Call Mirja 651-291-5616
Email Mirja at Hanson@ConsultHLT.com
View Mirja’s LinkedIn Profile
Mirja Hanson has over four decades of experience assisting managers, public officials, school administrators, and executive directors with strategic and business planning, group decision making, guidance with mergers, restructuring and transitions, leadership development, and inter-organizational partnerships.
Mirja is a leading expert in facilitating binding agreements and large-scale collaborations between diverse stakeholders including the areas of environmental sustainability, affordable housing and homelessness and education. She compiled key findings and advice about consensus-based decision making in her latest publication, Clues to Achieving Consensus: A Leader’s Guide to Navigating Collaborative Problem Solving (2005).
Prior to private practice as CEO and principal consultant of M.P. Hanson Associates in Minnesota, she was an in-house consultant for the State of Minnesota, helping managers improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of public service and serving as Director of Transition for the Twin Cities Metropolitan Council. Before her public service career, Mirja worked in the non-profit sector as senior staff of the Osaka (Japan) and Kansas City offices and director of the Minneapolis offices of the Institute of Cultural Affairs (ICA), a worldwide community and organization development organization with U.N. consultative status.
Mirja holds a Doctorate in Education from the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, an M.B.A. from the Carlson School at the University of Minnesota, and BA from Metropolitan State University. She has also served as founding member and past president of the International Association of Facilitators, Global Facilitator Service Corps, Japan America Society of Minnesota and Simpson Housing Services.
The underlying driver of her work is trust in the power of collective entrepreneurship. According to Mirja, the adage “where there is a will there is a way” is still the most important management theory. “The challenge these days is identifying what is the common will among diverse perspectives and convictions. As an external facilitator and consultant, I am dedicated to developing decision-making processes that result in agreements that all stakeholders will support.”
Mirja’s Clients
Arts & Culture
Capitol Area Architectural Planning Board, Minnesota
Girl Scout Council of St. Croix Valley, Minnesota
Japan America Society of Minnesota
Junior Achievement of the Midwest, Inc.
Northern Clay Center, Minnesota
Philippine Study Group Of Minnesota
Saint Paul Nagasaki Sister City Committee, Minnesota
St. Paul Winter Carnival, Minnesota
zAmya Theatre Project, Minnesota
Education – PreK-12
Minnesota Department of Education
Alexandria School District, Minnesota
Edina Public Schools, Minnesota
East Central School District, Minnesota
Heart of the Earth Center for American Indian Education, Inc. Minnesota
Minneapolis Public Schools, Minnesota
Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland
Oak Hill Montessori, Minnesota
Fond du Lac Ojibwe School, Minnesota
Partnership for Resilience, Illinois*
Reimagine Minnesota – inter-district education equity partnership
Urban Academy Charter School, Minnesota
Westside Summit Charter School, Minnesota
Education – Colleges and Universities
Center For Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota
College of Natural Resources, University of Minnesota
Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College, Minnesota
Minnesota State (Community and Technical College System), Minnesota
Mississippi State University, College of Natural Resources
Natural Resources Research Institute, University of Minnesota
University of St. Thomas, Minnesota
University of Tennessee, Host University – Southern Appalachian Cooperative Ecosystem Study Unit
University of Virginia, Host University – Chesapeake Bay Cooperative Ecosystem Study Unit
Religious/Faith Community
Shower of Stoles Project, Minnesota
Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet and Consociates. Minnesota
Environment
Chiba Prefecture Wetlands Restoration Project, Japan
Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units National Network – Chesapeake Watershed Region; Great Lakes –
Northern Forests Region and Southern Appalachian Region
Department of Natural Resources, Minnesota
Environmental Quality Board, Minnesota
Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Agency, Minnesota
Lake Superior Center, Minnesota
Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources
Natural Resources Research Institute, University of Minnesota
Minneapolis Environmental Commission
Pollution Control Agency, Minnesota
Timber-harvesting Forest Stakeholders Round table, Minnesota
United Nations Development Program – Sustainable Development Advisors Training
U.S.D.A.; U.S. Forest Service – Chippewa and Superior National Forests
Health Care and Social Services
Allina Health System, Minnesota
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota
Crossroads Inc., Adoption Services, Minnesota
Department of Children and Family Services, Illinois
Department of Health, Minnesota
Inter-agency Committee for Long Term Care, Minnesota
Jeremiah Program, Minnesota
Merit Care Health Services, North Dakota
Minnesota Collaborative Anti-Racism Initiative
Open your Hearts to the Hungry and Homeless, Minnesota
PRISM (People Responding in Social Ministry), Minnesota
Statewide Independent Living Council, Minnesota
Community Development
Blandin Foundation Community Leadership Training, Minnesota
City of Maplewood, Minnesota
City of Hoyt Lakes, Minnesota
City of Biwabik, Minnesota
East Range Service Alliance – Aurora, Biwabik, Hoyt Lakes, Town of White, Minnesota *
Fond du Lac Reservation of the Lake Superior Chippewa, Minnesota
Institute of Cultural Affairs U.S.A., Chicago, Illinois
Metropolitan Council, Minnesota
Monroe County Commissioner’s Strategic Planning, Michigan*
Housing
Housing Finance Agency, Minnesota
Community Land Trust Summit, Minnesota
Corporation for Supportive Housing
Full Circle Communities, Illinois
Habitat for Humanity, Twin Cities and Rochester Minnesota
Home Ownership Center, Minnesota
Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless
Minnesota Housing Partnership
Neighborhood Development Alliance (NeDA), Minnesota
Saint Stephens Human Services, Minnesota
Simpson Housing Services, Minnesota
Wells Fargo Bank – Community Lending Division, Minnesota
Working Group for Ending Chronic Homelessness, Minnesota
Economic Development
APEX Business and Economic Development Organization, Minnesota
Arrowhead Growth Alliance, Minnesota
Better Business Bureau, Minnesota and North Dakota and National Operating Committee
Dakota County, Minnesota
Department of Commerce, Minnesota
Department of Employment and Economic Development, Minnesota
Governor’s Committee on Minnesota’s Mining Future
Itasca County Economic Development Corporation, Minnesota
Taconite Industry Cost Reduction Initiative
Public Service Development
Columbia Heights Police Department, Minnesota
Commission On Reform and Efficiency, Minnesota
Dakota County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota
Congressional Management Foundation, Washington D.C.
Office of Management and Budget, Minnesota
Office of the Governor, Minnesota
Public Employees Retirement Association, Minnesota
State Human Resources Cabinet, Illinois
U.S. House of Representatives Bipartisan Congressional Retreat
Transportation
Center For Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota
Department of Transportation, Minnesota
Midwest Inter State Passenger Rail Commission
Volpe Center for Transportation Research, U.S. Department of Transportation
Professional Associations
Aggregate Ready-Mix Association of Minnesota
International Association of Facilitators
Iron Mining Association
Minnesota Association of Realtors
Minnesota Commercial Real Estate Women
Minnesota Council for Teachers of Mathematics
Minnesota Forest Industries
Minnesota Newspaper Association
Multiple-organization Partnerships
Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units National Network; a partnership of federal agencies & universities –
Chesapeake Watershed Region; Great Lakes -Northern Forests Region; Southern Appalachian Region
Forest Resources Advisory Panel, Tennessee*
Hearth Connection, Housing and Healthcare for Those Experiencing Chronic Homelessness, Minnesota
Laurentian Vision Mineland Restoration Initiative, Minnesota
Partnership for Resilience, Illinois
Pavement Research Partnerships, Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota
Reimagine Minnesota – Inter-district education equity partnership, Minnesota
Timber-harvesting Forest Stakeholders Roundtable, Minnesota
Business organizations
Anderson Windows, Minnesota
3M Corporation, Minnesota
Ernst and Young, Minnesota
Honeywell Corporation, Minnesota
Household International, Illinois
KPMG Peat Marwick, Illinois
Kanbay Resources, Inc, India
Lakehead Constructors, Inc. Minnesota
McKasy Travel Service, Inc. Minnesota
U.S. Steel, Minnesota Ore Operations
Wells Fargo Bank