Dorraine “Dorrie” Larison to Receive 2020 ATHENA Award
St. Cloud, Minn. – A St. Cloud native and inspiring community leader has been selected as the 2020 ATHENA award recipient. The Women’s Fund of the Central Minnesota Community Foundation has selected Dorraine (Dorrie) Larison as the 2020 ATHENA Award recipient.
The ATHENA Award is a lifetime achievement award recognizing exceptional women leaders who inspire others to achieve excellence in their professional and personal lives.
Dorrie was chosen for the award because of her leadership and dedication to strengthening our community. The mission of the ATHENA Award is to recognize and honor Central Minnesota women who have achieved excellence in their careers and who inspire others. Criteria for selection include: demonstrates excellence, creativity, and initiative in her business or profession; provides valuable service by contributing time and energy to improve the lives of others in Central Minnesota; and actively assists women in realizing their full leadership potential.
Dorrie has actively supported numerous community organizations throughout her career. Along with her longstanding service to the Community Foundation and its Women’s Fund, Dorrie is also involved with the Stearns History Museum, Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid, and the Hennepin Theatre Trust. Dorrie has served in several leadership positions within the Minnesota State Bar Association’s Bankruptcy Law Section and is also a member of the Lathrop GPM Women’s Initiative Network.
Born and raised in St. Cloud, Dorrie’s roots prioritized community involvement, particularly developing opportunities for women to thrive. Dorrie is a partner at the law firm of Lathrop GPM. She concentrates her legal practice in the areas of bankruptcy, debtor/creditor and employment law. In addition to her extensive experience counseling banks, other creditors and business clients, Dorrie has dedicated a significant amount of her time to working on pro bono matters. She has served on the law firm’s Pro Bono Committee for nearly 20 years and was instrumental in establishing the firm’s outstate Minnesota debtor/creditor clinics with various legal aid entities.
One of the women who nominated Dorrie, Elizabeth Reisinger says Dorrie is an inspiration in every leadership position she holds.
“A true collaborator, Dorrie walks the walk, often advocating for more diverse representation on every board she serves…valuing the empowerment and strength of women.”
The award presentation will take place via a Zoom event on September 29, 2020. Stay tuned for more information on the event.
Past recipients of the award include Susan Mackert 1988, Colman O’Connell 1989, Peg Meyer 1990, Ann Thelen 1991, Nancy Fischer 1992, Diane Gohman 1993, Diana Murphy Podawiltz 1994, Dorothy Simpson 1995, Cheryl Lightle 1996, Connie Cross 1997, Sonja Sorensen Craig 1998, Patti Gartland 1999, Colette Carlson 2000, Marj Hawkins 2001, Sandy Neutzling 2002, Betty Schnettler 2003, Barb Carlson 2004, Joan Volkmuth 2005, Patt Adair 2008, Jan Bensen 2009, Elaine Bauerly 2010, Cindy Faye Johnson 2011, Molly Renslow 2012, Maxine Barnett 2013, Patricia Welter 2014, Ann Cofell 2015, Lynn Grewing 2016, Linda Eich DesJardins 2017, Tarryl Clark 2018, and Bernie Perryman 2019.
Since 2002, the Women’s Fund of the Central Minnesota Community Foundation has been dedicated to strengthening the community by improving the lives of women and girls. The Women’s Fund has granted over $1.6 million to support local programs in three core focus areas: girls age 10-18, women in transition and elder women.
The Central Minnesota Community Foundation (CMCF) attracts and administers charitable funds for the benefit of the local community. Since 1985, CMCF has grown to over $110.1 million in assets and awarded over $111.9 million in grants to non-profits. The CMCF is governed by a local board of directors and is a partner of CommunityGiving, which is a collaborative of community foundations united under a single framework to create efficiencies that maximize the impact of our donors. Collectively, CommunityGiving administers nearly 850 funds totaling more than $150 million. Learn more at CommunityGiving.org/CentralMN
