Richfield, Minnesota – Minnesota Independence College and Community (MICC) has been named Nonprofit of the Year by the Richfield Chamber of Commerce at the annual Circle of Excellence awards ceremony on Tuesday, March 21, 2023. The award recognizes MICC’s outstanding contributions to the Richfield community through its life skills and vocational programs for autistic and neurodivergent adults.
The event was sponsored by Friendship Village of Bloomington, Northwoods Promotions West, Aviator Studios, and Blue Hippo Bakery. In attendance from MICC included Amy Gudmestad, Executive Director, Anna Hilfers, Director of College Program, Aaron Carper, Director of Community Program, Anna Schenck, Careers Program Job Developer, Amanda DeJong, Marketing Manager, and Grant S., MICC Student Ambassador.
The award ceremony began with an introduction by Kelsey Nagel, President of the Richfield Chamber, and the previous year’s winner presented each award to this year’s recipients. The winners for each category were as follows:
Nonprofit of the Year: Minnesota Independence College and Community
2021 winner: Youable Emotional Health (formerly Headway Emotional Health)
Government Service Award: Richfield Liquor
2021 winner: Visit Richfield
Community Service Award: Richfield Leadership Network
2021 winner: My Credit Union
Small Business of the Year: Pizza Luce – Richfield
2021 winner: Lighten Up, LLC
Business of the Year: Friendship Village of Bloomington
2021 winner: Richfield-Bloomington Honda
Larry Farrington Business Leader of the Year: Cassie Senetra of State Farm
2021 winner: Dave & Lisa Hintermeister of Mortgage Consultant Team
“[MICC] is a very impressive program,” said Pat Dale of Headways Emotional Health as he introduced MICC’s Executive Director, Amy Gudmestad to accept the award for nonprofit of the year.
MICC was chosen for the Richfield Chamber of Commerce award due to its impressive staying power and substantiated history as an established nonprofit organization in the Richfield community. MICC has provided person-centered education and training for adults for over 25 years. In addition, the organization has experienced significant growth in the number of participants it serves and has increased its impact on the community through innovative programs and partnerships.
Since its inception, more than 250 adults have completed MICC’s skills programming. Today, more than 100 graduates are employed and still reside independently in the Richfield area. MICC’s vocational skills training programs, certified by Century College and accredited by CARF International, prepare people for careers in the health services, retail, culinary, and hospitality industries.
“We are honored to receive this recognition from the Richfield Chamber of Commerce,” said Gudmestad. “Our dedicated team of instructors and professionals work passionately to empower participants to create the life they want with independence, meaningful careers, and relationships. This award is a testament to their hard work and dedication. We believe everyone deserves the opportunity to find purpose and belonging in a supportive community.”
In 2015, MICC was previously inducted into the Richfield Small Business Hall of Fame and was first named a Minnesota Top Workplace by the Star Tribune.