ClearWay Minnesota is inviting applications for Formative and Full Standard Research Awards. The purpose of these awards is to fund research that will advance knowledge and identify practical solutions to reducing tobacco-related health disparities.

Letters of Intent are due November 11, 2016, by 4:30 p.m. CT, and Full Applications are due January 11, 2017, by 4:30 p.m. CT.

Full Request for Proposals (RFP)

Please direct questions regarding this RFP to ClearWay Minnesota Research Program Manager Dr. Erin O’Gara at eogara@clearwaymn.org or 952-767-1405.

At our Annual Meeting today, we recognized the service of three longtime Board Members whose terms have come to an end. During their time on the Board, Joy Rikala, Thomas Weaver and Daniel Johnson have all played multiple roles, serving as Board officers and guiding various committees.

• Joy Rikala has served as ClearWay Minnesota’s Board Chair for the past year. An independent consultant, former Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension special agent and former police chief, Joy was elected to the Board in 2010 and served on the Executive/Governance, Nominating and Board Development, and Program Grants and Program Contracts committees. She also served as Board Vice Chair and Secretary at various times.
• Thomas Weaver is Chief Executive Officer of Achieve Services, Inc., and former Chief Operating Officer of the Metropolitan Council. Tom, who was originally appointed to the Board by Governor Tim Pawlenty in 2010, then reappointed by Governor Mark Dayton in 2013, served as Board Chair from 2013 to 2015. He was also a member of the Executive/Governance, Audit/Finance, Strategic Development and Planning, and Nominating and Board Development committees.
• Daniel Johnson is a nonprofit consultant, former executive at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and past president of the United Health and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota foundations. At ClearWay Minnesota, Dan served at various times as Board Secretary and a member of the Executive/Governance, Program Grants and Program Contracts, and Nominating and Board Development committees. He was appointed to the Board by then-Senate Majority Leader Lawrence Pogemiller in 2010.

“As staff, we always hope to find Board Members willing to commit their time, energy and expertise to the demanding work of overseeing our organization,” said David J. Willoughby, our Chief Executive Officer. “In these three individuals, we found exceptional ones who truly performed above and beyond all expectations for a volunteer board. We are grateful for their service and sorry to be losing them all at once.”

Bob Boerschel, eFinancial Senior Counsel at Wells Fargo, will serve as the new ClearWay Minnesota Board Chair. “Joy, Tom and Dan are leaving very big shoes to fill,” he said. “As I take on the mantle of Chair, I will remember what I have learned from them, and continue their legacy as a driving force on the board of this great organization.”

A four-year veteran of the Board himself, and former Board Treasurer, Bob will serve a two-year term as Chair. Other Board Members assuming officer duties today are Vivian Jenkins Nelsen, Vice Chair; Laurie Lafontaine, Treasurer; and Anne Vars, Secretary.

ClearWay Minnesota’s Research Department is releasing a new Request for Qualifications (RFQ) inviting applications for formative research for survey development. ClearWay Minnesota is interested in testing existing survey items and a few new additional items for the Minnesota Adult Tobacco Survey (MATS) instrument in an effort to improve the reliability of data collected in the next MATS rounds.

The key questions we seek to answer include: What are respondents’ understanding of the items assessing secondhand smoke exposure on MATS? Is there a more accurate or meaningful way to measure the location and duration of exposure on a telephone survey?

Proposals are due October 17, 2016, by 4:30 p.m. Central Time.

Full Request for Qualifications (RFQ)

Please direct questions regarding this RFQ to Senior Research Program Manager Ann St. Claire, M.P.H., at astclaire@clearwaymn.org or 952-767-1416.

 

QUITPLAN Services will once again be represented at the Great Minnesota Get-Together. Our booth at the corner of Dan Patch Avenue and Cooper Street will provide information about quitting smoking, lung-function screening for current smokers, games and prizes, and giveaways like our popular QUITPLAN mints and water bottles.

QUITPLAN Services are free, scientifically proven programs that have given more than 145,000 smokers the tools they need to make quit attempts. Certified Quit Coaches work with tobacco users to help manage their quit attempts and embrace a healthier way of life. iPad stations at the booth will allow smokers to explore our programs at the Fair and sign up online.

A focus of the booth this year will be the return of The QuitCash Challenge^TM, an annual statewide contest to help motivate smokers to try to quit. Minnesota smokers can register at the Fair and then prepare to quit for good during the contest next April. One lucky winner will be drawn from the pool of successful quitters to receive the grand prize of $5,000. Between now and then, “Mini-Quit Mondays” will help people get ready for their quit attempt by making small lifestyle changes that support smoke-free living.

A true highlight of the year, the Minnesota State Fair gives us a great opportunity to talk with the people of Minnesota and hear their quitting stories. Come and see us at the Fair! More information about QUITPLAN Services can be found at quitplan.com or by calling 1-888-354-PLAN (7526).