Master of Advocacy and Political Leadership

Northland Foundation President Shares Winning Philosophy

Nov 21, 2009--Tom Reiner, founding President of the Northland Foundation, let cohort 8 students in on the Foundation's secrets to success this weekend in Barb Haugen's Policy Evaluation class. Reiner discussed a number of strategies for establishing a focus that will help a foundation to most effectively help a community.

Reiner has been with the Northland Foundation since its inception in 1986. Prior to that, he was with the Arrowhead Regional Development Commission (ARDC) for 11 years, working primarily in economic and community development. In 1985, he was the founding President of the Northspan Group, a non-profit economic and business development organizaiton which still serves this 7 county region.

The one piece of advice that Sarah Mollet will take away from this opportune meeting with the Northland Foundation President? "Sometimes money is too expensive." It's important, Sarah explained, to determine if the outcomes to be realized from fulfilling the terms of a foundation grant are greater than the amount of time and resources spent by your organiztion securing the grant in the first place.

Commissioner Dan McElroy Among Weekend Visitors

Nov 14, 2009--This weekend proved to be an exciting one for MAPL students as they hosted six distinguished guests, among them, Commissioner Dan McElroy.

Dan McElroy is commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), which supports the economic success of Minnesota's individuals, businesses and communities.

McElroy joined Governor Pawlenty's leadership team in 2003 as commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Finance, where he was architect of the budget which addressed a $4.56 billion budget deficit without raising taxes. He later served as the Governor's chief of staff before becoming the Governor's senior advisor on innovation in 2005.

McElroy spoke in two of MAPL core classes: Wy Spano's first year class on the Political Process and Public Policy and Barb Hayden-Haugen's class on Policy Evaluation.

McElroy was among a number of other visitor's this weekend at MAPL.

Australian Union Officer Amanda Tattersall

Nov 14, 2009--Amanda Tattersall, Director of the Sydney Alliance (Australia), a citizens' coallition whose vision is to provide a community voice on common values and aspirations for a fair and just Sydney, spoke to the MAPL community this weekend prior to making a special appearance in Bill Moore and Erik Peterson's Labor Organizing class. Tattersall demonstrated an effective framework for building union-community coalitions in an effort to impact government policies and control market outcomes.

Amanda completed her Ph.D. dissertation on community unionism through the University of Sydney. Community Unionism occurs when trade unions campaign with community organisations and social movements on issues beyond wages and condition. Her dissertation involved a comparative study of industrial relations and social movement practice in Australia, Canada and the United States.

Amanda has been a union and community organiser. She was President of the National Union of Students, co-founded Labor for Refugees and GetUp.org.au, and has been an officer of Unions NSW. She has written extensively on coalition practice around the world.

Alum Sterling Harris Returns to MAPL as Speaker

Nov 14, 2009--MAPLer Sterling Harris (cohort 5) returned to class this weekend as a guest lecturer in Jennifer Imsande's core class on Civic Engagement and Political Culture. Harris, who is currently the Community Education Director at PAVSA (Program for Aid to Victims of Sexual Assault) in Duluth, facilitated a discussion on the costs of sexual violence to our communities -- especially Duluth. She outlined advocacy strategies for social change, including reframing the issue to put the focus on perpetrators and not on victims' choices.  She also shared recent successful educational and fundraising strategies -- ones that promote a vision of consensual sex, instead of ones that emphasize the dangers of coerced sex. 

Distinguished Speakers Play a Significant Role in MAPL

Nov 14, 2009--One aspect of the MAPL program that students tend to boast about the most is the line-up of distinguished speakers. The exposure gives students the opportunity to connect with and learn from some of the most prominent leaders around the state, nation or, as was the case this weekend, the globe!

Saturday morning started off with speakers Dan McElroy and Sterling Harris. Dan McElroy, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), spoke to cohort 11 in Wy Spano's core MAPL class: The Political Process and Public Policy. He then headed over to Barb Haugen's class to discuss the state perspective on cost-benefit analysis and return on investment for government funded programs.

