Judges and Awards
The Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State thanks Capitol Code’s esteemed panel of judges and award providers for their valuable time and support.
Judges
Laura Andersen – Customer Experience and Service Design
Laura Andersen is a customer experience and service design consultant in Minneapolis, MN. She has 13 years experience in digital marketing and multichannel customer experience, spanning non-profit, agency and corporate environments. In March 2013, Laura established the Twin Cities Service Jam, which has since spawned Ed Jam and the 2nd Annual Service Jam this March. Laura has a small service design consulting practice in the Twin Cities, working with public sector, nonprofit agencies and the startup community.
Susan Brower – Minnesota State Demographer
Susan Brower became the State Demographer in February 2012. In that capacity, she travels the state talking with Minnesotans about the new social and economic realities that are brought about by recent demographic shifts. Susan’s work applies an understanding of demographic trends to changes in a range of areas including the state’s economy and workforce, education, health, immigration and rural population changes.
Susan joined the State Demographic Center after working as a researcher on the Minnesota Compass project at Wilder Research in St. Paul. Prior to that, she worked at the Population Studies Center at the University of Michigan.
Susan earned her Ph.D. in sociology at the University of Michigan, specializing in demography and family sociology. She also holds a master’s degree in public policy from Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota.
Spencer Cronk – Commissioner of Minnesota Department of Administration
Spencer Cronk serves as Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Administration, leading the state’s real property, purchasing, fleet, demographic analysis, risk management and nine other administrative service divisions. As part of Governor Mark Dayton’s cabinet, Commissioner Cronk has focused on enhancing inter-agency cooperation and eliminating unnecessary redundancies in order to create a leaner, more cost-effective government that delivers high quality, professional services to citizens. Previously, he worked as an Executive Director and Senior Advisor for the Department of Small Business Services for the City of New York. Commissioner Cronk is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and of Harvard University’s Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program. He currently serves as President of the National Association of State Chief Administrators and a member of the Minnesota Public Data Governance Advisory Group.
Thomas Fisher – Dean of the College of Design at the University of Minnesota
Thomas Fisher is a Professor in the School of Architecture and Dean of the College of Design at the University of Minnesota, having previously served as the Editorial Director of Progressive Architecture magazine. With degrees in architecture from Cornell and intellectual history from Case Western Reserve, he was recognized in 2005 as the fifth most published architecture writer in the U.S., with 7 books, 47 book chapters or introductions, and over 325 articles.
Andrew Johnson – Minneapolis City Council Member
Andrew Johnson was elected November 5th, 2013, and is the first millennial and IT professional to serve on the Minneapolis City Council. Andrew previously worked as a systems engineer at Target Corporation and is also a small business owner, through which he works for an education non-profit that helps empower teachers via technology in the classroom. Andrew believes in the importance of a transparent, responsive government. Nationally he pioneered the concept of a federal taxpayer receipt, a concept which was later implemented by the Obama Administration. He is the chair of the city’s IT subcommittee, leading efforts on open data to ensure government information is more accessible to the public, and helping to speed the rollout of fiber optic internet service.
Categories and Awards
Most Entrepreneurial
A Meeting with Joel Cannon – CEO of tenKsolar
For over twenty years Joel has built a successful career in energy technology. As co-founder and President of Cannon Technologies, Inc. he participated in the creation of one of most successful and respected electric power automation companies in North America. After establishing an industry leading portfolio of electric demand response, smart thermostat and smart metering solutions, Cannon Technologies was acquired by Cooper Industries (NYSE: CBE) as the foundation for Cooper’s Energy Automation Solutions group. Joel has expertise in growth management, product and market strategy, production, and marketing, as well as over two decades of experience in electric power markets. Joel holds a B.S. from South Dakota State University, an MBA from the University of Minnesota and serves as an adjunct professor of entrepreneurship in the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management.
