Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP) celebrates 30 years of educational leadership

Our history

The Minnesota site of the Educational Policy Fellowship Program began in 1976 under the leadership of Professor Tim Mazzoni and with the assistance of State Senator Jerome Hughes. A small two year grant from the Otto Bremer Foundation provided the impetus for the first two years. The initial fellows consisted of Will Antell, Michael Gonzalez, Joyce Krupey, Dale Nelson, John Ostrem, and Al Urzi. The weekly dinner-seminars were held the the back room of the Criterion restaurant on University Avenue in St. Paul. The 1977-78 group consisted of 11 participants. Over the past 30 years over 350 persons have participated in Minnesota EPFP and have been helped to affect change in education and human services systems at local, state and national levels.

When Tim Mazzoni was absent for the University for two years working on a national school governance project Van Mueller assumed the program coordinator role and 28 years later is still involved with EPFP. Several others have served as co-coordinators over the past 20 years. They include Diane Morehouse (80-81)* for 8 years, Caroline Turner (92-93), Karen Seashore and Terry Schultz (82-83). Dan Loritz (79-80) has been a co-coordinator for over 10 years and Deanne Magnusson (98-99) is in her 3rd year as a co-coordinator.

The practice of a year-end retreat began with the initial year and involved an overnight at the Spring Hill Center. This location continued for several years. With the advent of an orientation retreat the location shifted to the Wilder Forest Conference Center. This location served as the location for orientation and year-end retreats for over 15 years. Currently, the two retreats are held at The Outing Lodge in the Stillwater area.

Over the years the location of the weekly dinner-seminars moved from the Criterion (it burned down), the Holiday Inn (now Kelly Inn), Forepaughs, Mr. Joe’s, and the University Club, For the past 15 years or so the back room at Muffuletta’s in the Park has been the home for the dinner seminars.

The programming has evolved over time and currently consists of two or three dinner-seminars or expanded sessions each month, (from October to May), a day at the state capitol, orientation and year-end retreats. Participants also attend two national meetings (a Leadership Forum and Washington Policy Seminar) with the other EPFP sites.

The programming focus has changed little over the years. It is designed to help fellows understand the education and human services policy process in Minnesota, to make better use of leadership skills and other resources that each participant brings to the program, and to identify important current and future policy issues. The goals of the Minnesota site program is to help participants gain a “generalist” mindset, manage complex situations and approach policy actions in a strategic manner.

The Minnesota EPFP site continues to be affiliated with the Department of Education Policy and Administration, College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota with strong support from Hamline University.

Anniversary celebration

Van Mueller

Michael O’Keefe

Josie Johnson

Ron McKinley

Doug Brattebo and Laura Watterman Wittstock

Doug Brattebo and Steve Yussen

View more images from the event.

On the evening of Thursday, March 16, 2006, Minnesota EPFP alums and friends of Minnesota EPFP gathered in the Ski U Mah Room of the McNamara Alumni Center on the University of Minnesota campus. The purposes of the celebrations were three-fold: 1) to reconnect with EPFP colleagues and meet new ones by joining friends and colleagues for an evening of food and fellowship, 2) to recognize the distinguished service of a number of individuals with the presentation of Distinguished IEL Service Awards and Minnesota EPFP Service Awards, and 3) to acknowledge EPFP alums who have passed away. The current in-memoriam listing is Mary Rice (77-78), Don Allery (80-81), Roberta Block (80-81), Janet Kielb (83-84), Elizabeth Rice (83-84), Melvin West (84-85), Joyce Lewis-Lake (85-86), Darrell Miller (87-88), Ronald Otterson (87-88, and Hilda Sanchez-Henke (90-91).

Welcome and greetings

The anniversary celebrants were welcomed by Van Mueller, Minnesota EPFP Co-Coordinator and heard greetings from the Douglas Brattebo, National EPFP Director at the Institute for Educational Leadership in Washington, D.C.

Remarks by past IEL national leadership awardees

Brief but cogent remarks on leadership, EPFP and policy process and substance were presented by Josie Johnson (87-88), former University Regent and vice-president; Michael O’Keefe, former director of the organization that preceded EPFP in Washington, D.C., former University of Minnesota Regent, and current president of the Minneapolis College of Art and Design; and Ron McKinley (94-95), executive director of the National Network of Grantmakers.

Presentation of 2006 Distinguished IEL Service Awards

Doug Brattebo, national EPFP director, made the presentations to Laura Watterman Wittstock and Dean Steven Yussen.

Presentation of Distinguished EPFP Service Awards

In appreciation of effective leadership contributions to the Minnesota Education Policy Fellowship Program the following persons were presented with a Distinguished EPFP Service Award by Van Mueller, Minnesota EPFP co-coordinator:

• John Ostrem (76-77), retired director of government relations, MNSCU.
• Barbara Devlin (77-78), superintendent Richfield Public Schools.
• Jerome Hughes (77-78), former Minnesota state senator.
• Barbara Yates (86-87), director of programs and operations, Minnesota Early Learning Foundation.
• Jose Santos (90-91), director of community affairs, LaFamilia Guidance Center, Inc.
• Henry Terrell (92-93), retired area superintendent, Minneapolis Public Schools.
• R. Delroy Calhoun (92-93), director, Bethlehem Community Center, Minneapolis.
• Deanne Magnusson (98-99), lecturer, University of Minnesota and co-coordinator, Minnesota EPFP.
• Bill Marx, chief fiscal analyst, Minnesota House of Representatives and long-time dinner-seminar resource and presenter.
• Tom Gillaspy, demographer, State of Minnesota and long-time dinner seminar resource and presenter.
• Minnesota EPFP Distinguished Service Awards have been presented in the past to Dan Loritz (79-80), Vice-President Hamline University; Diane Morehouse (80-81), President, QED, Inc.; Julie Brunner (81-82), Executive Director, Minnesota Council of Health Plans, Inc; and Rafael Ortega (86-87), Ramsey County Commissioner.