MAPL Alum Sterling Harris, Community Education Director at PAVSA in Duluth spoke to Jennifer Imsande's core class, Civic Engagement and Political Culture, on the cost of sexual violence and outlined strategies for social change.

All three concentration electives in the afternoon also hosted scheduled guest speakers. Amanda Tattersall, Australian Director of the Sydney Alliance spoke about union-community coalitions in Bill Moore and Erik Peterson's class on Labor Organizing after presenting to the MAPL community over lunch.

Rinal Ray, J.D., is a Project Coordinator at the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits. She worked with students in Marcia Avner's course on Techniques for Nonprofit Advocacy: Nonprofit as Agents of Democracy. Students learned strategies for deciphering nonprofit law and applied it to case studies in class.

Sheila Kiscaden, who is co-teaching the Public Sector concentration class, Advocacy in the Public Sector: Service in the Elected Branch with Scott Cooper, hosted two guest speakers in her class this past weekend: Matt Massman and Katherine Schill. Massman is the Lead Fiscal Analyst for the Minnesota State Senate while Schill is his counterpart in the House. Massman and Schill touched on the Minnesota budget process and the current budget dilema and discussed with students the balance of power between the Legislative and Executive branches, the House, Senate and Committees as well as the federal, state and local governments and the role they play as staff trying to keep the focus on fiscal policy.

Upcoming guest speakers include: Tom Renier, President of the Northland Foundation, Keesha Gaskins, Executive Director for the League of Women Voters in Minnesota, Mary Ellison, the Women's Program Staff Attorney at the Adovcates for Human Rights in Minneapolis, and Amy Bodnar, the Senior Political Oganizer for the Service Employees International union (SEIU), Minnesota State Council.

National Council of Nonprofits President Visits

Nov 7, 2009-- According to Amy Demmer, cohort 10, a visit from Tim Delaney is "MAPL at its best...giving students the opportunity to connect with national leaders." Delaney, President and CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits, spoke with MAPL students on Saturday over lunch and then stayed the afternoon to teach a portion of Marcia Avner's class on Techniques for Nonprofit Advocacy: Nonprofits as Agents of Democracy.

Delaney, who was here to attend the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits Annual Conference in the Twin Cities, discussed the role of nonprofits in Health Care Reform. He commended Duluth for its high percentage of voter turnout in the recent November 3rd election and accentuated the importance of participation in the Democratic process.

MAPL Alum Elected to City Council

Nov 6, 2009-- MAPLer, Dan Hartman, was elected November 3rd by Duluth residents for the City Council at Large seat vacated last November by Rep. Roger Reinert. Hartman said several of his friends and family members encouraged him to run and he ‘{felt] that there are many issues in the city of Duluth that need to be addressed.”

The Veteran's Memorial Hall Program Director graduated from the MAPL program in Spring 2009 as part of cohort 7. He contributes much of his success on the campaign to MAPL. “Besides the community of support, MAPL provided the knowledge to help execute a successful campaign. Overall, if it wasn’t for the tools and connections I acquired in MAPL I would not be elected to the Duluth City Council, plain and simple.”

Many members of Dan’s campaign team are tied to the MAPL community. In fact, David Bard, cohort 9, served as Dan's campaign manager and Joe Ellickson, cohort 6, served as one of his campaign advisors. Many MAPL students, alumni and friends pitched in on door-knocking, fundraising and working the phone bank, all strategies that contributed to Hartman’s success.

According to David Bard, Dan's campaign team helped get out the vote in Duluth even during an off-year election. “It's so hard to pinpoint exactly what put us at the top, but a few of the things were:  door knocking, the support and advice of Councilor Jeff Anderson, Rep. Roger Reinert, and Mayor Don Ness, the support of the Duluth Labor community, and of course the TV ad and last minute radio ads.”

