aging and Disability Resource Centers, Long-Term Services and Supports, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Health Promotion, and Pension Counseling Programs. As we reported earlier, the Administration for Community Living – a key federal agency supporting older Americans – has been eliminated, and we have seen nation-leading work in our universities being curtailed. These are not minor upstream adjustments, but destabilizing efforts we are learning more about each day, and working with congressional offices to protect.
Minnesota's 2025 Legislative Session Outcomes
5/20/25 - Adam Suomala
Yesterday marked the end of Minnesota's 2025 Legislative Session, but the legislature adjourned without a state budget or resolution on key human services provisions, including several bills we are supporting. You can learn more about these solutions on our policy page. As always, we encourage you to strengthen your age-friendly advocacy skills and share your stories with elected officials or the media to lift up policy priorities that matter the most to you and your community. Your voice is crucial now, as legislators prepare for a special session soon.
Reframe Aging Minnesota:
Pop Culture and Aging
5/19/25 - Adam Suomala
Mimi Stender and Georgia Lane are poised to bring us the second in our 2025 Reframe Aging Minnesota series on June 6, 2025 from 10-11. Sign-up now to be part of this new community and join us as we explore how to recognize and respond to the pervasive ageism that exists in the media. From ads to tv shows, we will practice how to identify common traps and reframe ageist narratives. All are welcome to attend this new, free, virtual, 60-minute Reframe Aging Minnesota ECHO series. Sessions will be an informal, peer-to-peer learning experience using an "all teach, all learn" approach to improving our narratives about aging.
"Tomorrow belongs to those who can hear it coming."
David Bowie
Reframe Aging Minnesota:
Flip the Script on Aging
5/6/25 - Adam Suomala
All are welcome to attend this new, free, virtual, 60-minute Reframe Aging Minnesota ECHO series. Sessions will be an informal, peer-to-peer learning experience using an "all teach, all learn" approach to improving our narratives about aging. Sign-up to be part of this new community today and get ready to kick-off the first session featuring Rajean Moone's review of common communication traps just in time to celebrate Older Americans Month with a program designed to Flip the Script on Aging!
Delegate Profile: Roxanne Jenkins
5/2/25 - Adam Suomala
Our members Senior Community Services appointed Roxanne Jenkins as the organization’s new CEO, effective May 1. Notes Jenkins, “Joining Senior Community Services is, in a way, a homecoming for me. I have spent many years developing services that support older adults, and I am proud to join an organization that shares my commitment to serving our neighbors as we all grow older.”
As she takes the helm at SCS, Jenkins also returns to our table as a Delegate of the MN Leadership Council on Aging with over 30 years of experience in the field of aging, including the launch of programs and initiatives addressing the needs of older adults, including caregiver wellness and nutrition solutions. Her personal mission has been to create and foster meaningful connections that change lives for the better and advance person-centered care, aligning strongly with Senior Community Services’ mission to empower people as they age.
Older Americans Month and the Elimination of the Administration for Community Living
5/1/25 - Adam Suomala
Each May, Minnesotans celebrate Older Americans Month. Since 1963 we have marked the occasion by sharing our value for older people and how their insights and experiences contribute to Minnesota's social fabric and vitality. This annual celebration has been led by the Administration for Community Living - the federal agency which supported older people and people with disabilities in living independently. You may have seen that the agency is now being dissolved as part of a restructuring order from the Trump administration. Given all the unknowns that lie ahead, join me in using this year’s theme, "Flip the Script on Aging" to focus on moving us closer to a Minnesota free of ageism.
April 2025
Request for Quotes: Accounting Services
4/15/25 - Adam Suomala
The Minnesota Leadership Council on Aging is a non-profit organization based in St. Paul, MN. Today we issued a Request for Quotes seeking qualified accounting professionals or firms to provide quotes for financial management services on an annual contract basis. Please submit proposals electronically by May 15, 2025. For additional details, please download and review the Request for Quotes now.
Age-Friendly Minnesota Council Need You!
4/10/25 - Adam Suomala
Along with the Age-Friendly Minnesota Council and the Minnesota Board on Aging, we sent an open letter to Minnesota legislators this week, encouraging them to prioritize targeted investments that would keep the Age-Friendly Minnesota Council in place. Legislation we support has met the second committee deadline and added to the Senate Human Services Omnibus Bill, but is not yet included in the House Human Services Omnibus Bill. We encourage you to reach out to your lawmakers. We thank Senators for including SF2630 and urge State Representatives to help us prioritize HF 2646 this week.
"We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations."
Charles Swindoll
March 2025
Aging and Funders
3/17/25 - Adam Suomala
Aging intersects with every focus! Yet too often, foundations don't have a clear picture of how applying an aging lens can strengthen their funding strategies. Our Finish Strong Funders Network is working with the Minnesota Council of Foundations to host a free webinar on Thursday, May 1, from 2–3 p.m. to share practical insights, fresh connections, and inspiring ideas. All funders welcome.
Age-Friendly Legislation Gains Authors
3/14/25 - Adam Suomala
Legislation to continue the Age-Friendly Minnesota Council saw a major step forward during the Day at the Capitol, as advocate got signatures from Senator John Hoffman (DFL-Champlin) and State Representative Joe Schomacker (R-Luverne) who signed on as Chief Authors for the bill. With other bipartisan support coming from Senator Jim Abeler (R-Anoka) and others, we anticipate bills to be introduced soon and will continue to share details as they become available.
"When we show up, act boldly, and practice the best ways of caring for each other, we learn that we are the ones we've been waiting for."
