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Recap: Building Power through Bold Leadership

Fred

On a sunny spring morning, we gathered with Nexus friends old and new to celebrate the power of our Boards & Commissions Leadership Institute (BCLI), kicking off the first in a series of online learning events for our 20th anniversary.

When we established the Boards & Commissions Leadership Institute 12 years ago, there was nothing like it in our region. Local transit organizers in the community were tired of just being consulted; they wanted to have a seat at the decision-making tables. BCLI was our answer.

Nexus Founder and CEO Repa Mekha shared, “We understood that who plans, who governs, who owns, and who stewards resources has always been at the crux of sustained inequities in this country. We’ve known that from the beginning. And so we pushed. 10-plus years later and 157 alumni strong, we have the foundation now of a growing movement of equity-minded leaders with a shared analysis and common tools across the state. That’s the power we have in being with each other.”

During the two-hour event, we had the honor of hearing from guest speakers Peggy Flanagan, Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota; Victoria McWane-Creek, Founder of Organization 4 Full Participation; and Hodan Hassan, former Minnesota State Representative.

As they shared their reflections, advice, and encouragement, some common themes emerged:

“Our maximum performance calls for maximum care.”

Repa Mekha, Nexus Founder & CEO

“We are stronger together than apart,” Repa said. “We all have something to contribute, a part to play, no matter how large or small. This work is about movement building. And it has to have as many faces, facets, and angles as possible. It takes all of us. The equity work that we do in small places is connected to a cause much larger than the spaces we operate in, much larger than our individual contributions. And as we do the work of champions, we need the tools, knowledge, skills, and wisdom for change. But we also must take care of ourselves.”

“Self-care is a must,” Hodan continued. “This is heavy work and it’s emotional labor. Always root yourself in the why—why are you doing this work? If you center around the why, the work gets more joyous and more beautiful.”

“Whatever space that you envision yourself to be in, that’s where you belong.”

Hodan Hassan, 2016-17 BCLI Alum

Lt. Governor Flanagan emphasized, “We’re supposed to be at these tables. We are meant to be at these tables. We must be at these tables. And having support to do that is incredibly powerful.”

Keep Easing Down the Road

Victoria shared the inspiration she draws from her grandmother and The Whiz song “Ease on Down the Road.”

‘Cause there may be times when you think you lost your mind
(And the steps you’re takin’ leave you three, four steps behind)
But the road you’re walking might be long sometimes
You just keep on steppin’ and you’ll be just fine

Lt. Governor Flanagan said, “If you are feeling down in this time of great uncertainty, where for many of us, simply our existence is being challenged … I also want you to just feel hopeful. Take a step back and look at all of the work that these 157 people have been able to do. We are powerful in this moment. We are powerful at these tables. We are powerful when we take up space and we speak to our own lived experience.”

Hodan advised, “Reach within. Show up for one another. Connect with your community. Continue grounding in the work. Surround yourself with the right people and continue the work. Tomorrow is a different day.”

Repa reminded us: “The most inspiring and landscape-shifting change that we’ve seen for decades and decades has grown out of chaos. We found strength and possibility and we rose every time. And guess what? We will rise again. There is no going back. There is no letting go. There is no stumbling. We can see the future that we want to create.”

Join us in giving a warm welcome to our 2025 BCLI Cohort! For the next seven months, these 11 changemakers will be equipped to serve on city, county, metro, and state boards and commissions, walking alongside one another in power-building and leadership. Together, they are working to advance equity across economic development, health, housing, transit, and workforce development in Minnesota.

Our new fellows join a network of 157 alumni. Over half of them have been appointed to a board or commission or hold a high-level policy position, and all of them are building racial and economic equity in their communities.

Learn more about each fellow here!

A lot has changed since our founding in 2004. Through it all, our communities have remained strong because of our collective care, ingenuity, and unrelenting drive for transformative change. To celebrate 20 years of working together, we’re hosting five events throughout 2025. At each gathering, we will look back to look ahead, and envision a brighter, more powerful future for us all.

We’re starting off with our longest-running program: The Boards & Commissions Leadership Institute (BCLI)! Mark your calendar for our virtual event, Building Power through Bold Leadership, on March 27, 10 am – 12 pm CT on Zoom.

Fill out the form below or follow this link to register!

For 12 years, BCLI has been helping community leaders build the skills and networks they need to create big policy change, from city-wide paid sick time to fighting housing discrimination. With fascism on the rise, this work is more important than ever. We must continue to work together to identify, train, and support leaders who are reflective of and responsive to our communities. Together, we are powerful!

