Racial Justice Values Statement

Diversity, inclusion, and equity are core values for Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid, and it is critical that we incorporate these values into all aspects of our work. We recognize the particular and highly detrimental impact of racism — and Minnesota’s racial disparities — on MMLA’s clients and staff. We will therefore devote special attention to issues of racial justice. We commit to:

Ensuring our work is rooted in communities which we serve.

Strengthening our organizational capacity through increased racial diversity, inclusion, and equity.

Developing and applying a racial equity lens to our work with clients.

Advancing the cause of racial justice in our client representation and policy advocacy work.

MMLA Board

Our all-volunteer Board is diverse group of actively engaged leaders from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.

Board Officers

  • Karen M. Charlson

    President — Littler Mendelson P.C.
  • Jaime Stilson

    1st Vice President — Dorsey & Whitney LLP
  • Bree Dalager

    2nd Vice President — Regions Hospital
  • Edric R. Knight

    Treasurer — KnightofDay Enterprises
  • Bradley W. Hanson

    Secretary — Quinlivan & Hughes, P.A.
  • Rachhana T. Srey

    Past President — Nichols Kaster, PLLP

Board of Directors

  • Michael F. Cockson

    Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP
  • Kiwanja Dotson

  • Logan J. Drew

    Robins Kaplan LLP
  • Edward Fleming

    Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP
  • Erick Garcia Luna

    Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
  • Lousene M. Hoppe

    Fredrikson & Byron, P.A.
  • Elizabeth Jensen

  • Chris D. Jozwiak

    Baillon Thome Jozwiak & Wanta LLP
  • Andrea Larson

    Ovative Group
  • Abdi Mahad

    Filsan Talent Partners
  • Mary Frances Price

    Moss & Barnett, A Professional Association
  • Surya Saxena

    Greene Espel PLLP
  • Janice Sims

  • Robin Swingley

    Lathrop GPM

The Fund Board

The Fund’s all-volunteer Board is comprised of attorneys who are active leaders in their legal and general communities.

Board Officers

  • Anne M. Lockner

    Chair — Robins Kaplan LLP
  • Sara G. McGrane

    Vice Chair and Leaders in Giving Chair — Felhaber Larson
  • Julian C. Zebot

    Treasurer — Maslon LLP
  • Melinda T. Hugdahl

    Fund Director and Secretary — Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid
  • Laura A. Farley

    Associates' Lead Co-Chair — Nichols Kaster, PLLP
  • Caroline L. Marsili

    Associates' Lead Co-Chair — Carlson Caspers Vandenburgh & Lindquist, P.A.

Board of Directors

  • Joseph W. Anthony

    Anthony Ostlund Baer & Louwagie P.A.
  • Andrew M. Carlson

    Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP
  • Karen M. Charlson

    Littler Mendelson P.C.
  • James L. Chosy

    U.S. Bank
  • Amy S. Conners

    Best & Flanagan LLP
  • Jodie Hagstrom Crist

    Best Buy Company Inc.
  • Bree Dalager

    Regions Hospital
  • Brian A. Dillon

    Lathrop GPM
  • Joseph T. Dixon III

    Fredrikson & Byron, P.A.
  • Jeff H. Eckland

    Eckland & Blando
  • Samantha J. Ellingson

    Thom Ellingson, PLLP
  • Douglas L. Elsass

    Nilan Johnson Lewis PA
  • Brian S. Felton

    Medtronic, Inc.
  • Susan E. Flint

    Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders LLP
  • John W. Geelan

    Piper Sandler Companies
  • Karla M. Gluek

    Gustafson Gluek PLLC
  • Brian T. Grogan

    Moss & Barnett, A Professional Association
  • Richard M. Hagstrom

    Hellmuth & Johnson PLLC
  • Bradley W. Hanson

    Quinlivan & Hughes, P.A.
  • June P. Hoidal

    Zimmerman Reed LLP
  • Edric R. Knight

    Knightofday Enterprises
  • Mary L. Knoblauch

    Maslon LLP
  • Julie R. Landy

    Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP
  • Samuel T. Lockner

    Carlson Caspers Vandenburgh & Lindquist, P.A.
  • Timothy C. Matson

    Fox Rothschild LLP
  • Keith S. Moheban

    Stinson LLP
  • Oladotun O. Obadina

    Jones Day
  • John B. Orenstein

    Greene Espel PLLP
  • Patrick J. Rooney

    Fafinski Mark & Johnson, P.A.
  • Elizabeth H. Schmiesing

    Winthrop & Weinstine, P.A.
  • Alexandria Reyes Schroeder

    Wells Fargo & Company
  • Steven A. Schumeister

    Robins Kaplan LLP
  • Sonya C. Seidl

    Target Corporation
  • Peter J. Shakow

    UnitedHealth Group
  • Danielle Shelton Walczak

    Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid
  • Matthew M. Shors

    UnitedHealth Group
  • Lori Sommerfield

    Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders LLP
  • Jaime Stilson

    Dorsey & Whitney LLP
  • Susan E. Tegt

    Larkin Hoffman Daly & Lindgren Ltd.
  • Peter H. Walsh

    Hogan Lovells US LLP
  • Steven J. Wells

    Dorsey & Whitney LLP
  • Warren D. Woessner

    Schwegman Lundberg Woessner
  • Rachel Zimmerman Scobie

    Merchant & Gould P.C.

Emeritus Board

  • Laura J. Cooper

  • John B. Gordon

  • James T. Hale

  • Robert J. Hennessey

  • Jeremy Lane

  • Dale I. Larson

  • Nancy G. Malmon

  • Seymour Mansfield

  • Richard G. Mark

  • Allen I. Saeks

  • Roger V. Stageberg

  • Thomas W. Tinkham

MMLA Team

Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid’s staff is dedicated to protecting rights and improving lives.

Executive Director

Danielle Shelton Walczak

Executive Director


Minneapolis Office

Staff Directory

Micaela Schuneman

Deputy Director - Minneapolis


St. Cloud & Willmar Offices

Staff Directory

Ann Cofell

Deputy Director


MN Disability Law Center

Staff Directory

Jennifer Purrington

Deputy Director


Fundraising, Grants, & Communications

Staff Directory

Melinda Hugdahl

Development Director


Litigation

Luke Grundman & Justin Perl

Litigation Directors