LGN is commemorating the Firm's 30th year in business by carrying out 30 acts of community service. We call it LGN's "30/30 Initiative." In addition to monthly firm-wide projects (detailed below), practice groups and individuals are taking on community service projects of their own. The response has been overwhelming, exciting and inspirational. To date, 30 out of 30 projects have either been completed or scheduled.
January 2009
The firm held a coat drive and donated 87 coats and 4 large shopping bags stuffed with warm hats, mittens, gloves and scarves to Hennepin County Medical Center’s Service League.
February 2009
The firm held a suits and prom dresses drive. We brought in gently used suits to donate to From Me To You. The donated attire will go to low-income people working to enter the job market. We collected 24 men's and women's business suits, several blazers and jackets, 13 dress shirts and two funky ties!
We also collected 22 gorgeous evening dresses to donate to Ever After Gowns — group that provides gowns to girls who would otherwise not be able to afford dresses for their high school proms.
March 2009
In 2008, the Seven County Metro Regional Spelling Bee was in danger of being cancelled due to lack of funds when a sponsor withdrew. LGN stepped into the void to finance the Bee and staff it with judges and volunteers.
LGN was the proud sponsor and organizer of the Seven County Metro Regional Spelling Bee again this year. The Bee was held on Saturday, March 14, 2009 at the Minnesota History Center, with 43 students from across the Metro area competing (up from 28 spellers in 2008). Each of the spellers was selected to represent his or her school in the Regional Bee. After 18 rounds of increasingly difficult words, Anja Beth Swoape, 12, representing Valley View Middle School in Edina, spelled "gastralgia," an ache localized in the stomach or abdominal region, correctly to win the Bee. LGN is sending Anja and one of her parents to Washington, D.C. in May for the National Spelling Bee.
March 2009
The firm held a blood drive on March 31st and donated 21 pints of blood to the American Red Cross.
April 2009
LGN’ers participated in the Twin Cities "Get in Gear" race, both as runners and course volunteers. Race proceeds benefit Second Harvest Heartland.
May 2009
On Friday, May 15, a group from LGN donated their time and energy to putting a fresh coat of paint on the hallways and stairwells at Camden Apartments — a 23 unit Project for Pride in Living affordable housing complex in Minneapolis. Founded in 1972, Project for Pride in Living serves the greater Twin Cities metro area by carrying out this mission: to work with lower-income individuals and families to achieve greater self-sufficiency through housing, employment training, and support services.
June 2009
LGNers participated in the service event Hands on Twins Cities by cleaning up a stretch of the Mississippi River shoreline.
July 2009
In July, we did light yardwork/clean up and planted flowers and plants that LGN donated at four Project for Pride in Living housing units in Minneapolis. We worked with residents of the housing who are part of a program called Fathers and Children Together.
August 2009
Team LGN raised more than $20,000 for the Susan G. Komen
Breast Cancer 3 Day
Seven LGN’ers registered and participated in the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer 3 Day August 21-23. Our team walked in honor of: three of our co-workers and the wife of one of LGN’s partners, as well as many individual family members and friends. Many of our walkers signed up with a non-walking sponsor who helped out with the registration fee and fundraising. Each team member also had a "Closer" to help with fundraising. Team LGN is:
Walker — Megan Hoffman (Administrative Assistant)
Sponsor/Closer — Harry Gallaher (Partner)/Henri Minette (Partner)
Walker — Carey Baehman (Paralegal)
Sponsor/Closer — Charlie Nauen (Partner)/Mark Gilmer (Accounting)
Walker — Tinzing Artmann (Paralegal)
Sponsor/Closer — Bob Schmit (Partner)/Yvonne Flaherty (Partner)
Walker — Rebecca Klett (Director State Gov't Relations)
Sponsor/Closer — Heidi Silton (Partner)/Jessica Hanson (Administrative Assistant)
Walker — Elizabeth Emerson (Lobbyist)
Sponsor/Closer — Richard Lockridge (Partner)/Anna Horning Nygren (Associate)
Walker — Karen Riebel (Partner)
Sponsor/Closer — Sherri Juell (Marketing Director)
Walker — Heather Potteiger (Paralegal)
Sponsor/Closer — Susan Ellingstad (Partner)/David Asp (Associate)
September 2009
Led by Partner Ted Grindal and his Government Relations team, LGN volunteers spent a day packing meals for transport to children around the world at
Feed My Starving Children.
