Press Release: Minnesota Center For Environmental Advocacy earns another spot on national best workplace list
PRESS RELEASE: 4/26/22
CONTACT: Sarah Horner, MCEA, shorner@mncenter.org, 612-868-3024
St. Paul, Minn -- The Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy (MCEA) is honored to announce its inclusion for the second year running on The NonProfit Times Best Nonprofits to Work For list.
MCEA first earned a spot on the national list in 2021 and recently learned of its inclusion on the 2022 list as well. MCEA ranked 11th of 50 nonprofits honored across the country.
The recognition is given annually to nonprofits based on a review of organizations’ workplace practices and policies and the results of an in-depth, two-part survey that evaluates employees’ opinions about their workplace.
Employees are asked to share the degree to which they agree or disagree with a wide range of questions about their work experience, such as “I am valued in this organization,” “At this organization, employees have fun at work,” and “I have confidence in the leadership of this organization.”
The combined metrics are used to identify and highlight “the best employers in the nonprofit industry, benefiting the industry's economy, workforce and businesses,” according to The NonProfit Times, which partners with the Best Companies Group to compile the list.
This year’s honorees set themselves apart “in the areas of culture and communication, compensation and benefits, and leadership,” according to a story in the Nonprofit Times.
MCEA chief executive officer Kathryn Hoffman said the organization’s inclusion on The Best Nonprofits to Work For list is especially meaningful because it's largely based on staff feedback.
“Supporting our staff’s well-being and work-life balance is a core value at MCEA, both because it’s the right thing to do and also because we recognize its direct relationship to our organization’s effectiveness,” said MCEA’s chief executive officer, Kathryn Hoffman. “The more valued and connected our staff feel to our mission to protect the health of Minnesota’s air, water and communities, the more successful we are at achieving those aims.”
Here’s what some employees at MCEA had to say about working for the organization.
“MCEA supports its employees in ways that feel more like we’re partners than employees. Decisions are very transparent and everyone’s contributions are valued regardless of the position we hold … I feel like we are truly together in our work and in support of our mission,” said Eric Lindberg, senior legal assistant.
“There’s no BS bureaucracy … We are encouraged to dream big and lean into possibility … I have felt supported as a mom working through the pandemic,” said Chris Tanita, MCEA’s chief advancement officer.
“I love working with passionate and knowledgeable staff members who diligently defend Minnesota's environment. We don't shy away from complex issues like climate change and environmental justice and I think our ability to manage uncertainty and complexity makes us successful in our work,” said Katie Cashman, project coordinator.
“MCEA values its employees and adheres to exacting standards while uplifting our interests outside of the office,” said Jay Eidsness, a staff attorney.
Based in St. Paul with a satellite office in Duluth, MCEA has spent nearly half a century using the law and science to protect Minnesota’s environment, its natural resources, and the health of its people.
Its growing 30-member team of lawyers, policy experts and analysts, and communications professionals are involved in some of the biggest environmental issues facing our state, including:
- The fight to safeguard residents and habitats threatened by sulfide mining proposed for Northeastern Minnesota,
- Advocating for bold action and accountability in Minnesota to curb the climate crisis
- Protecting Minnesota’s water quality
- Preventing toxic development in already overburdened communities
To learn more about MCEA and its employees, visit our website. The complete list of 2022 winners can be viewed here.
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