Esther Wattenberg Policy Award

The Esther Wattenberg Policy Award recognizes exemplary policy work and contributions impacting children and families in Minnesota.

2023 Esther Wattenberg Policy Award Recipients

Rep. Heather Keeler2023 Recipient

Heather Keeler is a 2023 Award Winner, and is the Minnesota State House Representative for District 04A. Her Committee Assignments include: Vice Chair, Children and Families Finance and Policy, Human Services Finance, and Education Policy. Ms. Keeler is a Native American and a registered member of the Yankton Sioux Tribe. Representative Keeler has sponsored many important bills while in office, including: the Minnesota Indian Family Preservation Act, protecting gender affirming health care, a Safe Harbor shelter and housing grant program, as well as a bill to provide free school breakfast and lunch for all students regardless of income.

Sen. Mary Kunesh2023 Recipient

Mary Kunesh is a 2023 Award Winner, and is the Minnesota State Senator for District 39. Her Committee Assignments include: Chair, Education Finance, Education Policy, Agriculture, Broadband and Rural Development, Environment, Climate and Legacy. Ms. Kunesh is a person of Lakota heritage and is one of the founding members of the Native American and People of Color & Indigenous (POCI) caucuses. She is the first indigenous woman to serve in the Minnesota Senate. Senator Kunesh has authored and and co-sponsored many important bills while in office, including: the Minnesota African American Family Preservation Act, Affordable Health Care available for every Minnesotan, Tribal Nation aid establishment and appropriation, and Informal kinship caregiver support grant establishment, which expanded financial support for adoptive, foster, and kinship families.

Past Esther Wattenberg Policy Award Recipients

Kirsten Anderson2022 Recipient

Kirsten Anderson began serving as Executive Director of AspireMN in December of 2017, after two years of working as Assistant Director for the association. Past leadership experiences include Sr. Director for Lutheran Social Service of MN (LSS) Metro Homeless Youth Services, where she supported a continuum of services for youth and young families, and directing the LSS Advocacy Office, with a strong focus on community-based services. Kirsten began her career in the Lutheran World Relief Office of Public Policy in Washington, DC. Her experience includes deep engagement with a variety of service providers, people served, and community members.

Rena Moran2021 Recipient

Rep. Rena Moran (D) has served in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2011 for HD district 65A, which covers the Saint Paul communities of Rondo, Frogtown, Summit-University, Thomas-Dale, Midway, a portion of the North End and Cathedral Hill. Passionate about child welfare, Rep. Moran has sponsored bills modifying provisions for revocation of foster care licenses, reinstatement of parental rights, legal representation for parents, and, most notably, the Minnesota African American Family Preservation Act (HF 3973). This act aims to protect the best interests of Black children and families by making “active efforts” to prevent unnecessary removal and improve permanency and reunification outcomes.
Overcoming homelessness when she first moved to Minnesota, Rep. Moran became involved in social change work as an organizer in her Saint Paul neighborhood. That inspired her to run for office in 2010 when she became the first Black individual to represent Saint Paul in the House.
Recently, Rep. Moran recently worked as a Parent Leader Coordinator for Prevent eChild Abuse Minnesota and is stepping down from the House to run for Ramsey County Commissioner. She currently lives in the Summit-University neighborhood as a mother of 7 children and 8 grandchildren.

Sue Abderholden2020 Recipient

Sue has devoted her career to changing laws and attitudes that affect people with disabilities, people with mental illnesses and their families. For the past 19 years she has served as the executive director for NAMI Minnesota (National Alliance on Mental Illness) where she has led the organization to be the largest provider of family and public education and support in the state and the state’s strongest advocacy organization.

Over the last 40 years she has successfully fought for community and family supports and for laws that enable people with disabilities and mental illnesses to fully participate in our communities. She understands the isolation that is caused by discrimination and negative public attitudes and has devoted herself to bringing people together to create change. Sue was on the White House lawn when the ADA was signed into law. A fervent believer in the power of personal stories, she has presented at national conferences and to numerous groups in Minnesota on grassroots lobbying and coalition building.

Toni Carter2019 Recipient

Toni Carter’s interest in public service, her community and public policy spans over 20 years. She began serving her community in the 1990’s co-founding a nonprofit called Arts-Us helping kids reach their potential through artistic expression. Over the years she has been a mentor, community activist, school board member and County Commissioner. In her role as the first African American County Commissioner in the state of Minnesota, Commissioner Carter has been a champion for residents of Ramsey County and for people (especially children) of color throughout Minnesota. Her recent work has focused specifically on children and families in the child welfare system. She served as the co-chair for the Governor’s Taskforce on the Protection of Children. Commissioner Carter continues to work closely with Ramsey County Child Welfare and is a member of the Children of Incarcerated Families Workgroup.