Hear from guest speakers on the scope and impact of BCLI. You’ll learn how this program will continue to shape how decisions are made throughout Minnesota—and walk away with the tools and relationships we need to navigate these times.

Featuring:

  • Hodan Hassan, former State Representative for MN Senate District 62B, and BCLI alumna
  • Peggy Flanagan, Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota
  • Victoria McWane-Creek, Consultant/founder of Organization 4 Full Participation, BCLI alumna, and current North Star fellow

All are welcome! This isn’t just for Twin Cities folks; BCLI is building bridges across Minnesota. Mark your calendar and join us—we can’t wait to see you there!

Nexus Community Partners Event Registration

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When we founded Nexus Community Partners 20 years ago, we did something simple yet powerful—we turned to community to reclaim our strength and to reimagine what power looks like when it is rooted in truth and relationships. We are unique because of how we’re positioned and how we work: We take the long view, and everything we do is focused on creating lasting impacts.

At Nexus, we are igniting BIPOC leadership for transformational change.

When we established the Boards & Commissions Leadership Institute (BCLI) 10 years ago, there was nothing like it in our region. But we believe that when we make decisions that affect all of our lives—across race, place, gender, and more—we must share the power in making those decisions. BCLI helps Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color (BIPOC) and other historically oppressed people get seats at the table and serve at all levels of government.

Today, of our 157 diverse alumni, many have gone on to high-profile roles including U.S. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, Minnesota Voice Executive Director HwaJeong Kim, and MN First District Judge Luis Rangel Morales.

Meet HwaJeong

Eight years ago, HwaJeong Kim was volunteering at her local library and serving on her neighborhood district council. She loved her community, and she was motivated to do more to give back. That’s when she found BCLI.

“I tell everyone the BCLI changed my life. It was a turning-point training that helped me understand how to navigate power and place with people. This completely catalyzed my professional and personal trajectory.”

The leadership skills and professional connections with like-minded people helped HwaJeong build confidence and take her next steps. She went on to serve on The Saint Paul Planning Commission and work as the Legislative Aide for Saint Paul’s Ward 5 City Councilmember before being elected to the role herself in 2024.

“My greatest takeaway [from BCLI] continues to be how to actualize values in our work and deliver community-driven solutions. Since graduating, I have nominated one person per cohort and will continue to do so—the BCLI produces highly skilled, connected, and values-driving community changemakers. Now more than ever, we need more of us in this fight!“

Make a donation

Join us in helping historically marginalized and oppressed people have a seat at the table. Whether you can contribute $20 or a story about what Nexus means to you, you will continue to make our work possible!

Share your story

As we reflect on the last two decades and look toward the years to come, we want to know: What does Nexus mean to you? Whether you were part of Payne-Lake Community Partners at the beginning or discovered Nexus this year, we want to hear from you!

Applications for the Boards & Commissions Leadership Institute (BCLI) are open now through Jan. 20! We are excited to recruit our next cohort of equity champions who want to be effective members on boards, committees, commissions and task forces at all levels of government. Apply and learn how to get a seat on a decision-making table!

How It Works

For too long, systems of governing have rigged the rules to concentrate power and wealth in fewer and whiter hands. They’ve put up barriers to shut out Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color (BIPOC) from decision-making, as well as women, queer folks, disabled folks, low-wealth folks, and other historically marginalized and oppressed people. BCLI is a seven-month leadership program working to change this. We support, train, and help place BIPOC and other underrepresented community members on city and county publicly appointed boards and commissions.

Fellows commit to making governing decisions from the inside to nourish communities for this generation and generations to come. At a time when civic participation and democracy-building is most preciously needed, we must be engaged at every level of decision-making that affects all our communities. And that starts with boards and commissions!

Time Commitment

April – October 2025

  • Attend three, hour-long meetings per month on Zoom, plus our launch event and graduation
  • Work outside of sessions includes readings, online discussions, webinars, and commission meetings
  • Total time (including trainings and assignments) is approximately 80 hours
  • Fellows receive a small stipend of $500 to honor their time and commitment

See all dates and times

Info Sessions

Join us to learn more about the program, nomination, and selection process!

Our Boards & Commissions Leadership Institute (BCLI) graduated its 11th cohort this past April. We are so proud of our 157 alumni we have supported over these past 11 years. They have been working hard and advocating for equitable policies in every level of government!

