Citizens League welcomes new board members in 2023

With great enthusiasm, the Citizens League Board of Directors has unanimously approved three new members to join the Board of Directors in 2023! We are excited to welcome this group to our all-volunteer board.

Board members have an opportunity to connect and learn with others from a variety of personal and professional backgrounds, with perspectives across the political spectrum, and diverse in terms of age, race/ethnicity, and gender. The Citizens League staff works closely with our board members and we value their community insights, experiences, expertise, fundraising support, and strategic thinking. The Citizens League board is a great opportunity to support civic engagement, bridge differences, and engage in public policy in a multi-partisan setting.

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We welcome our newest members of the board, Huda Ahmed, Keri O’Brien, and Grace Waltz! Click on their photos below to learn more.

Transformative Solutions

Huda Ahmed
Securian Financial

Keri O’Brien
Office of Mpls Mayor Jacob Frey

Grace Waltz

Transformative Solutions

Huda Ahmed

Huda Ahmed is a mother and public health practitioner. She’s spent the last 18 years working in local public health government, academia, and in the private sector, with communities always at the center, to transform ecosystems and put in place processes that support the ability of individuals and communities to grow in their safety, health, and wellness. Her specialty is building and facilitating the process of community-institution power sharing to co-create and put in place sustainable, equitable, community-led solutions. She’s applied this specialty to issues ranging from the census to urban planning, cancer research and screenings to climate change, to impact the lives of thousands of Minnesotans and those beyond.

Huda is the founder and principal at Transformational Solutions, a strategy consultant firm that supports local and national clients in the public, nonprofit, and philanthropic sectors to achieve transformational change by providing comprehensive strategic support.

Securian Financial

Keri O’Brien

Keri S. O’Brien is assistant general counsel at Securian Financial. She has spent 25 years with Securian Financial, initially working in the litigation area, and transitioning to work with the distribution of various financial products and services through Securian Financial’s broker-dealer and registered investment adviser, Securian Financial Services, Inc. She is a board member on the Minnesota Life and Health Guaranty Association, and a corporate secretary for two legal entities. She is also a regular volunteer for Junior Achievement in Minnesota. Keri earned her Juris Doctor from William Mitchell College of Law, and she currently resides in White Bear Township, Minnesota.

Office of Mpls Mayor Jacob Frey

Grace Waltz

Grace Waltz is the Chief of Staff to Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. Prior to her current role she served as Vice President of Public Policy at the Minneapolis Regional Chamber, directing public policy and advocacy for the largest local chamber in Minnesota. Grace has served as a senior aide to several of Minnesota’s top leaders, including MN Department of Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar on her presidential campaign, U.S. Senator and Lt. Governor Tina Smith, Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan, and Governor Mark Dayton. Grace is a graduate of the University of St. Thomas. A lifelong Minneapolis resident, she currently lives in the Kingfield neighborhood with her husband, daughter, and their dog.

> Click here to learn more about the Citizens League Board of Directors