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Anneliese Simons
Senior Government Relations Specialist
Email: asimons@fredlaw.com
Office: 612.492.7516
Overview
Anni works with clients in the Health and Human Services arena to proactively advance and respond to legislative issues at the Minnesota State Capitol.
Anni supports clients at all stages of the state policy development process, including drafting legislation, monitoring introductions of bills, tracking bill status within the legislative process, and interfacing with the Minnesota Legislature, the Governor’s Office and other state agencies on behalf of her clients.
Anni has a strong background in state legislative policy in the areas of Medicaid waivered services, disability services and mental health services. Prior to joining Fredrikson & Byron, Anni served as the Senior Manager of Policy and Programs for a large coalition of Health and Human Services provider and advocacy organizations. Anni holds a bachelor’s degree in Social Work and a master’s degree in Social Work Policy.
Experience
REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE
- Served as a leader for the “5% Campaign”, a statewide, nonpartisan coalition of more than 100 organizations that successfully secured a 5% rate increase for Home and Community Based Disability and Senior Services during the 2014 legislative session. This rate increase went into effect on July 1, 2014, and will result in more than $80 million in annual ongoing increased funding for the critical services and providers that support Minnesotans with disabilities and older Minnesotans to remain living as independently as possible in the community. The 5% Campaign received the Public Affairs Campaign Award from Politics in MN in 2014, and the campaign was a finalist for the Advocacy Award as part of the 2014 Nonprofit Mission Awards. Anni helped guide the statewide grassroots engagement efforts of the campaign through her role as Grassroots Committee Co-chair and played an active role on the 5% Campaign Steering Committee.
- Lobbied and coordinated the grassroots efforts for coalition of disability provider and advocacy organizations from 2008-2012
- Worked with clients to successfully repeal and insert specific policy and funding provisions included in Minnesota’s Health and Human Services statutory language.
- Led clients through the development of comprehensive grassroots advocacy programs that connect the client with legislators of the districts in which the client provides services, resulting in increased long-term legislative familiarity and support for the client’s services.
Honors & Education
EDUCATION
- Columbia University, M.S., 2008
- University of Wisconsin, B.A., 2007
HONORS
-
Policy Fellow, University of Minnesota Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs, 2015/2016 Cohort
Professional Activities
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
- Member, Citizen’s League, 2011-present
- Board Member, Association of Macro Practice Social Workers (AMPSW)
- Member, Midway Chamber of Commerce
COMMUNITY
- Member, Arc Greater Twin Cities, 2012-present
- Board Member, Arc MN, 2012-2014
- Big Sister, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Twin Cities, 2010-present