As you may have noticed, we are not recruiting as usual this summer. We are shifting the BCLI program dates from October to April to April to September. BCLI’s 12th cohort will begin in April 2025 instead of October 2024. We have made this decision for the safety of our out-of-state fellows, limiting their winter travel, and to align BCLI with our budgetary calendar.

During this half-year pause, we are taking time to look back on how far we have come, celebrate all we have achieved together, and reflect on how to thoughtfully move forward, informed by our alumni’s experiences, wisdom and vision for the future.

Eleven years is a long time to run a great program, and it is time to take stock of where we are and where we are going. Specifically, we want to better understand how we can best support our alumni in their current and future projects and on their leadership journeys. How can our alumni-engagement strategies improve to meet the needs of our community? What role should BCLI play in the larger ecosystem of leadership development in the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota? Answering these questions and others will ensure the BCLI remains relevant and impactful for years to come.

We look forward to reconnecting with the future classes of BCLI fellows and continuing to support the amazing work of our alumni, who are out changing the world by being engaged advocates for greater equity policies! Look out for information about BCLI Cohort 12 in late 2024!

On Thursday April 4, 2024, the Nexus Twin Cities Boards & Commissions Leadership Institute (BCLI) held its annual graduation ceremony. This year, the BCLI graduated 12 fellows in its 11thcohort. These graduates join the Twin Cities BCLI alumni network, now 157 strong. Congratulations to BCLI cohort 11!

BCLI cohort 11 graduates. a multiracial mixed gender group of people standing smiling at the camera.

The evening began with networking and a Soul Bowl catering, including mac and cheese, collard greens, and jerk chicken. Nexus President and CEO Repa Mekha kicked off our program welcoming and congratulating the fellows. He said, “thank you for joining a deep network of passionate community leaders. We are excited to see you grow, evolve, and continue to advocate for equity in spaces of power.”

Next, the cohort was honored by our keynote speaker, PaChia Yang, a Labor Standards Investigator for the City of Saint Paul with extensive experience in labor law, civil rights law, and more. Previously, she worked with the Minnesota State legislature and clerked for a Minnesota District Court Judge. She is a first generation Hmong American who grew up watching her parents organize and fight to make systems like health care and education more inclusive of new Americans. Her parents’ dedication to social justice inspired her to pursue a career of public service.

PaChia congratulated the fellows on the strides they have taken to gain seats at the table and to make lasting policy change. She told the graduates, “you are agents of change who are joining a capable body of alumni. Together, you will move the needle on health equity, transit equity, sustainable development, and more. Use your voices to speak truth to power and to make meaningful changes in the lives of every day people. These actions will reverberate for generations to come.”

The night ended with each fellow receiving a Graduation Certificates and framed artwork by local movement artist Ricardo Levins Morales.

This year’s 11th graduating Twin Cities BCLI cohort members were:

  • Ahmed Makaraan
  • Alex Abraha
  • Antisar Vickers
  • Chrstina Nicholson
  • Ferome Brown
  • Melissa Grimes
  • Rasjus Jackson
  • Rhea Koehler
  • Roxanne Draughn
  • Sakawdin Mohamed
  • Sonia Warmuth
  • Victoria McWane-Creek

Congratulations to the Twin Cities BCLI fellows of 2023-2024!

At Nexus Community Partners, we believe that when we make decisions that affect all of our lives – across race, place, gender, and more – we all must share the power in making those decisions.  

But for too long, publicly-appointed boards and commissions have been a “hidden” layer of power making decisions about our communities, without our communities. And, increasingly, it is clear we need people in government who are accountable to their communities, and who are fighting for policies that direct resources to the people that need it most. We need to build the government that we want to see.   

Over the past nine years, Nexus been this work through our adaptation of the Boards and Commissions Leadership Institute (BCLI),* a seven-month leadership program that supports, trains and helps place BIPOC community members on publicly appointed boards and commissions. 

Today, Nexus is pleased to announce the 16 fellows in our ninth cohort of the Twin Cities BCLI. From Woodbury to St. Louis Park, from St. Paul to Brooklyn Center, they represent a wide swath of geography and demographics, talent, and life experiences. Fellows are working to advance equity across sectors and issue areas, such as economic development, health, housing, transit, and workforce development. The 2021-2022 cohort kicks off this week with a private virtual opening dinner and online training session.

