Susan M. Holden - Press

From Achieve Services, Inc. - 11/01/09

By all accounts, Susan Holden has found success. As an attorney, she's achieved just about every distinction and honor available in the profession including serving as President of both the Minnesota State Bar and Hennepin County Bar. She's a partner in her law firm, Sieben, Grose, Von Holtum & Carey Ltd. where she specializes in personal injury, product liability, dram shop liability, auto accident and insurance litigation. Most recently she's chaired a panel created by the state Legislature to consider claims regarding the August 2007 35W bridge collapse.

One might think - one could think -that being a lawyer occupies all of her time and energy. That thinking would be incorrect. In between litigation, meetings and committee memberships, Holden finds time for the good things in life; gardening, art, fine dining, wine, travel, hunting, fishing, photography, horses and golf are just a few of her in interests. Does the woman ever stop?

Not yet. Because we haven't touched on the volunteer work that Holden does for her profession and within her community. It is that volunteer work that brought Holden and Achieve together back in November 2006,when she had just finished her term as President of the Minnesota State Bar. It left a slight gap in her usually overflowing schedule. "My husband and I were new residents to the Blaine area," she said. "I knew that I wanted to get involved in the community. I learned about Achieve and knew that it had a very positive impact in our local community."

After talking with a few Achieve board members, Holden learned that two years prior, Achieve had gone from being a government agency to a private, non-profit entity. "This posed some challenges in areas that I thought I might be able to help with," she said. "The change was a major paradigm shift for the staff. It made the board focus more on the business-end of Achieve."

Rick Bro, Achieve CEO, knew he could put Holden's skills to good use. "We felt fortunate when Susan agreed to be a member of our board," he said. "Her knowledge regarding legislative matters helps us in numerous ways."

While Holden brought her business and legislative expertise to the table, she knew the reason for Achieve's success and reputation in the community boiled down to the quality of its staff. "What has always impressed me about Achieve is the culture in the staff that is so committed to their clients," she said. "Everything they do is about good outcomes for their clients. People don't stay in a workplace where they don't feel valued. The staff longevity at Achieve is remarkable."

When it comes to the future, Holden predicts change, challenges and positive outcomes. "I think the future for Achieve is bright," she said. "But there will be challenges. Just like with any private enterprise, we'll need to be concerned about making sure that we are continually serving the needs of the clients, and those needs can change on a year-to-year or periodic basis. Add to this the fact that budget constraints and governmental funding are also a concern. Our goal will be to maintain a predictable, steady base of funding and to find diversity in funding so we can mamtain strong, cutting-edge programs that meet client needs.

When It comes to helping Achieve remain cutting-edge, one thing is for sure: Holden's tenacity and skills are an asset in the process.

"Achieve provides a valuable service to the community," she said. "I'm proud to be affiliated with the program."