FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 22, 2017
Foundation names Reinert Vice President
Community leader has longstanding ties to organization
DULUTH—The Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation today announced that it has named
Roger Reinert Vice President, a new position leading day-to-day operations as well as key strategic
initiatives.
“Roger has a long and deep connection with our community and with the Community Foundation,”
said President Holly C. Sampson. “We couldn’t be more pleased than to bring to our organization a
leader with such extensive knowledge, relationships and skills.”
Reinert, 46, most recently served six years in the Minnesota Senate representing District 7, which
covers nearly all of Duluth. In that role, he was a spokesman for Northeast Minnesota on important
legislative issues, from funding to public policy.
Before that, he served two years in the Minnesota House of Representatives, representing District
7B, which covers west Duluth. Reinert began his public service career in 2004 when he became an
at-large member of the Duluth City Council. He served as Council President in 2006 and 2008.
Reinert is also a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve and is completing studies to earn
his law degree at Mitchell Hamline School of Law in St. Paul. He has worked as an instructor at
Lake Superior College teaching government and civics. He and his wife, Layla, live in Duluth’s
Observation Hill neighborhood.
“I am honored to join the Community Foundation and support the important work of bringing
people together and making our region better,” Reinert said. “We are fortunate to have such a
strong organization serving our region with funding for life-changing projects, scholarships to
support higher education and thought leadership for how we can preserve and enhance this place we
call home. I look forward to making this special organization even stronger and more impactful.”
Sampson noted that Reinert was one of the early supporters who helped the Community
Foundation bring the region Speak Your Peace: The Civility Project. The project, now in its 14th
year, has helped communities in the Northland and nationwide adapt to change and find new
solutions by ensuring a civil environment that brings people of different backgrounds and their ideas
together to solve problems and seize opportunities.
As a legislator, Reinert brought Speak Your Peace to St. Paul, founding the Purple Caucus to help
foster dialogue and bridge gaps between “red” members of the Republican Party and “blue”
members of the Democrat-Farmer-Labor Party.
Reinert also has worked with the Community Foundation on efforts to attract and retain young
adults in the Twin Ports as well as the Endow Minnesota initiative in the Legislature to provide
incentives to private donors who give back to their communities.
In his new role, which begins immediately, Reinert will serve as the Community Foundation’s No. 2
official, with responsibilities for financial and operational functions of the organization as well as
roles on key projects and initiatives.
The Community Foundation recently awarded $1.5 million to 10 local nonprofits and agencies for
initial work to narrow the Opportunity Gap in the Twin Ports by increasing opportunities for
children experiencing poverty. It also is playing a major role locally to strengthen the Northland and
other regions across the state so they are better prepared to respond to and recover from natural and
man-made disasters.
“We have so many exciting initiatives—and lots of work ahead,” Sampson said. “This is an
important time for the Community Foundation and for our region. We look forward to Roger’s
leadership in his new role.”
ABOUT THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION:
The Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation encourages private giving for the public good. It
is a permanent community endowment, built by gifts from hundreds of individuals and
organizations. Guided by a volunteer Board of Trustees, it makes grants to nonprofit organizations
and to individuals for scholarships and provides leadership on important community initiatives in
northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin. Since starting in 1983, it has distributed more than
$50 million and holds 390 funds. Learn more at dsacommunityfoundation.com.
Regional affiliates of the Community Foundation include: the Two Harbors Area Fund (created in
1998), the Apostle Islands Area Community Fund (created in 2000), the Cook County Community
Fund (created in 2003), the Hermantown Community Fund (created in 2005), the Eveleth Area
Community Foundation (created in 2008) and the Chequamegon Bay Area Community Fund
(created in 2011).
FOR MEDIA INQUIRIES:
Rob Karwath | North Coast Communications
218-343-9418 | [email protected]