Anneliese Simons

( Minnesota )
Introduction

Anni works with clients in the Health and Human Services arena to proactively advance and respond to legislative issues at the Minnesota State Capitol.

Anni supports clients at all stages of the state policy development process, including drafting legislation, monitoring introductions of bills, tracking bill status within the legislative process, and interfacing with the Minnesota Legislature, the Governor's Office and other state agencies on behalf of her clients.

Anni has a strong background in state legislative policy in the areas of Medicaid waivered services, disability services and mental health services. Prior to joining Fredrikson & Byron, Anni served as the Senior Manager of Policy and Programs for a large coalition of Health and Human Services provider and advocacy organizations. Anni holds a bachelor's degree in Social Work and a master's degree in Social Work Policy.

Achievements

Served as a leader for the "5% Campaign", a statewide, nonpartisan coalition of more than 100 organizations that successfully secured a 5% rate increase for Home and Community Based Disability and Senior Services during the 2014 legislative session. This rate increase went into effect on July 1, 2014, and will result in more than $80 million in annual ongoing increased funding for the critical services and providers that support Minnesotans with disabilities and older Minnesotans to remain living as independently as possible in the community. The 5% Campaign received the Public Affairs Campaign Award from Politics in MN in 2014, and the campaign was a finalist for the Advocacy Award as part of the 2014 Nonprofit Mission Awards. Anni helped guide the statewide grassroots engagement efforts of the campaign through her role as Grassroots Committee Co-chair and played an active role on the 5% Campaign Steering Committee.

Lobbied and coordinated the grassroots efforts for coalition of disability provider and advocacy organizations from 2008-2012

Worked with clients to successfully repeal and insert specific policy and funding provisions included in Minnesota's Health and Human Services statutory language.

Led clients through the development of comprehensive grassroots advocacy programs that connect the client with legislators of the districts in which the client provides services, resulting in increased long-term legislative familiarity and support for the client's services.

Clients

1) 2026 Special Olympics USA Games

2) American Massage Therapy Assn MN Chapter

3) Behavioral Health Group

4) Body Stars, Inc. aka Almost Famous Body Piercing

5) Cashe Software

6) Center for Victims of Torture

7) Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare

8) Girl Scouts River Valleys

9) Grafton Integrated Health Network

10) Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation

11) Kaplan Woods Care Home

12) Mental Health Providers Assn of MN

13) Midwest Residential Inc.

14) MN HomeCare Assn

15) MN Organization for Habilitation and Rehabilitation, Inc.(MOHR)

16) Nurse-Family Partnership

17) Nystrom & Associates Ltd

18) Organon LLC

19) St. Francis Health Systems of Morris, Inc.

20) Vail Place

Number of Years as a Lobbyist

6-10 years

Relationships

Member, Citizen's League, 2011-present
Board Member, Association of Macro Practice Social Workers (AMPSW)
Member, Midway Chamber of Commerce

Last Updated: November 30, 2023