Dan’s only disappointment in the race was that fellow progressive Beth Olson wasn’t also elected to the council. “We campaigned together since April and it was weird to lose my teammate.” When we asked Dan and David what they would tell others considering a run for local government positions, they advised “Know the issues, do your homework, and find a few friends who will stick it out with you.”

Congratulations Dan, Dave, and the rest of the campaign team for a job well-done!

MAPL Association Established Officially

Oct 23, 2009--MAPL students, alumni, faculty and extended MAPL community members came together on Friday, October 23 at the Labor Temple in Duluth for the 3rd Annual MAPL Mandatory Fun Night. After ample time to eat, drink and mingle, the first formal, MAPL community meeting took place. With Chad McKenna chairing the meeting, the group passed the proposed by-laws, came up with the organization's name and elected officers. Chad McKenna was named the President of the new MAPL Association and Frank Jaskulke was elected Treasurer. The group will also have two steering committees; one serving the Twin Cities and surrounding area, the other representing Duluth and northern Minnesota. Each committee will designate five members to serve on the executive board. The first meeting for the Twin Cities committee is set for October 29th. The Duluth committee has not yet set a date. All members of the MAPL community are encouraged to attend! Watch for details to follow.

St. Paul Mayor, Chris Coleman Among Weekend Visitors

Oct 17, 2009--MAPL students were treated to a number of interesting visitors this past weekend, among them St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman. Mayor Coleman served as a guest speaker in Rep. Roger Reinert's class on Campaigns and Elections on Friday night. He shared with students his own experiences in running for public office and organizing a campaign.

Other visitors this weekend included Bret Thiele and Mayra Gomez from the Centre on Housing Rights and Eveictions. They spoke to Barb Hayden's class on Policy Evaluation.

Steve Frank, Eric Lehto, Gary Cunningham and Betsy Hodges were invited to afternoon classes.

Steve Frank spoke to students in Scott Cooper's Advocacy in the Public Sector class on trends and influences in public opinion and polling.

Eric Lehto, Director of Organizing for AFSCME MN Council 5, facilitated a discussion with Labor students in Bill Moore's Labor Organizing class. Students ranked factors that influence collective bargaining strength and then discussed the importance of each factor in creating a unified force.

Students in Marcia Avner's class, Techniques for Nonprofit Advocacy, were treated to a visit from Minneapolis City Councilor, Betsy Hodges and Gary Cunningham, vice president for the Northwest Area Foundation. Marcia, who is the policy director at the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, along with Betsy and Gary, demonstrated to students the relationships between Nonprofits, Government and Foundations.

Although the line up of guest speakers for the next MAPL weekend is not as extensive, Lori Sturdevant, an editoral writer and columnist for the Star Tribune will be visiting Eric Ringham's class on Political Organizing and Communication. Additionally, the Minnesota Legislative Auditor, Jim Noble will be a guest in Barb Hayden's Policy Evaluation course. A few more surprise guests may be in store at MAPL's 3rd Annual Mandatory Fun Night on Friday!

MAPL Student Selected as Community Services Director

After 24 years of service to UMD and AFSCME Local 3801, Beth Peterson, MAPL cohort 9, began a new position earlier this month as the Community Services Director, a unique partnership between United Way of Greater Duluth and the AFL-CIO Central Labor Body.

Beth was active in her local union at UMD and involved in the Community Services Committee. She worked with AFSCME Local 3801 to establish a similar committee. This past Spring, Beth received the Director's Award for Outstanding Volunteer Work at the Joe Wiesinger Community Services Awards Banquet.

Peterson credits her time at UMD as pivotal in her professional development. Her position at UMD helped her to develop the skills she will need to be successful at the Community Services Director. It also gave her the opportunity, through the Regents' Scholarship program, to pursue her Masters Degree in Advocacy and Political Leadership which ultimately led to an internship with the Community Services Program this past summer.

Beth's dedication and commitment promises to be a positive asset in her new position as the Community Services Director.

Congratulations Beth!

