Minnesota Humanities Center Names Kevin Lindsey New CEO

May 31, 2019-ST. PAUL, Minn.-After an extensive search, Kevin Lindsey, J.D., joins the Minnesota Humanities Center (MHC) as Chief Executive Officer beginning June 3, 2019. Kevin is a widely respected advocate and lawyer with a wealth of experience in public policy and education reform. A proven changemaker, Kevin's career has focused on finding solutions to complex issues and strengthening institutions.

"Kevin is highly-regarded in communities statewide and his exceptional combination of skills and experiences will help position MHC for even greater impact as an innovator and humanities leader," said Bryan Ljung, MHC Board Chair.

Kevin has a passion for inclusion for all, building a stronger democracy, and leveraging the power of personal stories. His innovative spirit, business acumen, and experience championing equity will help expand and grow MHC's statewide impact.

As Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Rights from 2011 to 2019, Kevin led the department to prominence as a positive change agent across Minnesota and nationally, transforming how people think about diversity and inclusion. Incorporating culture and history, he facilitated community conversations to address human rights issues, discrimination, and inequity.

Kevin is excited to continue this work at MHC and serve the needs of Minnesotans through the humanities. "To build a more equitable society, we need to establish trust between communities and create space for meaningful conversations and empathy. The Minnesota Humanities Center is bringing people together through stories and dialogue in a way I've long admired," he said.

With a deep commitment to public service, Kevin has held numerous governmental and nonprofit board roles, including Board Chair and Interim Executive Director of Walker West Music Academy. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Growth and Justice, an organization seeking to create inclusive employment and business practices for all in Minnesota.

Kevin received his J.D. and B.S. in Political Science from the University of Iowa, where as a student he served as editor-in-chief of the Iowa Law Review. He was honored by his alma mater with the 2017 Iowa Law Review Distinguished Alumni Award. Kevin was also an AARP Minnesota and Pollen 2018 "50 Over 50" honoree and received the 2017 Minnesota Lawyer Diversity and Inclusion Award.

About the Minnesota Humanities Center:

The Humanities Center offers a new way to think about our future-grounded in the humanities. We help people listen, connect, and understand each other better-because we know isolation and division are dangerous. As our state changes and grows even more diverse, communities are too often choosing not to listen to each other. As a result, we experience gaps and breakdowns. The Humanities Center's approach affirms we're all in this together-using philosophy, literature, civics, history, language, and more-we focus on what unites us not divides us-bringing the humanities out of scholarly institutions and into the lives of everyday Minnesotans.

The mission of the Minnesota Humanities Center is to build a thoughtful, literate, and engaged society. More information about MHC is available at mnhum.org or join us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.