Morning Program Speakers
Commissioner Grace Arnold
Commissioner Grace Arnold leads the Minnesota Department of Commerce.
As overseer of state industries that provide financial security to Minnesotans and energy policy in Minnesota, Commissioner Arnold is committed to ensuring Commerce’s regulated markets are fair and accessible to all Minnesotans, and that Minnesota is a leader in creating a clean energy economy.
Commissioner Arnold was appointed by Governor Walz on April 15, 2021. Prior to her appointment, she served as the Deputy Commissioner of Insurance for the Commerce Department. In that role, she oversaw the life insurance, health insurance, and property and casualty insurance markets in Minnesota, ensuring that Minnesotans’ insurance complies with Minnesota law and that insurance companies are financially strong.
Commissioner Arnold spent nearly a decade at the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services where she helped lead the technology turnaround of healthcare.gov and led policy development during the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Before joining the Department, Commissioner Arnold led product development for individual and family plans at Bright Health, a Minneapolis-based health insurer. She has a master’s degree from George Washington University and holds an undergraduate degree from Macalester College.
Commissioner Arnold lives in Minneapolis with her husband and two young kids.
Representative Jamie Long
Rep. Jamie Long has dedicated his career to public service and currently serves southwest Minneapolis in the Minnesota House of Representatives. In addition, Rep. Long is the chair of the House Climate and Energy Finance and Policy Committee.
Senator David Senjem
Minnesota State Senator David Senjem represents portions of Dodge and Olmsted Counties, including one-half of the City of Rochester. He was first elected to the Minnesota Senate in 2002, and has served as both the Senate Majority and Minority Leader. He spent 44 years of his professional life with Mayo Clinic retiring as environmental affairs officer. He also served 11 years on the Rochester City Council.
Currently, Senator Senjem is Chairman of the Energy and Utilities Finance and Policy Committee and Vice Chair of the Capital Investment Committee. He also serves as a member of the Environment Natural Resources Finance and Policy, and Legacy Committee, and is a member of the Legislative Pension Commission and appointed to Advisory Task Force on Expanding the Economic Security of Women. Also, he Chairs the Minnesota Mississippi River Parkway Commission.
Senator Senjem was Senate author of Mayo Clinic’s Destination Medical Center innovative economic development initiative, the largest economic development project in Minnesota history. It secures Mayo Clinic’s status as a global medical destination and sets into motion the reinvention of the City of Rochester both physically and culturally, including the necessity for the city to take a new look at how it procures and utilizes energy. Senator Senjem has also played an active role in the Minnesota/Germany Energy Policy Exchange Program.
Senator Senjem special legislative concerns are; preparing tomorrow’s workforce, developing MN energy future and promoting environmental sustainability, low high-school graduation rates in inner-city school districts, autism, dealing with pervasive mental health concerns, ensuring MN has a tax friendly and otherwise favorable business climate.
Bali Kumar, PACE Loan Group
Bali joined PLG in 2021 as the Chief Operating Officer. Prior to joining PLG, he served as the CEO of Lean & Green Michigan, the PACE program in Michigan, and developed the Michigan PACE program into one of the nation's strongest PACE programs. His experience also includes serving as a management consultant at Deloitte, a transactional attorney at Proskauer, and the Executive Director of Michigan’s Wayne County Land Bank. Bali graduated with a B.A. from Brown University, a M.Sc. from the London School of Economics, and a J.D. from Berkeley Law. He is a member of the NY and CA bar.
Channon Lemon, Intent Energy
Channon has been driving Innovation, spearheading organizational change, and leading economic development/new business development initiatives for over two decades. An accomplished business executive delivering profitable growth in challenging, competitive and regulated environments, Channon has a diverse background in numerous industries and functional roles. Channon most recently served as the Vice President of Economic Development for the St Paul Area Chamber. In this role, Channon was responsible for business retention, workforce development, land investment and for guiding Chamber members to increase equity within all aspects of their operations from the boardroom and management to workforce and their supply chains.
Today as founder of Intent Energy, LLC, Channon delivers workforce and vendor solutions to the energy sector. Channon also serves on the board for Ever-Green Energy. She believes energy innovation is critical to the success of business and a tremendous growth opportunity for companies which can lead the way in deploying next generation energy solutions.
A quick study, with solid business acumen, Channon is adept in assessing new situations, gaining knowledge in new industries and leveraging the insight and skill of the team to determine best strategy and to lead execution of next steps. Channon has an MBA in marketing from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management, and a Bachelor of Business Administration in insurance from Howard University in Washington, D.C.
Sterling Sanders, LIUNA Local 563
Sterling Sanders became a proud LiUNA Laborer Local 563 member in 2005 where he started out as an Apprentice. Sterling completed his apprenticeship in 2008 after working 4,000 hours on construction jobsites and completing 288 classroom training hours at the Laborers Training Center in Lino Lakes. At the training center, he learned valuable safety and industry knowledge to enhance his career in construction. He worked hard and climbed the ladder where he was promoted to Leadman, Foreman, General Forman and then a Superintendent. Sterling also serves on the Executive Board of the MRLF, and the General Board of the AFL-CIO.
After several years of experience leadership and involvement in the union, Sterling became a Business Agent in 2018. Sterling was assigned to the Northwest Metro region where he visited jobsites, talked with members and contractors to ensure everyone had what they needed. In 2020 he moved into the key role of Job Dispatcher for Local 563. Contractors call Sterling for workers needed on jobsites and he is able to match them up with qualified & trained members of the union. This role has allowed Sterling to jump to the next level of involvement in the union while getting to know the membership. This is no small task because Local 563 has on average 10,500 members. As the Dispatcher, he not only talks with the members he speaks with potential members to help facilitate a career path in the construction industry.