3rd Annual MAPL Mandatory Fun Night!

Mark your calendars for Friday, October 23rd! It is the third annual MAPL Mandatory Fun Night and promises to be unlike no other.

WHEN: October 23, 2009, 8pm to 12am,
WHERE: The Reef at the Duluth Labor Temple (2002 London Rd)
To RSVP: Email sbonomo@d.umn.edu.
Cost: $5, (more if you can)
All contributions are going to cover the cost of food and go into starting the new student organization.

Start the evening out with a tour of the Duluth Labor Temple, guided by Allen Netland and Labor World editor Larry Sillanpa before wandering up to the Reef for food, games, prizes, great company and conversation.

We'll have an organizational meeting for the new MAPL Student-Community Organization so we will be electing officers, developing the vision and giving it an 'official' name.

This event is open to current students, alumni, faculty and guests of past and present, family, friends and all community members that support MAPL! Hope you can join us!

Learning Nonprofit Advocacy from the Best!

Students in MAPL’s nonprofit concentration class this semester will benefit from the expertise of Jon Pratt, Executive Director of the Minnesota  Council of Nonprofits.  Pratt is co-teaching with Marcia Avner, Public Policy Director at the Council and the director of MAPL’s nonprofit concentration.  Pratt is one of the recognized leaders nationally in nonprofit management, a founder and a frequent contributor to the Nonprofit Quarterly, and the founder of the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, one of the largest and strongest state associations of nonprofits in the country.

Lorraine Teel Speaks to New Cohort

Cohort 11 was given the opportunity Saturday to hear the stories of Lorraine Teel, Minnesota Aids Project executive director. Teel has worked to shape a more positive and progressive society for over 30 years. In June of 1990, Lorraine became Executive Director of the Minnesota AIDS Project (MAP). Her achievements at MAP include overseeing the growth of the organization and expansion into new programming areas for nearly 20 years. During this period of time, Lorraine has guided the organization as it expanded its work in advocacy, prevention and services.  Her work on AIDS-related advocacy included active participation on many local and national committees, including AIDS Action Council in Washington, DC, where she served on the Board of Directors and as Co-Chair of the Public Policy Committee. She has also served as a member of the Minnesota Commissioner’s Task Force on HIV/STD Prevention and as Co-Chair of the Minnesota HIV Services Planning Council’s Needs Assessment Committee. 

Prior to her work with MAP, Lorraine’s work in human services has been extensive. She was one of the founders and served as Executive Director for Eden Programs (now known as RS Eden), a groundbreaking drug abuse treatment center. She served as one of the first Board members for the national organization, Therapeutic Communities of America. She has been recognized as a leader in the field of drug abuse treatment, most notably for her work with those addicted to illicit drugs as well as those with both chemical dependency and mental health problems. She also has served as a consultant to non-profits in the areas of criminal justice and women’s issues. Throughout her career, Lorraine has worked with communities that fall outside of the American mainstream: communities of color, the gay, lesbian, bisexual, & transgender communities; impoverished persons; felons; and those with substance abuse problems.

Organizations that have benefited from her commitment in addition to those mentioned above, include the Institute on Black Chemical Abuse (now African American Family Services), La Oportunidad, Progress Valley and Pyramid Mental Health Center.

MAPL Welcomes Cohort 11!

Sept 11, 2009-Duluth: MAPL started off the 2009-10 academic year welcoming ten new students to the MAPL community this past weekend. New students pictured include Aaron Klemz, Monica Weber, Natasha Lapcinski, Sherri Johnson, Emily Westerlund, Erika MacCallum, Cristina Diaz, and Patrick Meacham. They join the 106 students and alumni that have make up the MAPL community. Since its inception in 2004, 81 students have graduated with their Masters Degree in Advocacy and Political Leadership!

Retiring AFL-CIO President Designates MAPL Scholarship as Retirement Gift

August 24, 2009- Ray Waldron, current President of the Minnesota AFL-CIO, announced he will be retiring on October 1, 2009. A retirement luncheon will be held on Aug 24th, 2009 in his honor.

