Nearly 300 friends and supporters of the Humphrey School of Public Affairs gathered September 12 to celebrate a special milestone: the 20th anniversary of its Hubert H. Humphrey Public Leadership Awards.
The Public Leadership Awards were established in 2003, to recognize excellence in public service as a tribute to the legacy of the School’s namesake, Hubert H. Humphrey.
Proceeds from the event support scholarships for Humphrey School students; over the past two decades, the annual event has raised more than $2 million for the School’s Public Leadership Fund.
Dignitaries from politics, law, business, and the nonprofit sector were in attendance to recognize this year’s awardees: Margaret Chutich, retired justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court; Mukhtar Ibrahim, founding publisher of Sahan Journal, a digital newsroom reporting for immigrants and communities of color in Minnesota; and Greater MSP Partnership, the economic development partnership for the 15-county Minneapolis-St. Paul region.
“I am honored to welcome each of you here,” said Humphrey School Dean Nisha Botchwey, because “[you] believe in the power of public service.”
“This year we recognize individuals and organizations that have shown extraordinary leadership and dedication to making our communities, state, and world a better place,” Botchwey added. “They have tackled some of the most pressing challenges we face, from promoting inclusive economic development, to ensuring equitable representation in our legal system, to amplifying the voices of underrepresented communities. To our awardees, thank you for the example you set that inspires each of us to do our part to advance the common good.”
University of Minnesota Regent Robyn Gulley (MPP ‘08), a Humphrey School alumna, recounted her journey from a working-class family to college and a career in nonprofit work, before deciding to pursue her master’s degree at the Humphrey School so she could influence public policy.
Now, Gulley works on labor and education issues, is a member of the West St. Paul City Council, and is in her second year of service on the Board of Regents.
“My time at the Humphrey School elevated my curiosity and illuminated pathways to make change,” Gulley said. “Because of it, I get to do work that matters and that, I believe, elevates the common good every single day.”
One student who benefited from Humphrey School scholarships, Osahon Akpata-Tanious, is a second-year master of public policy student with a focus on leadership and management. She is also president of the Public Affairs Student Association (PASA) at the Humphrey School.
Akpata-Tanious briefly described to the attendees the difficulties she experienced living in New York City as the only child of a disabled single mother, which included periods of financial and housing insecurity, and foster care.
She recalled these words of wisdom from her mother: “The world can take everything from you, but it cannot take away your knowledge or curiosity.”
“Those words became my shield,” Akpata-Tanious said. “Despite the hardships, I refused to allow the world to dim my joy or my relentless curiosity. I found refuge in leadership opportunities in my local community, understanding that my battles made me uniquely equipped to advocate for others.”
“My circumstances have not defined me; instead, they have ignited my passion,” she said. “I believe … that [the world] desperately needs voices like mine—voices shaped by resilience and firsthand experience at life's crossroads.”
Akpata-Tanious thanked the attendees for supporting scholarships for students like her who have the passion, but not the financial resources, to pursue the education they need to advance the common good.
The awardees
Margaret Chutich recently retired from the Minnesota Supreme Court after serving as an associate justice for more than eight years.
Her groundbreaking status as the first openly gay member of the Supreme Court was instrumental in ensuring equitable representation for all citizens in the legal system. Prior to her Supreme Court term, Chutich served on the Minnesota Court of Appeals and practiced law for more than 25 years. She also served three years as an assistant dean of the Humphrey School.
Watch a video profile of Margaret Chutich
Chutich said the award is especially meaningful because Hubert Humphrey is one of her heroes, and because she had the opportunity to serve as the Humphrey School’s assistant dean.
“I came here after legal work that included serving as a federal and state prosecutor, seeing the worst of what human beings can do to each other. And what an antidote this place was,” she said. “I loved meeting students who were determined to change the world and who had no doubt that they could do so. And the intelligent, diligent faculty members who were conducting ground-breaking research. To be given an award from this excellent and inspiring School is humbling and gratifying.”
Chutich thanked her friends and mentors “who helped me to dream big and supported me in pursuing those dreams. Their actions taught me how vital it is to extend that support to others. So if you know a person who you believe is ready to undertake a new challenge, please consider urging them to give it a go. That encouragement can be life changing.”
Mukhtar Ibrahim is a strategy consultant for Press Forward Minnesota and the founding publisher of Sahan Journal, a nonprofit digital newsroom dedicated to reporting for immigrants and communities of color in Minnesota.
He is recognized as an influential and accomplished journalist of Somali background. Previously, he was a reporter at MPR News and the Star Tribune. He earned a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University and completed an MBA from the University of Minnesota this year.
Watch a video profile of Mukhtar Ibrahim
Ibrahim said he was motivated to start Sahan Journal after his decade as a reporter in the Twin Cities left him dissatisfied with how local media outlets were covering non-white communities.
“The dominant narratives I was reading were often stereotypical and superficial. The news coverage failed to capture the richness and complexity of the Minnesota I was experiencing as a young immigrant,” he said. “I felt a responsibility to challenge those narratives, and create a different organization for communities that have long been marginalized.”
So he started Sahan Journal in 2019, and over the past five years it has grown into a 23-person newsroom, a majority of whom are people of color.
“It challenged the status quo and placed journalism back in the community,” said Ibrahim. “A reporter’s background, their lived experiences, how they frame stories, and who they choose as experts—all these factors influence their journalistic lens and the stories they tell the world.”
Ibrhaim said this journey has also taught him lessons about leadership.
“Being the founder and CEO of Sahan Journal showed me that leadership isn’t about having a fancy title or positions. Leadership isn’t about waiting for permission, or for someone else to solve the problem,” he said. “Leadership is all about recognizing a need and having the courage to act. It’s about stepping up, even when you’re unsure of the outcome, because you believe in a better future.”
Greater MSP Partnership is the economic development partnership for the 15-county Minneapolis-St. Paul region, serving as a key resource for businesses and individuals looking to relocate, invest, partner, and grow in the area.
As a coalition of more than 350 businesses, universities, local governments, and philanthropic organizations, it is at the forefront of driving inclusive economic development and promoting regional prosperity in Minnesota.
Watch a video profile of Greater MSP Partnership
Peter Frosch, president and CEO of Greater MSP, accepted the award on behalf of the organization. He described it as an “unlikely set of partners” including Fortune 500 companies, startups, higher education institutions, foundations, nonprofits, local and tribal governments, and the State of Minnesota.
“There are few places today where all of these entities can come together, roll up their sleeves and not just talk about—but actually solve—challenges” that no single organization could accomplish alone, Frosch said.
“They choose to rally around one shared mission: to grow the economy and create more economic opportunity for everyone in this region,” he said. “Together we are doing some things no region has ever attempted, and none of us thought possible just a few years ago. We believe in this place, its people and our shared future.”
About the Public Leadership Awards
The Hubert H. Humphrey Public Leadership Awards, presented each year by the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, honor individuals, organizations, and corporations that have contributed to the common good through leadership and service.
In addition to recognizing the achievements of distinguished community leaders, the awards gala is the Humphrey School’s signature annual fundraiser. Proceeds from the event support scholarships for our students.
Established by the Humphrey School in 2003, the awards have recognized 81 recipients and have raised more than $2 million for student scholarships.
