Amy Puschinsky
Blog Summary
Blog Summary

Community Update

Greetings and thank you for your support of MIWRC through our current transition.

We are moving forward and wanted to share updates following your input at our community and staff Listening Sessions.

We are adding Board members - The Board received 9 applications for joining the Board and had an open meet and greet with them on Friday, December 1 to get to know them and answer any questions. Those interested will be sharing their resumes and experience with the Board and the Board will follow up, hoping to add a few Board members by the end of this month, and then the Board, including the new members, will work with the CEO when they are hired to add more board members. If you're interested in applying to serve on the MIWRC Board please use this link to fill out an application or call/email Roger at 651-338-5318 or send an email to roger@mightyconsulting.org

We started our MIWRC CEO Search Committee grounded in community input - We are honored that the following community members have agreed to serve on our MIWRC CEO Search Committee

  • Sharon Day

  • Charlene Day Castro

  • Linda Eagle Speaker

  • Lisa Skjefte

  • Marique Moss

  • Joy Parker

  • Darin Engelby

  • Beverly Bushyhead

    The Search Committee had their kickoff meeting on Monday, December 4 and reviewed and gave input to a Job Posting that included input from our community and staff Listening Sessions. This position posting will reflect the qualities and skills the community shared were so important for this leader.

    The posting will be sent out to the community by Monday, December 11th - we hope you'll spread the word and recommend great candidates!

    The Search process will include interviews with the CEO Search Committee, a community meet and greet with finalists, a staff meeting with finalists and an interview with the Board of Directors (including the new members). We will work to have a new CEO identified in March if all goes according to plan.

    Thank you for your continued interest and support!
    Please feel free to reach out to roger@mightyconsulting.org with any questions about the Board or Search, or

    information@miwrc.org with any general questions or comments.

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Agency Update

11/16/2023

Greetings!

Thanks to all of those that came to our community meetings. We are reaching out to share our intentions and operate with openness and transparency.

The Board received interest from many people who wanted to support MIWRC through serving on the Board and assisting with the search process for the next permanent CEO. We are moving forward to bring more people into MIWRC’s governance and CEO search process.

BOARD SERVICE:

The Board would like to add 4-5 new Directors right away to add expertise and Community connection to the Board, and then grow the Board further with the assistance and input of the next CEO.

If you are interested in serving on the Board, please fill out and submit this Google Form by November 26th. If you don’t want to use the Google Form, email Roger Meyer at roger@mightyconsulting.org to get a form you can fill out and return.

Everyone who submits an application is invited to a gathering with the Board at MIWRC on Friday, December 1 from 12-1 p.m. (in person, if possible, Zoom available) to meet each other, learn more about the scope of MIWRC Board service, answer questions, and confirm interest in serving.

Following this meeting, the Board will conduct individual interviews and elect additional Directors to serve on the MIWRC Board. The Board will promptly contact all applicants, either thanking them for their interest or to schedule an interview, with the goal of seating the new Board members by Friday, December 22nd.

CEO SEARCH:

The Board is currently reaching out individually to Community members to serve on a Search Committee. The Committee will be 7-9 people made up of Board members, current MIWRC staff, and Community members who will guide the search process.

  1. The Search Committee will help develop and approve our job posting using the Community feedback we received.

  2. The Search Committee will screen candidates, do the initial interviews, and recommend finalists.

  3. All finalists will then meet with MIWRC staff and Community.

  4. The MIWRC Board will conduct second interviews.

  5. The Search Committee and MIWRC Board will select the next MIWRC CEO. The MIWRC Board will select the next MIWRC CEO following the second interview with close communication and input from the Search Committee.

We will send out the CEO job posting as soon as we have it and notify the Community about the date and time of the Community meetings to meet the candidates.

If you are interested being the next MIWRC CEO or have ideas of who should serve as MIWRC’s next CEO, please email or call Roger Meyer at 651-338-5318 or roger@mightyconsulting.org.

Thank you for your patience and support as we navigate this transition.

Critical Message from MIWRC Board of Directors

  • Serious internal personnel issues arose several months ago which impaired the ability of the Board to receive accurate financial information. Upon resolution of these personnel issues and outsourcing of MIWRC’s accounting and financial functions to experienced professionals with Clifton Larson Allen, CLA, the scope of accounting financial issues became apparent.