Since the inception of the MAPL program in 2004, the Minnesota AFL-CIO and individual unions have generously supported students in the Labor Concentration.
As a result, Labor students have received a total of $77,243.77 in tuition reimbursements from the MN AFL-CIO Education Fund and twenty well-prepared MAPL graduates have taken on staff and leadership roles in Minnesota Labor organizations.

Ray Waldron likes the MAPL program and appreciates the work MAPL graduates are doing in the labor movement. He would like to continue the tradition of support.

President Waldron will recognize MAPL at his retirement luncheon on August 24, 2009 and encourage unions around the state to continue contributing to the MAPL Labor Scholarship or consider contributing if they have not already done so. He’ll also invite unions to take advantage of the MAPL program by encouraging members and staff to enroll.

MAPL Students to Perform at Fringe Festival

July 31 - Aug 8, 2009- Several students and alumni, along with MAPL director Wy Spano and faculty member Marcia Avner are scheduled to perform at the Minnesota Fringe Festival, the Midwest's largest performing arts festival. They will be performing Habitat, a play written by Rachel Johnson and inspired by the stories of those living on the streets of Duluth, MN. More info to follow...

MAPL Meets CCV: Happy Hour Planned!

July 23, 2009 - The University of Minnesota Extension - Center for Community Vitality provides leadership, civic engagement and economic development programs across Minnesota and they are looking to MAPL for help! Community Vitality wants to strengthen its relationship with MAPL, provide internships for students and develop relationships with alumni.

Students and supporters of MAPL are cordially invited to attend the upcoming Happy Hour. Meet and greet the folks from Community Vitality and catch up with old friends and classmates!

MAPL Alum Running for Duluth City Council

June 24, 2009 - Recent MAPL grad, Dan Hartman (cohort 7), announced in April that he would be running for Duluth City Council at Large. The Veterans' Memorial Hall program director is no stranger to campaigning. He was President of the Student Association at UMD during his undergraduate years and has helped other candidates with their campaigns.

Despite his practical experience, Hartman values the knowledge he gleaned from the MAPL program. "As a candidate, I can't explain how helpful MAPL has already proven to be. My Campaign and Elections class with Roger Reinert [former Duluth City Councilor] helped build the foundation to our campaign plan. My class with Bill Moore really helped ground me in the labor movement."

When asked what makes the MAPL program so unique, many MAPLers have often cited the incredible community of support that is created within the program. To date, the MAPL community has been instrumental in Dan's campaign. "MAPL provided a networking environment where I was able to recruit many volunteers who have been instrumental in the campaign to date. In fact, more than half of my team are MAPLers. If I am fortunate enough to be elected it will be in a large part because of MAPL."

Best of luck, Dan, in your campaign!

Congratulations to Cohort7!

May 15, 2009 - MAPL sent its seventh cohort of advocates and leaders off to 'do good and avoid evil' on May 15th. Keynote speakers at the graduation included former St. Paul and Minneapolis Mayors, George Latimer and Don Fraser. Since 2004, eighty-one students have graduated from the MAPL program. We would like to congratulate Cohort 7 graduates: Ryan Jordan, Adam Robinson, Dan Kitzberger, Dan Hartman, Katherine Arndt, Melanie Pogorels, Zebulon Beilke-McCallum, and Christina Baldwin.

Students learn from Mock Legislative Committee Hearing

Students in Professor Jeannie Fox's Nonoprofit and Civic Engagement class got a taste of what it is like to present legislation to a committee this weekend in a Mock Legislative Committee Hearing on Mandatory Seat Belt Laws for Minnesota.

Serving on the committee was MAPL Director Wy Spano as committee chair, MAPL student Adam Robinson as Senator Robinson and St. Louis County Commissioner Steve O'Neil as Senator O'Brien.