Adrienne Maree Brown
February 2025
Age-Friendly Day at the Capitol: March 13, 2025
2/13/25 - Adam Suomala
Without legislative action, the Age-Friendly Minnesota Council's good work coordinating age-friendly systems, investing in local solutions, and advancing Minnesota's Multisector Blueprint for Aging will end.
Join us March 13, 2025 for a powerful day of age-friendly advocacy, including a free breakfast briefing starting at 8:30 a.m. at the Wilder Center followed by a group trip over to the State Capitol to meet with legislators in the afternoon. Together, we'll share our age-friendly stories and help sustain the Age-Friendly Minnesota Council.
Executive Orders and Their Impacts on Nonprofits
2/8/25 - Adam Suomala
For Minnesota non-profits interested in the recent National Council of Nonprofits webinar: Executive Orders and their Impact on Charitable Nonprofits, below are the recording and resources:
- National Webinar: Executive Actions and their Impact on Charitable Nonprofits (57:38) recording and slides, National Council of Nonprofits, Feb. 7, 2025.
- The Impacts of the Recent Executive Orders on Nonprofits, National Council of Nonprofits, updated regularly.
- Webform: Effects of Executive Actions on Nonprofits – Please complete if your organization is continuing to experience issues with federal funding
- Resources to navigate uncertainty, Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, Feb. 7, 2025.
- Contact your Minnesota legislators or members of Congress
Catalyst Conversations:
Communication Strategies to Combat Bias
2/3/25 - Adam Suomala
In our April 8 session, join Foua-Choua Khang as she explores practical communication strategies to address bias in both personal and professional settings. Key techniques to be reviewed include active listening, asking open-ended questions, and fostering empathy to create an environment where diverse perspectives are valued. Foua will also discuss the power of language in minimizing stereotypes and promoting inclusivity. By the end of the session, attendees will gain actionable tools to communicate more consciously, challenge bias, and contribute to a more equitable space for all voices.
Delegate Profile: Kristina Wright-Peterson
2/3/25 - Adam Suomala
Our member Minnesota Network of Hospice and Palliative Care announced Kristina Wright-Peterson as their new Executive Director starting in June. She comes to the role as a highly respected leader and clinician in end-of-life care, serving for the past 3 years as Executive Director of Seasons Hospice in Rochester as well as over 15 years of experience serving patients at the bedside. “I am a registered nurse by trade but have found my inspiration and professional joy in non-profit leadership.” In 2014, Kristina founded Red Drop Resources, in memory of her father, who died of leukemia. “I continue to look for opportunities to volunteer and support our community in whatever capacity I am able. I pride myself in a collaborative leadership style that leads by example to create work cultures that are inclusive, innovative, and mission-driven.”
January 2025
Bridging Vision and Action:
Practical Steps for Embedding Community Engagement in Projects and Proposals
1/15/25 - Chao Yang
Are you ready to elevate your approach to community collaboration? This free virtual training by Ziag Management Consulting LLC is part of an Age-Friendly Minnesota Technical Assistance Grant to offer practical tools and insights to help leaders and organizations across Minnesota's aging sector foster meaningful connections and drive positive change by operationalizing community engagement.
Special Catalyst Conversation Series on Trust:
The Challenge of Our Divided Society - at Work, Home, and in the Community
1/15/25 - Adam Suomala
We are excited to announce a special two-part Catalyst Conversation series focused on trust. These free, one-hour, virtual sessions feature Vivian Jenkins Nelsen. She will lead a conversation on the fundamental elements of trust and its role in building and sustaining meaningful relationships, starting February 11 with how trust is shaped individually and how it becomes defined. On March 11, we'll explore how to repair and re-establish trust after it is broken by delving into practical strategies for maintaining trust over time, emphasizing the importance of clear communication, ethical decision-making, and reliable actions.
News Release: MN Leadership Council on Aging Welcomes Four New Non-Profit Members
1/9/25 - Adam Suomala
The Minnesota Leadership Council on Aging proudly announces the addition of four non-profit organizations to its membership. These organizations, have been selected to bring their deep expertise and vision to advance the Council’s mission of “uniting leaders to advance equitable opportunities for all Minnesotans as we age.” Their respective leaders will serve as full voting Delegates on the Leadership Council effective immediately.
Delegate Profile: Amy Gavanda
1/3/25 - Adam Suomala
Our member Catholic Charities Twin Cities announced Amy Gavanda, MSW LISW as their new Division Director to oversee their work in Aging and Disability Services. In this role, Gavanda brings more than 16 years of service working for the organization. She also begins her time as their Delegate on the MN Leadership Council on Aging, armed with the strong support of her predessesor in both roles, Patricia McArdle. Today marks that seamless handoff, as McArdle celebrates her final day. Amy can be reached at Amy.Gavanda@cctwincities.org and 651-647-3149.
Aging and Nature
1/2/25 - Adam Suomala
Nature enriches lives at every age, offering important benefits to our health and well-being. Minnesota's Multisector Blueprint for Aging calls on us to explore public spaces for all ages and all seasons, such as age-friendly parks or programming that connects us to the abundant nature of our state. Learn more about work underway by Age-Friendly Minnesota grantees to enhance our access to nature as we age, including three free webinars on March 6, April 17, and May 8, 2025.
Catalyst Conversation: Racial Healing Through the Lens of Socialization and Liberation
1/2/25 - Adam Suomala
Sign-up today for our next free session, exploring how racial biases are formed through societal norms and systems. We'll provide strategies for breaking these patterns through self-awareness, collective action, and accountability. Using a case study, participants will analyze real-world applications tangible steps shared by our guest presenter to promote equity and foster racial healing in their personal and professional lives.
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