The 9th  BCLI  cohort  members are:  

  • Aimee Vue, nominated by Youthprise
  • Akia Vang, nominated by BCLI alumni
  • Chonburi Lee, nominated by Hmong American Partnership
  • Chrissie Carver, nominated by BCLI alumni
  • Danielle Swift, nominated by BCLI alumni
  • Kabao Xiong, nominated by BCLI alumni
  • Mai Tong Yang, nominated by BCLI alumni
  • Ricky Williams, nominated by BCLI alumni
  • Robert Boos, nominated by BCLI alumni
  • Saundra Massey, nominated by BCLI alumni
  • Stephanie Jones, nominated by Brooklyn Center
  • Stephanie Shider, nominated by Nexus staff
  • Temitayo Olasimbo, nominated by Woodbury
  • Veronica Rono, nominated by BCLI alumni
  • Yariet Montes, nominated by St. Louis Park
  • Yasmin Muridi, nominated by BCLI alumni

The BCLI continues to build momentum and challenge the status quo within local government by supporting fellows and alumni to bring their full selves, their responsibility to their communities, and their distinctive cultural perspectives to these governing positions. 

The incoming BCLI fellows join a network of 114 alumni. Over half of them have been appointed to a board or commission or hold a high-level policy position, and all of them are building racial and economic equity in their communities.   

 Alumni of the Twin Cities program include Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (MN-05); MN House Representative Hodan Hassan (DFL-62A); Metropolitan Council Representative for the 8th District Abdirahman Muse; Bush Fellows Roxxanne O’Brien and Carmeann Foster; Lower Phalen Creek executive director Maggie Lorenz; Chief Resilience Officer for the City of Minneapolis Ron Harris; Executive Director of Minnesota Voices HwaJeong Kim; and local entrepreneur and former Metropolitan Council Transportation Advisory Board member Jamez Staples. 

Biographies of each fellow can be found on Nexus’ website. 

For more information about the BCLI, the launch or ways to become involved, please contact program manager Chai Lee at clee@nexuscp.org. 

*The BCLI is adapted from a model created by Urban Habitat in Oakland, California. 

The Twin Cities BCLI is proud to announce that one of its most recent alumni, Steven Nelson was recently appointed to Public Health Community Health Services Advisory Committee (CHSAC) for Ramsey County. Steven is a graduate of the most recent cohort (#8: 2020-2021).

Steven has a great lived and work experience in the areas of mental health and addiction counseling. His passionate voice and valuable background will be a great asset to this committee. We want to also give a shoutout to Ramsey County Commissioner Trista MatasCastillo for her help in guiding Steven in this endeavor and on this appointment. Congratulations Steve!

Nexus Community Partners believes that when we make decisions that affect all of our lives, we all must share the power in making those decisions. Guided by that vision, the Nexus BCLI is a 7-month leadership program that supports, trains and helps place BIPOC and other shut out community members on city and county publicly appointed boards and commissions. Look out for more information about our 9th cohort this Fall!

Congratulations to the 16 graduates of the Boards and Commissions Leadership Institute’s 8th cohort! On April 1st, 2021, we gathered virtually with BCLI fellows, their families, and community members to celebrate all they learned and accomplished in the past 7 months. These graduates join a community of 99 BCLI alumni. 

The first all-virtual BCLI cohort, these fellows navigated the unique personal, local, national, and global challenges of the past 7 months with grace and determination. It was truly an honor to witness their dedication to community and justice, and to join them on their journey.  

As is BCLI tradition, two graduating fellows, Shawn Sorrell and Stephannie Lewis, shared their personal experiences and biggest takeaways from the fellowship. For Shawn, he spoke on the different roles different people have in making change, and how wherever fellows show up, “we need to demand change or risk maintaining the status quo.” Stephannie Lewis emphasized the importance of reflection, and how central reflection is for effective and just governance—”to make sense of messy and confusing policymaking, reflection is not placating or appeasement, it is wisdom. It anchors us to our community and our why.”

Our keynote speaker, Hennepin County Commissioner Angela Conley, delivered a message about collective leadership, the importance of Black, Brown, Indigenous, and marginalized folks being at the table, and bringing their communities with them. She said, 

“We’re living right now in a moment in our society where we have the possibility to reimagine and transform so much. I want to remember where you came from so you can always remember where you are going.”

As the first African American elected to the Hennepin County Board, Commissioner Conley knows how difficult it can be to navigate those spaces, and how much pressure there can be to fix things—“for real transformational change to occur, the onus is not on any one individual. It is our collective responsibility to lock arms and GET IT DONE!!!”

