Ballinger Leafblad, Inc.

06/02/2026

BIG NEWS REVEAL!!! Please join us in welcoming Jennifer Erickson as new Principal, Executive Search!

Jennifer brings 15+ years of progressive leadership in human resources and talent acquisition, with deep expertise in complex, mission-driven organizations. Most recently as Senior Manager of Talent Acquisition at the University of Minnesota, she led enterprise-wide recruitment strategy across a large, decentralized, unionized public institution. Throughout her career, Jennifer has built a reputation as a strategic partner who connects the dots between culture, workforce planning, and finding the right people for transformational leadership roles.

Jennifer's expertise spans recruitment in highly regulated environments (including collective bargaining agreements, civil service rules, and governance-dependent hiring), workforce planning, and the development of equitable hiring practices that actually work. Her experience includes recruiting for roles ranging from frontline professional positions to executive and senior leadership, often in contexts where policy, procedure, and people dynamics are equally important. She has led and coached talent acquisition teams, advised executive leaders on complex staffing decisions, and championed process improvements that strengthened both compliance and candidate experience.

Before UMN, Jennifer spent four years in healthcare HR, where she built national and international recruiting pipelines for clinical, technical, and leadership roles, and learned to source talent in specialized markets and manage complex relocation and visa logistics. Her earlier experience in program management at the Carlson School of Management and recruiting partnership at Concordia University rounded out her understanding of how higher education institutions actually operate."

Full press release ->
https://www.ballingerleafblad.com/jennifer-erickson

Help welcome Jennifer with an email of welcome or reconnection via jennifer-at-ballingerleafblad.com.

Welcome Jennifer!! We're THRILLED to have you joining our team!!

Onwards and Upwards!!!!

05/31/2026

There's not a better way to head into a summer weekend than welcoming our newest members for Follow Our Friends Friday! Say hello and be sure to follow these new Chamber members! Ballinger Leafblad, Inc. | Chevron | Health Strategies | Land O'Lakes | NFIB | Niagara Bottling | Northline Strategy | Pawn America, LLC

04/26/2026

Our own Lars Leafblad has been busy the last nine months giving time and energy to a campaign to honor MN's state gemstone, Lake Superior Agate, on a new MN license plate design.

See story from Mary Lahammer below on TPT - Twin Cities PBS "Almanac" last night.

Details about the public design contest that will be run by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources later this summer will be shared at AgatePlate.com.

Congratulations to everyone who was part of this "Agate Plate" campaign! Minnesota Rocks!!!

https://www.tpt.org/almanac/video/bipartisan-feel-good-bills-7enpjp/

Mary Lahammer highlights some feel-good bills getting through the legislature.

04/04/2026

Our very own Lars Leafblad has helped organize an advocacy campaign to create a new MN license plate design that "celebrates the North Shore and Lake Superior Agate (Minnesota's state gemstone)".

Their campaign was just endorsed by the editorial board of the "Duluth News Tribune"! Minnesota Rocks!!! ROCK ON!!

12/30/2025

🙌 2025 Year-in-Review at Ballinger | Leafblad, Inc.!!! 🙌

On behalf of our entire team, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to our 2025 client partners and congratulations to these leaders on their new roles!!!!

Our 2025 completed client searches included:

Way to Grow - CEO - Coco Du

Catholic Charities Twin Cities - CEO - Jamie Verbrugge

The Bakken Museum - CEO - Jennifer Hensley MPA, LPM

Itasca Project - Managing Director - Jake Blumberg

Initiative Foundation - VP for Community - Amy Trombley

Achieve Services, Inc. - CEO - Robert Lane

Twin Cities PBS - Chief Advancement Officer - Mary Jones

Urban Ventures - President & CEO - Erica Schimelpfenig

Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation - COO - Marc Baer

The Minnesota Star Tribune Tribune - VP, Philanthropy - Shane Guiter

Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity - Chief of Staff - Catherine Penkert

BBB of MN & ND -CEO - Kari Niedfeldt-Thomas

American Association of Woodturners - ED - Gretchen Wilbrandt

Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation - Pres & CEO - Benya Kraus

Volunteers of America Minnesota and Wisconsin - CEO - Karina Forrest Perkins MHR

National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) Relations - ED - Cherie Collins Sims, PhD

Como Friends - President - Katie Hill

Bush Foundation - Grantmaking Officer, South Dakota - Rebecca Cruse

Northern Star Scouting, BSA - CEO - Jeff Sulzbach

Associated Healthcare Credit Union - CEO - Joel Swanson

NAMI-MN - ED - Marcus Schmit

Vail Communities - CEO - Ashley Trepp

Catholic Community Foundation - President - Chris Nelson

NMDP Foundation - ED - Jess Kowal

Wilder Foundation - CHRO - TBA soon

Thank you all and congratulations to these leaders on their new roles in 2025!!

Your leadership is needed more than ever across MSP, MN and our region!!

Onwards and Upwards!!!!!!!

12/07/2025

🎉 B E S U R E T O B O O K M A R K O U R C U R R E N T S E A R C H E S!! 🎉

BRAVO Raising Cane's on your marketing cross-promotion campaign with one of my favorite holiday movies, "A Christmas Story"!