  • The Interim E.D. and Board have been working diligently with staff and CLA, an outside accounting firm, to understand the situation and create a path forward for the viability and continued existence of MIWRC, to fulfill its critical mission in the community.

  • The shortfalls are primarily a result of management not having an accurate picture of revenues vs. expenses during the period of personnel issues, and as a result, not adequately managing reimbursements from existing grants, and not pursuing additional operating funds.

  • To maintain our immediate viability, MIWRC must unfortunately reduce expenses and staffing to only critical and ongoing funded programs.

  • We will be working with other community organizations to identify areas where we can partner to minimize the impact on staff and programming, but this will be a very challenging time for our staff and our programs

  • We will be using our upcoming community listening sessions to share more information with the community and gather support and ideas for our next steps.

  • We need and want the community to come together around MIWRC's mission to ensure that MIWRC can continue to stabilize and move forward with our important work.

  • We welcome your ideas and support of MIWRC at this critical juncture - please email information@miwrc.org

Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center Board of Directors:

Susan Allen, Chair

Joy Parker, Treasurer

Charles Ferrell, Secretary

Summer Blaze Aubrey

Darin Engelby

Miko Hernandez

Boarding School Community Healing Event Friday, September 30 4:00 pm CST ORANGE SHIRT DAY Feast, Memorial Songs, Panel Discussion MIWRC Community Room 2300 15th Ave South Minneapolis 612-728-2000 The Orange Shirt Society was formed in W

Boarding School Community Healing Event
Friday, September 30 4:00 pm CST

ORANGE SHIRT DAY

Feast, Memorial Songs, Panel Discussion
MIWRC Community Room
2300 15th Ave South Minneapolis 612-728-2000
The Orange Shirt Society was formed in Williams Lake by the founders of Orange Shirt Day to encourage and support communities to recognize Orange Shirt Day and to support reconciliation events and activities. Our goal is to create awareness of the individual, family and community inter-generational impacts of Indian Residential Schools through Orange Shirt Day activities, and to promote the concept of "Every Child Matters".

Back to School Cookout & Free School Supplies Giveaway

Back to School Cookout & Free School Supplies Giveaway

Back to School Cookout and Free School Supplies Giveaway

Thursday, September 1st 4:00 pm- 8:00 pm In the parking lot at MIWRC

Get Back to School Ready with MIWRC! Free backpacks and school supplies for K-12 and post-secondary students! Youth haircuts, family portraits, raffle, food, ice cream and face painting!

Contact: Jada Brown, jbrown@miwrc.org 612-806-1467 or Jasmine Funmaker, jfunmaker@miwrc.org 612-276-1505.

Inaugural Red Dress Fundraising Gala

We are honored to invite you to our Inaugural Red Dress Fundraising Gala September 9, 2022!

The mission of the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center is to empower Native women and families to exercise their cultural values and integrity, and to achieve sustainable lifeways, while advocating for justice and equity.

90% percent of our funding comes through grants to offer programming in our community, but grants that cover the day-to-day operations of our organization are few and far between. Expenses continue to increase, including, but not limited to: staff health insurance in order to better support our staff out on the frontlines, upgrading our aging technology to ensure connection and access to our clients, and maintaining our vehicles to transport our relatives/clients. Grant funding sources limit the ability of non-profits to be competitive in the hiring market by not allowing for competitive benefits and salaries.

We need your continued generous financial support to continue to offer the high level of programming that our community has come to expect from MIWRC!

Find out more about the event and ticket details at: https://miwrc.salsalabs.org/inauguralreddressgalafundraisingevent2022

[Image Description to support the inclusion of blind, low vision, and low-tech users : Black framed invitation, wording: "Join us for the Inaugural Red Dress Gala. Benefiting Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center. September 9, 2022. Silent auction at 5:30 pm, Dinner and Program at 6:30 pm. Intercontinental Saint Paul- Riverfront 11 East Kellogg Blvd. Semi-formal or Traditional clothing recommended" 4 stripes in a ribbon skirt style pattern with ribbon tails on each side and the Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center logo with the title around a 5 color petaled Ojibwe floral]

Empowering American Indian Women & Families While Advocating for Justice & Equity.

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