
ATHENA Awards: Meet Lakes Area Grit & Grace
2026 ATHENA Organizational Leadership Award Recipient, Lakes Area Grit & Grace Lifting Women Higher Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Meet Lakes Area Grit &
Have you ever wondered what it takes to run for office? Have you thought about running for office this year, or sometime in the future? If so, it can be a mysterious process.
This April, we’re hosting a special in-person Success Series workshop, Running for Office. We’ll discuss filing, deadlines, expectations, campaigning, and hear from those who have served.
We need good leaders to serve our community. If you’re a leader at your business, this is a great opportunity to learn how you can make a difference in our community by running for public office.
Debby Erickson will discuss the requirements for filing, what information is needed to file, and where candidates need to file the information depending on the office they are seeking. She’ll also discuss the filing timelines for different offices and the information that will be provided to candidates when they file.
Mike Franklin will cover the basic mechanics on managing a local campaign, including your campaign’s “kitchen cabinet,” fundraising, campaign literature design, doorknocking, media and social media, basics of the party endorsement process, and more.
You’ll also hear from Steve Barrows, Crow Wing County Commissioner, District 3, who will share his experience of serving in office.

Debby Erickson is the Administrative Services Director for Crow Wing County, Minnesota where she oversees the elections, finance, information technology, and facilities teams.

Mike Franklin is a Minnesota Government Affairs professional and attorney with two decades of experience in building political and Grassroots networks, and organizing projects for political candidates.

Steve Barrows is a Crow Wing County Commissioner, former Baxter City Council member, and Field Representative for retired Congressman Rick Nolan. Steve will share his experiences of serving in office.

2026 ATHENA Organizational Leadership Award Recipient, Lakes Area Grit & Grace Lifting Women Higher Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Meet Lakes Area Grit &

2026 ATHENA Leadership Award Recipient, Jill Casper Lifting Women Higher Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Meet Jill Casper, recipient of the 2026 ATHENA Individual

Business After Hours hosted by Karl’s TV & Appliance Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Learn More & Register Tuesday, March 10, 2026 | 4:30