ST PAUL – Today, Minnesota DFL Party Chair Richard Carlbom announced the party’s new leadership and transition team. Executive Director Heidi Kraus Kaplan will stay on as Executive Director through the end of May before stepping down to pursue a new opportunity. In June, Jim Heighington will assume the role of Executive Director at the party.
“I’m extremely grateful to Heidi for agreeing to stay on for the next two months to help us facilitate a smooth transition. Her work has helped the DFL earn its reputation as the strongest state party in the country, and she will be leaving us with a strong foundation to build the party’s future,” said DFL Chair Richard Carlbom. “Heidi has improved the lives of millions of Minnesotans with her steadfast leadership.”
Kraus Kaplan has served as Executive Director at the DFL for four years, where she led the party to key victories in competitive statewide, Congressional, and legislative races. Kraus Kaplan is a veteran of DFL and national Democratic politics, having worked for five different presidential campaigns, then-Senator Mark Dayton, Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller, and for the Minnesota DFL in multiple roles over several years.
“As Minnesotans increasingly engage with politics through digital platforms, Jim’s experience fighting for progressive values at the intersection of technology and government will be invaluable to our party,” said Carlbom. “His expertise will help the DFL expand and invest in new tools and data-driven research that will help us strengthen our organizing program and reach Minnesota voters with clear and effective messaging.”
Heighington is an experienced executive and community leader who most recently worked as Chief of Staff to Google’s Chief Diversity Officer. Heighington has previously worked as Chief Digital Officer at GLAAD and has served in advisory roles with the Obama administration and the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. He began his career at OutFront Minnesota and currently sits on the Minnesota DFL State Central Committee. Heighington also works as an on-call firefighter in Golden Valley, where he lives with his husband and their daughter.
Charlene Briner, a veteran operative and trusted advisor, will serve as Transition Director to support the incoming and outgoing leadership team. Briner has previously served as a senior advisor at the DFL and has held several leadership positions in Minnesota state government, including serving as Interim Director of the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management, as a Deputy Commissioner in two state agencies, and as a senior advisor in the state House of Representatives.
