FOUNDATION NAMES THIRD COHORT OF 2012 BUSH FELLOWS

(Saint Paul, MN – October 23, 2012) – The Foundation has selected 10 new Bush Fellows for 2012, joining 19 others named earlier this year. These newest Fellows will engage their communities to create change on a diverse range of issues related to the vitality of their communities. The Fellows are:

Sunny Sinh Chanthanouvong (Elk River, MN)

Shirley Chouinard (Cambridge, MN)

Carl Cowell (Morton, MN)

April Fairfield (Bismarck, ND)

Gayle Kocer (Martin, SD)

Victoria Krook (Brooklyn Center, MN)

Kenya McKnight (Minneapolis, MN)

Read Sulik, M.D. (Fargo, ND)

Noreen Thomas (Moorhead, MN)

Kristi Townshend (Apple Valley, MN)

The efforts of these 10 newest Fellows will focus on deaf education for infants and toddlers, civic engagement of both Native American youth and the Laotian American community, family violence prevention, rural revitalization through both leadership development and economic development, better access for North Minneapolis residents to transit and regional systems, more equitable government fiscal policies in North Dakota, Latino families’ advocacy for their children with learning disabilities, and better health care delivery to Native Americans. Learn more about the 2012 Fellows and their projects at BushFoundation.org/2012Fellows.

“For most of our nearly 60-year history, the Bush Foundation has supported individuals in developing their leadership abilities so they can be more effective in engaging with others and advocating for community change,” said Martha Lee, manager of the Bush Fellowship Program. “Undertaking these activities involves facing and managing the substantial risks and conflicts that arise when Fellows work on such complex problems and include people with diverse opinions in the change process. We admire the willingness of all Bush Fellows to learn about themselves and engage in their communities in such deep ways.”

The Foundation began offering fellowships in 1965. Since then, more than 2,200 individuals have been named Bush Fellows. The Foundation’s focus on building the capacity of individuals to solve problems in their communities sprang from founder Archibald Bush’s belief that providing opportunities for people with energy and ideas would have great impact on the community.

In 2012, the Foundation began offering several application periods throughout the year. This third cohort joins two groups announced in June and August. The application period for a fourth cohort, open exclusively to elected and public officials, runs through November 20, 2012. The Foundation’s partner, GTS Educational Events, is managing the selection process for this fourth cohort, which will be announced in February 2013; interested applicants can learn more at mngts.org/BushFellows.

About the Bush Foundation

Our mission is to be a catalyst for the courageous leadership necessary to create sustainable solutions to tough public problems and ensure community vitality. The Foundation was established in 1953 by 3M executive Archibald Bush and his wife, Edyth, and today works in communities across Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and the 23 Native nations that share the same geographic area. Learn more at BushFoundation.org.