We are excited to introduce you to the newest member of the Citizens League team, Yvonne Lerew! Yvonne joins us as our new Director of Development on October 10th, where she will lead in sustaining and building relationships with our organizational and individual supporters; developing fundraising strategies; and building collaboration among our staff, board, and other volunteers to maximize our external engagement, communications, and strategic partnerships.

Yvonne Lerew

Yvonne comes to us from the Children’s Defense Fund-Minnesota where, as the Development and Communications Director, she applied her extensive experience leading fundraising campaigns, fostering strong donor relationships, and communicating complex ideas in an understandable, compelling ways to diverse audiences. She brings a proven set of talents to the role, including strategic thinking, attention to detail, and collaborative leadership. Yvonne is motivated by the League’s mission to ensure that all voices are heard and included in the process of developing policy solutions.

Prior to her work with the Children’s Defense Fund-Minnesota, Yvonne has held roles with the community organizations of CLUES (Comunidades Latinas Unidas en Servicio) and Wallin Education Partners. A former Bush Foundation Leadership Fellow, she attained an Ed.M. in Education Policy and Management in 2006 from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education.

We look forward to Yvonne joining our team in October, bringing her unique experience and abilities to strengthen the Citizens League’s impact!