Tony Sertich named president of the Northland Foundation effective January 2015

DULUTH, Minn., Nov. 6, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Northland Foundation announces that Tony Sertich has been named president effective January 1, 2015.  Sertich succeeds Tom Renier, Northland's founding president, who retires in December after leading the organization for over 28 years.

"Being tasked with hiring Tom Renier's successor was an incredible responsibility for the Board, and we undertook it with the utmost care," stated Diane Rauschenfels, Chair of the Northland Foundation Board of Trustees.

"After conducting a thorough search process with the help of the firm of Ballinger/Leafblad, we are very pleased with the outcome. The pool of applicants was exceptionally strong, making it a daunting task. In the end, the Board was unanimous in its decision. We all look forward to working with Tony to further the mission and impact of the Northland Foundation," said Rauschenfels.

Tony Sertich is a lifelong Minnesotan whose roots run four generations deep on the Iron Range. For the past four years, he has served as commissioner of the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board having been appointed by Governor Dayton in January 2011. Prior to that, Sertich spent a decade representing District 5B in the Minnesota House of Representatives (2001 to 2011). In 2007 at the age of 30, he became the youngest House Majority Leader in state history.

Sertich graduated from Chisholm High School then attended Hamline University in Saint Paul where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in Theatre Arts and Political Science.

As the commissioner of the IRRRB, Sertich led a staff of 55 and oversaw a $40 million annual budget. He is also intimately familiar with the challenges of running a business as the manager of the family business—an ambulance service in Chisholm. In addition, Sertich is an instructor in the University of Minnesota Duluth's Master of Advocacy and Political Leadership program.  He has a lengthy list of community and board service experience, including with the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, UMD's Natural Resources Research Institute, the Center for Rural Policy and Development, and many others.

"As a partner to the Northland Foundation over the years, I have always been impressed with the staff and board's professionalism and their dedication to the work of the foundation and our region," stated Tony Sertich.

"I share the same deep desire to improve the communities of northeastern Minnesota for all people. It's a privilege to become a member of this team, whose mission I believe in and whose work I have admired for years," concluded Sertich.

Since its inception in 1986, the Northland Foundation has evolved from a modest grantmaking foundation to a robust, multi-faceted operating foundation which has been recognized regionally and at the state and national levels for excellence and innovation. Northland has:

• Raised over $110 million from public and private sources, primarily from outside the region, to benefit northeastern Minnesota.
• Built an unrestricted permanent endowment exceeding $60 million.
• Provided $57 million in loans to small and medium-sized businesses, leveraging over $300 million in other investments and helping create/save 7,000 jobs.
• Awarded more than $28 million in grants to nonprofit organizations serving the region.
• Created and operated the KIDS PLUS Program, encompassing initiatives for children and youth that are nationally recognized for innovation and impact.
• Developed assisted living facilities in three small northeastern Minnesota communities to provide high-quality care for older adults; the majority of Northland Assisted Living residents rely on financial assistance.
• Engaged tens of thousands of community, funding and programming partners to help make the region a better place to grow up, live, work, and grow older.

"I was confident that the Search Committee and Board of Trustees would do an exemplary job selecting the right person to lead the Northland Foundation into the future," said outgoing president Tom Renier, "and I couldn't be happier about their decision."

About the Northland Foundation
Since 1986, the Northland Foundation has served as a resource for people, businesses, and communities working toward prosperity through economic and social justice in the northeastern Minnesota counties of Aitkin, Carlton, Cook, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake, and St. Louis Counties. Visit www.northlandfdn.org and www.northlandvillage.org.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141103/156226

SOURCE Northland Foundation

Related Links

http://www.northlandfdn.org/