After serving for 20 years as the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota's Executive Director, Charles "Chuck" Samuelson will be retiring at the end of February.
Over his 20-year tenure, Chuck has been one of the region's most respected, effective and outspoken voices on civil rights and civil liberties issues. Under his leadership, the organization has grown from a staff of three to nine. Offices were established in Greater Minnesota that focused on racial justice issues facing Native American and immigrant communities. The ACLU litigated scores of civil liberties cases, including overturning Minnesota's sodomy law, challenging racial profiling by numerous police departments, protecting free speech rights of demonstrators and more.
Teresa "Terri" Nelson, the ACLU-MN's Legal Director, will serve as Interim Executive Director until the Board of Directors hires a new Executive Director.
A message from Chuck:
It is with a heavy heart that I announce my retirement. Being the Executive Director of the ACLU of Minnesota has been one of the great joys of my life. Working with our members and supporters across the state has made my experience even more rewarding. For the past four years, I have been fighting a neurological disease, with no definitive diagnosis. Initially, I was optimistic that aggressive treatment would contain if not cure this disease. Unfortunately, this was not the case. My energy level has slowly decreased and the even more aggressive treatments appear to have no effect. These troubled times require more than I am now able to provide. While I will be watching from the sidelines, I am confident that the ACLU, along with its allies and supporters will be tirelessly working to create a better state and country for all of us.
A message from Terri:
This is a pivotal time for our state and nation, and as always, the ACLU will play a pivotal role in the protection of our constitutional rights. I am honored to serve as Interim Executive Director for this extraordinary organization, which has welcomed over 20,000 new supporters since the election! Chuck leaves the ACLU of Minnesota at a time when we are stronger and better than we have ever been. In the coming weeks, you will be hearing from us about our work at the Legislature and in the courts fighting new battles. We look forward to engaging with you on these important issues. I have learned so much from Chuck as he has led the organization for the last 20 years and, between his leadership and my experience with our legal program, I am confident that we will continue to be a strong organization and that we will have a smooth transition to a new leader.