Best Tool to Engage the Public in Civic Life
A Meeting with Steven Clift – Executive Director of E-Democracy.org
Steve coined the term “e-democracy” in 1994 or, using current buzzwords, he uses social media for citizen engagement, public participation, transparency, Government 2.0 and related topics. In the fall of 2011, he taught a social media course at the Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs where he challenged his students to learn by doing. That November he and his students organized the first Minnesota CityCamp, an “unconference” focused on innovation for municipal governments and community organizations. Steve is an Ashoka Fellow and speaker and consultant on online engagement and “e-democracy.”
Most Design-Driven
A Design Lab Tour with Thomas Fisher – Dean of the College of Design at the University of Minnesota
Thomas Fisher is a Professor in the School of Architecture and Dean of the College of Design at the University of Minnesota, having previously served as the Editorial Director of Progressive Architecture magazine. With degrees in architecture from Cornell and intellectual history from Case Western Reserve, he was recognized in 2005 as the fifth most published architecture writer in the U.S., with 7 books, 47 book chapters or introductions, and over 325 articles.
Best Data Mash-Up
A Meeting with Carolyn Parnell – Minnesota Chief Information Officer
An experienced technology leader, Carolyn Parnell was appointed by Governor Mark Dayton to serve as Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the State of Minnesota. Among her leadership roles as State CIO, she is the commissioner of MN.IT Services.
Prior to joining the Governor’s Cabinet, Parnell was the Chief Operating Officer for Information Technology Services for the Minnesota System of Colleges and Universities (MnSCU), the fifth-largest system of two- and four-year colleges and universities in the nation.
Parnell brings a wealth of IT management experience to the State, having also held leadership positions at Minnesota Public Radio/America Public Media, Fidelity National Information Systems and the University of Minnesota.In 2013, she was named to the Blandin Foundation Broadband Initiative Strategy Board.
Parnell earned a B.A. in Sociology and Liberal Arts for the Human Services at the University of Minnesota-Morris and an MBA from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota.
Most Whoa…
A Capitol Tour with Mark Ritchie – Minnesota Secretary of State
Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie partners with township, city, and county officials to organize elections on behalf of Minnesota’s nearly 4 million eligible voters.
Ritchie also oversees a wide range of services for Minnesota businesses, including the archiving of official and corporate documents, and administering Safe at Home, Minnesota’s address confidentiality program.
Secretary Ritchie serves on the State Executive Council, State Board of Investment, Twin Cities Army Community Advisory Board, Minnesota National Guard Senior Advisory Council and Board of the Minnesota Historical Society. He is active in the National Association of Secretaries of State, serving as president in 2011. He also co-chairs the Civil War Commemoration Task Force.
Secretary Ritchie has been a faculty member for election law seminars conducted by the Minnesota Institute for Legal Education, the Minnesota Bar Association, the University of Minnesota and William and Mary Law School.
The U.S. Department of the Army presented Secretary Ritchie with their Certificate of Appreciation for Patriotic Civilian Service. He was recognized for his dedicated support to the well-being of soldiers and army families, “Secretary Ritchie’s unwavering dedication, patriotism, and compassion are an inspiration and reflect great credit upon himself, the United States Army Recruiting Command, the United States Army Accessions Command and the United States Army.”
In 2011, the Dwight David Eisenhower Excellence in Public Service Award was presented to Secretary Ritchie. This award recognizes the promotion of peace through mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation.
Secretary of State Mark Ritchie received the 2011 Distinguished Public Leadership Award from Toward Zero Deaths for his leadership in helping to motivate law enforcement officers, legislators and the public to continue to fight against drunk driving.
In the 1980s, Ritchie served in the Minnesota Department of Agriculture working to address the economic crisis threatening family farms and rural communities. He served as the president of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy from 1988 to 2006. Ritchie is a graduate of Iowa State University and the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs. He currently serves as the chair of the Advisory Council for Minnesota’s bid for the 2023 World’s Fair.