LSS Honors Employees with Anti-Racism Leadership Award

Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota (LSS) honored several employees with the Anti-Racism Leadership Award in 2021. The award recognizes the contributions of each recipient that further LSS’ efforts to create a more inclusive, equitable organization and society. Each recipient was nominated for the award by their colleagues and selected by a subcommittee of LSS’ Anti-Racism Task Force. The subcommittee noted that all nominees were worthy of recognition as leaders working to create equitable workplaces and communities for all people.

“At LSS, we’ve inherited more than a mission; we’ve inherited a responsibility,” said LSS CEO Patrick Thueson. “There are long-existing injustices in Minnesota, in the communities we serve and in the communities we do not yet adequately serve. Our organizations must change and evolve to eliminate these injustices.”

LSS Anti-Racism Leadership Award Recipients are:

Kenneth Holloman

Project Manager and Business Analyst, Information Technology

LSS honored Holloman for his leadership in establishing the Pan-African Employee Resource Group. He shared that he is grateful to be part of an organization that fosters participation in anti-racism initiatives and seeks to identify ways to provide a fair and equitable environment for all its employees.
 

Lisa Martin

Director, Personal Support Services

LSS honored Martin for treating all people with respect, seeing every individual as a human being and courageously standing up to offensive comments around race.

Jodi Raidt

Statewide Program Manager, Behavioral Health

LSS honored Raidt for being a steadfast voice for the importance of integrating cultural sensitivity broadly — and anti-racism specifically — into Therapeutic Foster Care, its workplace culture and the way it provides services.

Mike Bohlken

Senior Director, Information Technology

Danelle Rymsza

Learning and Development Manager, Human Resources

Paul Slack

Manager, Social Justice Advocacy

LSS honored Bohlken, Rymsza and Slack for creating greater awareness of effective and respectful alternatives to common terms with racial undertones

Jaime Stampley

Senior Director, Housing Services

LSS honored Stampley for her leadership in taking direct action immediately following the murder of George Floyd by organizing supplies drives for residents in south Minneapolis, and her work eliminating racial barriers in housing.