Thirteen community leaders have received a total of $418,000 in grants through The St. Paul Companies' Leadership Initiatives in Neighborhoods (LIN) program. The recipients will be recognized on May 31 at the 14th annual LIN luncheon at The St. Paul's corporate headquarters in Saint Paul.

Designed to help develop the leadership potential of community artists and activists, the LIN program funds a year-long plan of self-directed work, reflection and dialogue for each recipient. Every plan involves intensive learning - through research, reading, travel, work with mentors or a combination of methods. Recipients will use this new knowledge to make a difference in their communities' quality of life.

"The LIN program was created as a way for The St. Paul to invest in community leaders who are making significant contributions to the strength of Minnesota communities," said Ron McKinley, community affairs manager and LIN program coordinator. "It is exciting to see how these people use their grants to gain new skills and knowledge that can then help fuel their passions for community renewal. Each year, we witness the tremendous impact these leaders have on the growth of our neighborhoods and the harmony among residents."

In 14 years of the LIN program, more than 190 people have received grants totaling nearly $13.9 million. This year's 13 grant recipients will bring wisdom from all over the world to the Twin Cities.
The one-year grants for 2000 were awarded to the following community members:

Titilayo Bediako, educator, will explore her African heritage and ways to strengthen charter school programs that support the cultural diversity of students.

Abebeck Mimi Girma, gallery owner, will combine her interest in the arts with her passion to help refugees by gaining the skills she needs to create a Center for African Arts.

Mathews Lane Hollinshead, writer, will focus on preserving University Avenue and the historic Saint Paul Midway, which he considers "Corridors of Community."

Gao Hong, musician, hopes to acquire the expertise needed to transition from being a professional Pipa musician to a Chinese music promoter and educator.

Ben Krywosz, theater artist, will identify and promote opportunities for businesses and community artists in Saint Paul's Lowertown neighborhood to work closer together.

Marilyn Lindstrom, muralist/educator, will develop a stronger connection to her Northern European heritage in order to enhance her art and work with Twin Cities youth.

Quang Lu, production worker/artist, will study with traditional masters of Chinese landscape and rockwork art before leading collaborative art projects in Minnesota that blend the authenticity of traditional art forms with the Asian refugee experience.

Margaret Lund, community development director, will work toward the development of a thriving network of community-owned enterprises in Minnesota.

Bienvenida (Beni) Mat¡as, filmmaker/executive director - arts criticism, will explore how to develop a critical response method that connects the arts to social change in communities.

Randy Treichel, associate director - youth development, will study management, leadership and teaching methodology to enhance existing youth development programs.

Chiakoua Vang, writer and co-founder of the Hmong National Organization, will work with some of the world's most prominent history professors in the Chinese Hmong community and research Hmong's historical past, in order to write additional books and materials for Hmong communities in the United States.

Laura Waterman Wittstock, communications professional, will raise her work to a new level of discovery by studying the Native American reconciliation movement.

Tsehai Wodajo, family and community involvement liaison, will study the battered women's movement in the Western world and its applicability to African traditions, as well as successful models for helping battered women in African communities.

The St. Paul Companies is headquartered in Saint Paul, Minn., and provides commercial property- liability insurance and non-life reinsurance worldwide. The St. Paul reported 1999 revenues of more than $7.5 billion and total assets of $38.9 billion, and is ranked No. 204 on the Fortune 500 list of largest U.S. companies (ranked by 1999 revenues).

St. Paul Companies, Inc. (The)

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