November/December 2009
Administrative Assistant Sue McNeill, one of two people who have been with the firm since its inception in 1978, coordinated LGN's "Adopt A Family" for the holidays group event. Genesis II for Families is a Twin Cities non-profit that has been helping metro families in crisis since 1976. It provides counseling, job training, tutoring and other support for families with the aim of "re-creating safe and healthy homes" and it paired LGN with a single mom and her 5 kids ranging in age from 2 -13 for the holidays. We collected cash and wish list gifts and had a big "wrap party."
December 2009
The firm held a December food drive for Second Harvest which included a bake sale and raffle which raised $2,500 in cash. In addition, we collected nearly 100 pounds of food. As a result, Second Harvest will be able to distribute more than $23,000 worth of food to those in need.
Charlie Nauen
Partner Charlie Nauen has been with the firm since 1981. Charlie and his wife, PJ, and their daughter, Hannah, do a great deal of work on behalf of Neighborhood House, an immigrant resettlement agency at the Wellstone Center in St. Paul. Neighborhood House offers English classes, help with studying for the GED, and other skills critical to recent immigrants. PJ teaches English and GED Math (in Spanish) at Neighborhood House and Hannah volunteers in the Discovery Room at the same time - teaching literacy skills to kids while their parents are studying with PJ. All of these students are following Neighborhood House's mission of becoming productive American citizens in their new country.
In addition to classes and support, Neighborhood House operates the largest single site food shelf in Ramsey County - it distributed more than 500,000 lbs of food in 2008. It has a multilingual staff who can communicate with immigrants from East Africa, Latin America and Asia, and offers food familiar to them. Because March was Food Shelf Month, Charlie, PJ and Hannah held a food drive, asking co-workers, neighbors and friends to help with monetary or food item donations. The Nauens closed their month-long food drive with a "Nosh for Neighborhood House" luncheon at their home. Hannah, an accomplished chef, cooked a fabulous meal for approximately 40 guests, all of whom brought donations for the Neighborhood House food shelf. The Nauens raised $2,500 and collected 250 lbs of food. In addition, corporate sponsors will donate one dollar for every pound of food collected by area food shelves this month!
Richard Lockridge
Partner Richard Lockridge is a founding member of Minnesotans for Impartial Courts. Dick serves on the Board of Directors of MIC with co-chairs former Governor Al Quie and former Minnesota State Senator and Majority Leader Roger Moe and others. Since the organization's inception in 2007, Dick has worked with judges, elected officials, members of the Minnesota business community and civic leaders of all backgrounds to ensure the fairness of Minnesota's courts by reforming judicial elections. MIC is leading the charge to change Minnesota's judicial elections to the retention election model, currently used in 20 states, which preserves the public's right to decide while encouraging campaigns that focus on a judge's qualifications and performance in office. MIC was formed in response to the U.S. Supreme Court's 2005 decision in Republican Party v. White, which held that the ethical standards governing Minnesota judicial elections were unconstitutional. Unfortunately, the standards struck down by the Supreme Court were the very standards that kept Minnesota judicial elections bi-partisan and free from the influence of special interest groups.
Tinzing Artmann
Paralegal Tinzing Artmann has been with the firm since June 2005. A native Tibetan, Tinzing immigrated to Minnesota 10 years ago. Tinzing does a great deal of work assisting people in the Twin Cities Tibetan community with translation services. For example, Tinzing recently helped a single mother with very limited English understand and file a workers' compensation claim. She has assisted others in her community with bankruptcy and divorce proceedings and is working with LGN’s pro bono committee and partner William Gengler on a political asylum case on behalf of a native Tibetan.
Megan Hoffman
Administrative Assistant Megan Hoffman has been with LGN for two years. In addition to working full time and going to school part time, Megan is extremely active in the Minnesota Junior Chamber, an organization that strives to help its members develop leadership skills through community service. Megan served as the state secretary for 2008 and is serving as secretary for her local chapter (the Hopkins Area Jaycees) in 2009. Megan has been an active member of the Minnesota Junior Chamber of Commerce for 13 years and estimates that she spends 30-40 hours per month working on community projects and fundraisers involving everything from Easter egg hunts to bowl-a-thons and city festivals. Last year, over the 4th of July weekend, Megan traveled from Bemidji to Austin helping local chapters with community festivals.