Nothing like having "Ralphie" in your side mirror on the way through the drive thru to bring back a flood of Christmas memories!

And there's no "Little Orphan Annie Secret Society Decoder Pin" necessary to translate the message that we're about to launch SEVERAL new leadership searches for MN-based clients!!

Current searches:

Medical Alley - Managing Director, Starts (application deadline 12/12)
https://lnkd.in/gyuvTeFH

Aeon - President & CEO (application deadline 12/19)
https://lnkd.in/gS_BQ6Nv

People Serving People - Chief Advancement Officer (app deadline 12/19)
https://lnkd.in/g8Frpqr2

Upcoming client searches:
3 searches for new Executive Director's
2 searches for new President & CEO's
Foundation Director
Chief Administrative Officer
Several Advancement Roles

Details will be shared here ->
https://lnkd.in/eDb2ZVkT

We're very grateful for the trust these clients have placed in our team to support them through this broad range of leadership transitions.

Thank you Ballinger | Leafblad, Inc. clients!!

We're very grateful!!!

Onwards and upwards!!!

cc: Lars Leafblad Marcia Ballinger

12/01/2025

💥 A Legacy Celebrated, A New Chapter Begins at Ballinger | Leafblad, Inc.! 💥

Honoring the retirement of Marcia Ballinger and welcoming the next chapter of leadership at Ballinger | Leafblad!

"When you talk to people across Minnesota’s civic landscape, the name that rises again and again is Marcia Ballinger. For more than two decades, she has shaped leadership in this region through a rare combination of integrity, care, and relentless responsiveness. This year, Marcia is retiring from executive search, marking the end of a remarkable career that has influenced thousands of leaders and hundreds of organizations.

At the same time, Ballinger | Leafblad, Inc. is stepping into a new era. Jamie Millard is joining firm ownership as Co-owner and Managing Partner, a transition thoughtfully planned and rooted in the values that have guided this firm since its founding in 2014.

This moment is both a reflection and an invitation. A look back at a career defined by connection, and a look ahead to the next generation of stewardship.

The retirement of a founding partner is a significant moment, but it is not an ending. It is a transition shaped by intention. Ballinger | Leafblad is strengthening its internal systems, broadening its support for placed executives, and preparing to introduce new ideas that reflect the evolving needs of the sector.

Jamie will lead many of these next steps with a balance of continuity and fresh vision. The firm remains committed to being a trusted partner to boards and leaders navigating complex transitions.

As part of this next chapter, Marcia will stay engaged with the firm in an Of Counsel capacity. She will continue to provide leadership advisory support to Lars, Jamie, and the entire team. Her perspective, steadiness, and wisdom will remain an essential part of who we are.

More updates will be shared in the months ahead as the firm continues to evolve."

Please click the image below to read the full press release and then comment below and hit "share" on this post to help spread the word!

Thank you!!!

Onwards and upwards!!!

To be continued.......

Congratulations Marcia and Jamie!!!!

Ballinger | Leafblad enters a new era as we celebrate Marcia Ballinger’s remarkable retirement and welcome Jamie Millard into ownership, carrying forward the firm’s values with a modern, relationship-centered approach to leadership transitions.

12/01/2025

💥 TOMORROW = HUGE news from BL!!!💥

Counting down the hours and minutes to tomorrow's announcement!

We can't wait to share it with all of you!!

Onwards and upwards!

To be continued.......

11/02/2025

Did you know that since COVID, Minnesota has undergone a quiet leadership revolution: over half of our legislators, CEOs, and civic leaders are new to their roles?!?!

It’s a fact and we believe it matters to all who care about the future of Minnesota.

Our team at Ballinger | Leafblad, Inc. conducted a comprehensive audit of the leadership tenures of 466 civic leaders across Greater MSP and Minnesota along with an audit of the leadership tenures of the CEOs of Minnesota's largest 100 employers represented by the Minnesota Business Partnership.

Our research was prompted by a similar analysis conducted by Fluence Advisory relative to the tenures of Minnesota's 201 elected legislators in the Minnesota House and Senate.

What we found is jaw dropping!!

Click the image below to view a break down the 10-year, 6-year, 4-year and 2-year tenures of our elected legislators, 466 civic leaders and CEO's of Minnesota's 96 largest employers.

And then comment below with your ideas, thoughts and suggestions on where we go from here as a state and click "share" to help spread the word.

It's time to reconnect Minnesota and we hope you'll join us in this effort!!

Onwards and upwards!!

To be continued......

More here --> https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/we-need-great-mn-get-reconnected-together-lars-leafblad-gd56c

10/05/2025

🍂 GREAT new issue of "That Lars Email" with jobs, events, career updates and other serendipity acceleration prompts shared by our 7,300+ civic-minded subscribers across the region!! 🍂

Please click the link below to read issue 36 of "That Lars Email" aka and then hit "share" and comment below to help spread the word.

Thanks SO much and have a great end to the weekend and start to the week!

Onwards and upwards!!!

Issue 36 available here --> https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/tle-chapter-36-1052025-lars-leafblad-l8npc