Minneapolis, MN

MPD adds 23 new officers, including first Somali woman and non-citizen

Published

3 months ago

September 27, 2024

MPD adds 23 new officers, including first Somali woman and non-citizen

Somali-American woman sworn in as MPD officer

City leaders say the years-long effort to rebuild the Minneapolis Police Department, while not over, is starting to be seen and felt—nearly two dozen more officers, including new firsts, are on the force following a graduation ceremony.

“Just as they’re about to take their oaths today, before all of you and before God, I know that I have a sacred obligation to do that all I can for them,” MPD Chief Brian O’Hara said at the ceremony. “I pledge to you tonight that I will do everything within my power to take care of them.”

Now part of the rank-and-file are 11 recruits and 12 lateral officers who are joining from other agencies, some with more than a decade of experience. Of the recruits is the first-ever Somali woman, Ikran Mohamed, and permanent resident, Lesly Vera, for the department.

A permanent resident who is a non-citizen can be part of the department now due to a recent law change, Chief O’Hara said. Officer Vera said she moved to Minneapolis from Mexico when she was 4 and has called it home since.

“I didn’t see anybody that really looked like me, Latina,” Vera said about her drive to become a police officer. “I want to have that face for my people.”

The chief is standing firm behind his new officer.

“There may be people who question it, but that’s completely ridiculous. There’s, like I mentioned, there is a history in this country of people immediately on arrival to the country, enlisting in the military and serving,” O’Hara said, adding, “Somebody like [Officer Vera], who has been here essentially her entire life, absolutely is entitled to protect her community in the same way that anyone else here has, and we’re honored to have her.”

Her colleague, Officer Mohamed, with a similar message about her next big chapter in life.

“This is what I wanted to do, and it was very challenging. That’s why I’m here. And I want to be that somebody, [to] be a role model for girls who look like me. So they can say, I can do it too,” Mohamed said.

Mayor Jacob Frey feels the work they’ve been putting in to build up the department – not just in numbers, but culture – is starting to be seen and felt.

“It’s moving. It’s emotional. I mean, I talked about the hope in the room, from a personal standpoint as mayor of the city, it gives me a lot of hope. Our police department is looking more and more like the communities that we are charged with protecting and serving,” Frey said.

Also part of the graduation was four new Minneapolis Park Police Officers.

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Minneapolis, MN

Business People: Jan Malcolm, Brian Thun added to Blue Cross board

Published

4 minutes ago

December 22, 2024

Press Room

OF NOTE

Jan Malcolm

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, Eagan, announced that Jan Malcolm and Brian Thun have joined its board of trustees. Malcolm served as commissioner for the Minnesota Department of Health for three governors over the span of more than 20 years; her initial term on the Blue Cross board ran from 2010 to 2014. Thun serves as senior vice president and chief operating officer for Duluth-based women’s apparel retailer Maurices.

ADVERTISING/PUBLIC RELATIONS

Midnight Oil and the Imagine Group announced they received Clio Entertainment Awards and the Graphic Design USA Awards. Midnight Oil’s Clio awarded campaigns include: Silver – Netflix’s Leo Dueling Tongue Billboard, Silver – Disney’s Inside Out 2 Billboard, Bronze – Warner Bros’ Godzilla x Kong Billboard; Imagine’s winning projects: Belk Back-to-School Campaign, General Mills National Cereal Day Advent Calendar, Dick’s Sporting Goods Retail Displays, General Mills K-Pop Influencer Box, Soskin’s Hot Sos The Buffalo SturdyStand Display. Midnight Oil is a Los Angeles-based subsidiary of Minneapolis-based Imagine Group.

ARCHITECTURE/ENGINEERING

Nelson-Rudie & Associates, a New Hope-based engineering consultant, announced it has named Matt Elhadad as president and board chair. Elhadad previously led Nelson-Rudie’s finance, human resources and ESOP domains.

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Ameriprise Financial, Minneapolis, announced that Jason Holt, an Ameriprise financial adviser with a practice in Wayzata, has received the 2025 Five Star Wealth Manager award by Five Star Professional, a third-party research firm. … U.S. Bank, Minneapolis, announced Kristy Carstensen as leader of its Global Treasury Management business. Carstensen also will oversee the bank’s prepaid card organization. … Winter & Associates, a St. Paul-based financial services firm, has welcomed fifth-generation family member Shelby Tietel to the firm as associate wealth adviser. Tietel is the daughter of financial adviser, President and Chief Compliance Officer Nicole Winter Tietel.

HEALTH CARE

Cassia, an Edina-based operator of nursing facilities, announced that President and CEO Bob Dahl plans to retire in January 2026. Dahl recently completed 30 years in leadership combined, first at Elim Care, then at Cassia, following the merger with Augustana Care in 2020.

HONORS

The City of Champlin announced that the Elm Creek Restoration and Dam Rehabilitation project, led by the city, was honored with the Environmental Project of the Year award at the 2024 American Public Works Association Conference.

LAW

Nationwide employment law firm Jackson Lewis announced that Gina K. Janeiro has been inducted as a 2024 Fellow to The College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. Janeiro is managing principal and litigation manager of the firm’s Minneapolis office and is certified as a Labor and Employment Law specialist by the Minnesota State Bar Association.

MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY

UroMems, a development-stage company working on the first smart automated implant to treat stress urinary incontinence, announced the appointment of Rinda Sama to its board of directors. Sama previously was chief operating officer of Axonics prior to its acquisition by Boston Scientific. UroMems is based in France with U.S. headquarters in Minneapolis.

ORGANIZATIONS

The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, St. Paul, announced its updated board leadership and officers for the 2024-25 calendar year: Bill Keegan, Dem-Con Cos., Board Chair; Jill Bollettieri. Post Consumer Brands, Past Chair; Brooke Lee, Anchor Paper Co., Chair-elect; Angela Heikes, SMSC Gaming Enterprise, continues as treasurer and secretary; board members are: Ashton Boon, Mayo Clinic; Jabari Bush, Jasper Engineering; Brett Edelson, Unitedhealthcare; Valerie Finarty, Medtronic; Ryan Jackson, Schwan’s; Eric Levenhagen, Sun Country Airlines; Julie Pierce, ALLETE, and Shane Zutz, DigiKey.

SERVICES

APi Group Corp., a New Brighton-based parent company whose partners provide safety and equipment services to the construction and energy industries, announced that Chief Financial Officer Kevin Krumm has stepped down from his role to accept another opportunity. David Jackola, current chief financial officer and vice president of transformation at APi International, will assume the interim CFO role.

EMAIL ITEMS to businessnews@pioneerpress.com.

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Minneapolis, MN

Art therapy helping with holiday stress

Published

8 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Press Room

While the holidays can be stressful, there are beautiful ways to help ease that stress and bring families together. An art studio in south Minneapolis focuses on art therapy and brings people together for collaborative art projects that cater to a variety of people. Heart Space owner Maddie Johnson shared her creative ideas with Leah Beno on FOX 9. More information can be found here: https://www.heartspacetherapy.org/

Posted December 22, 2024 10:32am CST

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