Chris Sandberg
Partner Chris Sandberg joined the firm in 1989. Chris joined the Cub Scouts when he was eight years old and has been active in Scouting ever since, achieving the rank of Eagle Scout at 15 and serving as a dedicated Troop, Crew, District, Council, and Area leader and advocate on behalf of the Boy Scouts of America ever since. In 2004, Chris was awarded the Silver Beaver, a national award presented by local Scouting councils; it is the highest honor a local council may bestow upon a volunteer, and reflects a volunteer’s noteworthy service of exceptional character to non-Scouting youth, exceptional service to the BSA, and service or standing within the community.
Hannah Bernhardt and Johnna White
Both members of the Federal Relations group in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office, Hannah Bernhardt (with the firm since 2007) and Johnna White (joined the firm in 2008), spent Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, January 19th, following President Obama’s call to service. Hannah and Johnna participated in an event at RFK Stadium during which thousands of volunteers took shifts creating care packages and writing thank you letters to US soldiers in Iraq.
Becky Emmons
Becky Emmons, LGN’s Director of Human Services, has been with the firm for nine years. Each spring, Becky sponsors the American Cancer Society's Daffodil Days at the firm. The daffodil represents the hope we all share that cancer will one day be eliminated. Donations through Daffodil Days provide valuable programs and services to cancer patients in our community, and help fund research, advocacy efforts, and education cancer prevention and early detection. This year Becky’s efforts raised $692 from LGN donations.
Elizabeth Odette
Associate Elizabeth Odette, who has been with the firm since October 2004, is the current President of the Minneapolis Downtown Kiwanis Club, a part of Kiwanis International. Kiwanis International is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world, one child and one community at a time.
Elizabeth’s chapter tries to hold a community service event each month. For example, in January, it held a Valentines for Veterans event, making over 200 Valentines for Veterans currently residing in the Minneapolis Veterans' Home. This spring, Elizabeth and her group will serve dinner to approximately 40 youth in an after-school program at Jabbok Family Services in the Whittier Neighborhood of Minneapolis (this includes purchasing the food and making it themselves!) and on Saturday, April 4, 2009 Elizabeth and her chapter will participate with other Kiwanis clubs (high schools, colleges, adults and retirees) in "Kids Against Hunger", bagging food for starving children all over the world at the Fridley Middle School.
Allyson Hartle
Allyson Hartle, a lobbyist in LGN's Government Relations group, has been with the firm since 1996. Allyson is serving in her second year as Chair of the Print and Drawing Curatorial Council at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. The Print and Drawing Curatorial Council was formed in 1982 to support the Department of Prints and Drawings in its efforts to offer educational programs and to further enrich the MIA's permanent collection. Council activities are designed to allow interested persons to learn more about original prints and drawings. The council also encourages private collecting with workshops, study-room seminars, and special opportunities to purchase prints and drawings from visiting dealers.
Allyson has been active on the Curatorial Council board for over 10 years. She is involved in the Council's Annual Print and Drawing Fair, which takes place the third week of April. Proceeds benefit the Department of Prints and Drawings.
Bill Gengler
A team from LGN joined Matt Cavanaugh and Team WWP for the Afton Trail Runs (25K & 50K) on July 4 to raise funds for the Wounded Warrior Project. Matt is a former St. Paul/ Woodbury resident, former St. Thomas Law School student, and current U.S. Army Captain who has served two tours in Iraq. He is running a series of races and events and soliciting pledges to contribute to the Wounded Warrior Project, which provides programs and services to severely injured members of the armed services. Pledges and donations to the Wounded Warrior Project can be made through Matt Cavanaugh's website.
Partner Bill Gengler, a veteran distance runner who has completed many marathons and ultra-marathons and joined the firm in 1987, organized a team of LGN’ers to participate in the Afton Trail Runs by running or volunteering along the course and fundraising for the Wounded Warrior Project. In order to help his colleagues prepare for the July 4 race, Bill held a series of trail running instruction and training runs at Afton State.
