ClearWay Minnesota(SM) thanks outgoing Board Members

MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- At its Annual Meeting today, ClearWay Minnesota, a nonprofit organization working to reduce tobacco's harm in the state, recognized the service of three longtime Board Members whose terms have come to an end. During their time on the Board, Joy Rikala, Thomas Weaver and Daniel Johnson have all played multiple roles, serving as Board officers and guiding various committees.

• Joy Rikala has served as ClearWay Minnesota's Board Chair for the past year. An independent consultant, former Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension special agent and former police chief, Rikala was elected to the Board in 2010 and served on the Executive/Governance, Nominating and Board Development, and Program Grants and Program Contracts committees. She also served as Board Vice Chair and Secretary at various times.
• Thomas Weaver is Chief Executive Officer of Achieve Services, Inc., and former Chief Operating Officer of the Metropolitan Council. Weaver, who was originally appointed to the Board by Governor Tim Pawlenty in 2010, then reappointed by Governor Mark Dayton in 2013, served as Board Chair from 2013 to 2015. He was also a member of the Executive/Governance, Audit/Finance, Strategic Development and Planning, and Nominating and Board Development committees.
• Daniel Johnson is a nonprofit consultant, former executive at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and past president of the United Health and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota foundations. At ClearWay Minnesota, Johnson served at various times as Board Secretary and a member of the Executive/Governance, Program Grants and Program Contracts, and Nominating and Board Development committees. He was appointed to the Board by then-Senate Majority Leader Lawrence Pogemiller in 2010.

"As staff, we always hope to find Board Members willing to commit their time, energy and expertise to the demanding work of overseeing our organization," said David J. Willoughby, ClearWay Minnesota's Chief Executive Officer. "In these three individuals, we found exceptional ones who truly performed above and beyond all expectations for a volunteer board. We are grateful for their service and sorry to be losing them all at once."

Bob Boerschel, eFinancial Senior Counsel at Wells Fargo, will serve as the new ClearWay Minnesota Board Chair. "Joy, Tom and Dan are leaving very big shoes to fill," he said. "As I take on the mantle of Chair, I will remember what I have learned from them, and continue their legacy as a driving force on the board of this great organization."

A four-year veteran of the Board himself, and former Board Treasurer, Boerschel will serve a two-year term as Chair. Other Board Members assuming officer duties today are Vivian Jenkins Nelsen, Vice Chair; Laurie Lafontaine, Treasurer; and Anne Vars, Secretary.

About ClearWay Minnesota^SM
ClearWay Minnesota is an independent, nonprofit organization that improves the health of Minnesotans by reducing the harm caused by tobacco. ClearWay Minnesota serves Minnesota through its grant-making program, QUITPLAN® stop-smoking services and statewide outreach activities. It is funded with 3 percent of the state's 1998 tobacco settlement.

For more information on ClearWay Minnesota or QUITPLAN Services, call 952-767-1400 or visit www.clearwaymn.org.

SOURCE ClearWay Minnesota

Related Links

http://www.clearwaymn.org