JOHNSON KILLEN SEILER &

From all of us at JOHNSON, KILLEN & SEILER, Congratulations to Kevin Pillsbury for being recognized as one of this year’s 20 under 40 recipients!

What do you do? (job, community involvement)

Community and Political Organizer at Take Action Minnesota

I work in the community to build with our neighbors and create a city that benefits everyone, ensuring that all citizens in Duluth can live and work with dignity.

How do you spend your free time?

Outside of work I usually spend my time supporting other organizers and community leaders and members in their endeavors to build a more equitable city. Fighting for racial, gender and class equity isn’t something that we stop doing when we are not at work. It should be embedded into every aspect of our daily lives, even when we are having fun with friends.

Tell us about an influential person in your life.

LeAnn Littlewolf. I first met LeAnn while working on the Earned Sick and Safe Time campaign in 2017. She has taught me so much about community building and organizing. She has also taught me ways to show up as an ally and helped me understand and learn from my own mistakes (of which I’ve made many). I wouldn’t be the person I am today if I hadn’t met her.

What keeps you in the Twin Ports?

The short answer is the people and the lake.

The longer, more detailed answer is now that we are in a climate crisis, Duluth will be one of the only year-round habitable places 50 years down the line if we don’t get our act together as a country and world. So I’d like to be a part of building a community that treats everyone with respect and is welcoming to the new folks who will inevitably be moving here.

What words of wisdom do you live by?

Build bridges, don’t burn them.

What do you do? (job, community involvement)

President/CEO, Duluth Children’s Museum; vice chair, Minnesota Council of Nonprofits; secretary, Lincoln Park Business Group, volunteer for many community causes and events.

How do you spend your free time?

Aside from my work at the museum, I teach organizational leadership for Southern New Hampshire University. I run, having completed a couple of Ragnars and will run a half-marathon, Whistlestop, for my first time. Mostly I just run for me. I love tabletop and video games as well.

Tell us about an influential person in your life.

My 17-year-old son, Blaez, has been the most influential part of my life since he was born. It is our responsibility as parents to raise kids better than we are and Blaez has hit this out of the park, as a third-year PSEO student, collections intern for Glensheen, and active volunteer in our community.

What keeps you in the Twin Ports?

Lake Superior is magic. Whenever I leave for any length of time, cresting Thompson Hill and seeing the lake gives me goosebumps every time.

What words of wisdom do you live by?

The Platinum Rule: Do unto others as they would have you do unto them. Seek to understand everyone you meet, before being understood.