Jim Koppel holds over 40 years of leadership experience in the public and private sectors focused on heath, child welfare, and human services. A veteran state health official and longtime child welfare advocate, Jim led statewide legislative and policy efforts to secure universal health care in Minnesota with MN Health Care Access and the Council of Community Hospitals, and led the Children’s Defense Fund state office advocating for children’s rights through policy and programming, impacting hundreds of thousands of children and securing millions of dollars to support efforts. He was appointed Deputy Commissioner for the Minnesota Department of Health overseeing all aspects of public health, and most recently served as the Assistant Commissioner for Children and Family Services Minnesota’s Department of Human Services, where he oversaw Children and Family Services Administration, which includes the Division of Child Care, Division of Child Support, Office of Refugee Assistance, Division of Child Safety and Permanency, and Division of Economic Support and Employment Services.

Jim received his B.A. in Sociology from the University of Mount Union and a Masters in Social Work from Howard University.