New lecture series by Essentia honors the leadership legacy of Renee Van Nett

Essentia Health is proud to announce an annual lectureship honoring the late Duluth city councilor Renee Van Nett. 

The first lectureship, titled “Learning from Influential Leaders,” is scheduled for 12-1 p.m. on Wednesday, May 24, and will feature keynote speaker Joseph Nayquonabe of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, who is the CEO and board chair of Mille Lacs Corporate Ventures.

It will take place in the auditorium at Essentia Health-Duluth’s Miller-Dwan Building (502 E. Second St.).

Attendees can watch in-person from the Dwan Auditorium or via Zoom webinar. The event is free and open to the public and is worth one Continuing Medical Education credit for health care providers (AMA PRA Category 1). 

Van Nett, who passed away in June 2022 at the age of 52, was the first Native American woman elected to Duluth’s city council and the first Native American to serve as council president. She was a founding member of the Duluth Citizen Review Board, which was created to advise the city’s police department, and was a staunch advocate for the underserved, her labor union brothers and sisters and Indigenous communities. 

“This lectureship honors Renee Van Nett’s legacy by elevating the significance of cultural competency within health care, for health care providers and the communities we are privileged to serve,” said Dr. David Herman, CEO of Essentia Health. 

Keynote speaker Nayquonabe has dedicated his career to exploring how Native American tribal economies can grow and prosper. He also is a board member of Mille Lacs Health System. 

If you would like to watch the lectureship online, you can do so at this Zoom link: https://essentia.zoom.us/j/94883906388?pwd=cEdiQ1MvMTdDOHdOMlc2d0tja1Bsdz09.