All the speakers expressed gratitude for the fellows and how much they learned over the course of the cohort. The evening ended with Terri and Chai honoring each graduating fellow. Celebration packages including certificates and original art by BCLI Alumnae PH Copeland on the way. We also want to give a HUGE thank you to Three Sisters Event Rentals for their tech support, event coordination, and courier services. Check them out here!

Nexus is truly humbled to be able to share space with such powerful people, and we thank the fellows, alumni, friends, family, and funders for making this happen.

*The Nexus Boards and Commissions Leadership Institute (BCLI) brings together Black people, indigenous people, and people of color (BIPOC) and other community members who have been shut out of governing to support, train, and help place them on city, county, metro and state boards and commissions. Alumni of the program challenge current systems by bringing their full selves, their responsibility to their communities, and their distinctive cultural perspectives to these governing positions. Learn more here.

 

Huge congratulations to graduates of our 8th BCLI Cohort! It is an honor to work with such powerful people who deeply believe in community leadership, accountability, and justice.

Leading up to graduation, the BCLI fellows took a deep dive into health equity. Antonia Wilcoxon, longtime community leader and former MN Dept of Human Services staff, shared her experiences about tackling institutional racism in health. Fellows learned so much from her experiences advocating with confidence for equity in a system as huge as the MDHS.

In their second March session, fellows got hands on experience in a simulated Planning Commission discussion. In this simulation, a fictional company was trying to develop a piece of land. While fellows debated the future of this parcel, they raised important issues and values at the intersections of health and environmental equity, economic development, and land use. Each fellow was able to practice using Robert’s Rules of Order, advocate for local hiring clauses, ask for environmental impact studies, and more. It was so engaging that the fellows asked for an additional simulation later this month!

Look out for some photos and stories from graduation next week! Until then, check out this health equity video from the BCLI curriculum: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56ZKfSNkcJc

First published September 2019. Words by: Nexus Community Partners and Nichelle Brunner

Nichol Ellis-McGregor is currently the MFIP Program Manager at Rise Inc., an organization that supports people with disabilities and other barriers. From 2015 – 2016, Nichol participated in Nexus’ Boards and Commissions Leadership Institute (BCLI) program. 

I had the pleasure of interviewing Nichol and we discussed her current and past work, BCLI’s influence on her personal and professional decisions, and what inspires her. 

In your current work, did you learn any skills in BCLI that were transferable to your full time work?

To influence or transform movements equitably, I have to make myself present at a table or committee or board. Even just navigating myself to get to that table, that relates to BCLI in that, I can’t make change without being at that table. I also learned that we can have differing opinions, but we need to listen to each other. Before that, I thought those folks, folks with different opinions than mine, were the enemy. I realized I needed to function less out of emotion, though I am passionate about the work, and just listen and do checks and balances to make the best decisions. 

What work have you done since that was inspired by your work in BCLI? 

I sat on the Suburban Metro Area Continuum of Care Advisory Committee, where I was basically the voice for those in suburban Anoka and Hennepin counties to get affordable housing. I went back to school. I’m currently at Northwestern for my Masters in Human Services. Generally, where I can make movement, I do. 

What is your favorite memory from BCLI? 

One of the first things that comes to mind is the affordable housing project. We were divided into two groups and created housing communities. My group got really into the glamourous aspects of housing developments, but when we presented, we realized it was out of budget and unaffordable. It was so funny because it made us realize just how hard it is to create affordable and livable housing communities. It was really a learning moment. 

Another memory is definitely graduation. I initially feared going to it because I didn’t think I was worthy because I wasn’t an activist, you know. I wasn’t out there, on the frontlines, protesting. I now consider myself an undercover transformationalist agent — I can make change within policy and the work I do. 

What is one thing you would tell someone who is thinking of applying to the BCLI? 

Your life will truly be changed and you’ll learn so much. You don’t realize how much you don’t know about our government and how much it affects you. If you really want your worldview opened up, this will be the program for you. You will open up and grow.

What inspires you?

Resiliency. It’s the person who gets things done, no matter the obstacles in their way. It’s not only the people we see on tv, but it’s the grandmother up the block. It’s my mom who is raising 6 grandkids after retirement. I am truly inspired by people who don’t give up.

 

For Nexus 15th anniversary, staff, community members, and program participants were interviewed to reflect on the impact of Nexus. For the “Reflections from BCLI” series, participants reflect on their experience in the Boards and Commissions Leadership Institute.