Kathy Kelly
In honor of National Library Week, April 12 - 18, Librarian Kathy Kelly, who has been with LGN since 1997, held a children’s book drive. Kathy collected new and gently used books for St. Joseph’s Home for Children. St. Joe's specializes in assessment, crisis intervention and residential programming, especially for children with severe emotional and behavioral problems. St. Joe's serves children and their families from the Twin Cities area and beyond and provides central intake services for all Hennepin County children removed from their homes due to abuse or instability.
Gregg Fishbein
Partner Gregg Fishbein, who has been with the firm since July 1994, is on the Board of Directors of the Minnesota Urban Debate League, a part of the National Association for Urban Debate Leagues.
Urban Debate Leagues currently exist in 18 of the nation's largest cities, serving 311 urban high schools and 51 urban middle schools. More than 37,000 students have competed in the Urban Debate Leagues. In Minneapolis, Urban Debate League has programs at Minneapolis North, South, Washburn and Patrick Henry High Schools, among others. In St. Paul, there are programs at Como, Central and Highland Park High Schools. There are also 7 junior high Urban Debate League programs in Minneapolis and St. Paul.
The Twin Cities Fox affiliate recently did a story on the program at North High School in Minneapolis.
An administrative assistant, who has been with LGN since 2003, has participated in the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Great Strides national fundraising event for the past several years and did so again in May 2009. She started participating in the Great Strides walk-a-thon to support the CF Foundation’s efforts to find a cure for CF after a close friend’s child was diagnosed with the disease. Cystic Fibrosis is a devastating genetic disease that affects children and young adults.
Dennis McGrann and Emily Gehrman
On June 17, 2009, LGN's Washington DC office, lead by Director of Federal Relations Dennis McGrann, who has been with the firm since 1994, and Federal Relations Specialist Emily Gehrman, who joined LGN in January, 2007 participated in and co-sponsored an event in Washington DC for Serving Our Troops, a Minnesota organization aimed at supporting members of the armed forces from Minnesota. The DC event included meetings with Serving Our Troops sponsors and Members of the Minnesota Congressional Delegation, as well as a reception attended by Members of Congress, staff and a host of Minnesotans, including the entire LGN Federal Relations team. The day was a great way to honor our troops as well as introduce the program to the Congressional delegation. Ted Grindal and Alyson Hartle from LGN's Minneapolis office helped coordinate the delivery of Minnesota's own Schell's beer for the event.
Brian Clark
LGN Associate Brian Clark graduated from the University of Minnesota School of Law in the spring of 2009 and joined LGN this fall. Brian recently participated - for the second year - in the Pancreatic Cancer Network's [www.purpleride.org] Purple Pride fundraiser. Brian collected pledges and rode his bike 25 miles on Saturday, September 13th to raise money for pancreatic cancer research - the event raised over $200,000. Brian rode with a team in honor of a friend's father who died from pancreatic cancer two years ago.
Caia Johnson
For the second year in a row, project attorney Caia Johnson participated in the Salvation Army's Leaders Launching Learners back-to-school shopping program. On August 22, Caia was paired with two elementary school students, helped them pick out school clothes and helped them learn to study prices and budget the $100 each student was allocated from the Salvation Army.
Lee Ann Anderson
Lee Ann Anderson recently joined LGN's accounting department and participated in the America's Walk for Diabetes in September of this year. The Walk raises funds for the American Diabetes Association, and Lee Ann was one of a handful of walkers who each raised more than $1,000 for the cause. Lee Ann, who has diabetes herself, has done the walk several years in a row in honor of her mother, who died from the disease.
Matt Krohn
Project Attorney Matt Krohn, with the firm since 2006, and his family (5 kids!) have a holiday tradition of hosting a holiday party at Lewis House, a battered women's shelter in Dakota County. They prepare a meal, sing carols and bring toys and gifts for women and children seeking shelter during the holiday season — many of whom have fled their homes with literally nothing. Matt even dresses up as Santa. Matt and his family have made this a part of their holiday tradition for the past 12 years, and LGN was happy to have the opportunity to help Matt and his family with donations of gifts and cash to help defray the costs of the party. Lewis House is operated by the Community Action Council, serving Scott and Dakota Counties.
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