Proponents of the Mandatory Seat Belt Legislation were MAPL professors Dr. Imsande and Jeannie Fox. Opponents of the bill that presented their arguments included MAPL students Katie Arndt, Natasha Lapcinski and Amy Demmer.

After additional questioning and deliberation, the Legislative Committee voted against the implementation of a Mandatory Seat Belt Law in Minnesota.

The MAPL Current: Focus on HealthCare

MAPL will be hosting its quarterly MAPL Current on April 16th, 2009 from 5-8pm at the Kelly Inn in St. Paul. The MAPL Current began earlier this year in an effort to offer a periodic look at the issues, realities and politics facing our decision makers. MAPL invites current leaders and experts from across the political spectrum to serve on a panel followed by a short Q and A session.

This session will focus on Health Care in Minnesota. Guests include current MAPL professor and UMD alumnus, Richard Teske, Ken Peterson from the Universal Health Care Coalition and Julie Brunner, Executive Director for MN Council of Health Plans. The event is free and open to the public.

Download a The MAPL Current flyer

Welcome Back!

Daniel Fanning, from Cohort 5, returned to MAPL this weekend as a guest speaker. After giving students a brief overview of the economic and social disparity he witnessed while growing up in Chicago, Mr. Fanning went on to describe his experince while serving in Iraq, his growing frustration with systems that fail and his desire to promote change. He discussed many of the tools and skills he was able to glean from the MAPL program and how he has applied them to some of the roles he has taken on at Men as Peacemakers, CHUM and as a statewide campaign manager.

MAPL Discussion on MN Gift Ban Law

As part of their Ethics in Politics class, MAPL students were given the opportunity to discuss the Gift Ban Law with MN Senator John Marty. Senator Marty, who has earned a reputation for strong ethics reform in Minnesota, drafted this piece of legislation which prevents lobbyists from giving gifts to public officials. Senator Marty encouraged students to explore many of the ethical dilemas legislators face in representing their constituents, honoring personal values, handling budget deficits and fundraising.

The US Rep. Oberstar to Visit UMD March 14th

Rep. Jim Oberstar is scheduled to visit with students in the MAPL program this Saturday, March 14th from noon to 1 pm. The event will be held on the third floor of the Kirby Student Center in Rafters. Rep. Oberstar will use some of his own experiences to help students understand how to have an impact on and change policies. All members of the MAPL community, past, present and future, are encouraged to attend.

The Labor Students Gain Insight from Richard Levins

Dr. Richard Levins, author of the book "Middle Class, Union Made" discussed the current economic crisis in the US and the impact it has on the Labor Market with students in Bill Moore's class, Labor and Political Economy.

Rep. Jim Davnie Speaks to Nonprofit Students

A one time social studies teacher and former teacher's union leader, Rep. Jim Davnie is now in his fourth term as a Minnesota Representative. Davnie visited Jeannie Fox's Nonprofits and Civic Engagement class this past weekend to discuss the current status of nonprofits in Minnesota.

Surprise Visitor for Opening Weekend

MN Secretary of State Mark Ritchie popped in for an impromptu visit the first weekend of MAPL classes. Ritchie briefed students on the Senate election recount between Coleman and Franken.

Former UMD Graduate Becomes Newest MAPL Faculty Member

The MAPL program would like to extend a warm 'welcome home' to UMD alumnus Richard Teske. Teske graduated summa cum laude from UMD and went on to serve as a Deputy assistant secretary during the Reagan Administration. He is currently residing in Virginia but will be traveling to Duluth regularly to teach classes this semester. He is looking forward to the opportunity to give back to the students at UMD.

MAPL Welcomes Cohort 10!

Classes began the weekend of January 23 for students in the Master of Advocacy and Political Leadership and as students gathered in the atrium of the LSBE, there were many new faces. For members of Cohort 10, it was their first weekend of classes. Thirteen new students joined the MAPL community as the tenth cohort, bringing current enrollment totals to forty. UMD would like to welcome the newest members of this program and wish them the best of luck!