Attorneys at Henningson & Snoxell can present a case with compelling evidence that the firm’s volunteerism isn’t a marketing ploy.
A simple rundown of the seven attorneys living in Maple Grove and their vast efforts to give back to the community through Rotary and Lions clubs, chambers of commerce, sports booster clubs and professional organizations could leave a judge or jury with ample circumstantial evidence to bolster the reputation of the general practice law firm.
But founder L. David Henningson’s opening argument would include statements about how the 31-year-old firm was established on the principle of balancing work, family and community. And when an attorney chooses to join an outside group, the firm insists that their involvement exceed inclusion on the organization’s roll call.
“We don’t demand or expect people to be a part of these organizations,” Henningson says. “In fact, we tell them not to join unless they are prepared to commit.”
Henningson and fellow attorney Jeffrey A. Berg have led by example as charter members of the Rotary Club of Maple Grove. They were drawn to Rotary’s concept of service before self.
At a district Rotary conference in 1995, Berg heard about the STRIVE program, which assisted under-performing high school seniors in White Bear Lake. He thought the new Rotary Club of Maple Grove could bring the program to Osseo High School. (It later expanded to Maple Grove High School.)
Now, STRIVE is offered each year to about 80 students (50 at Osseo and 30 at Maple Grove) with sub-par grades placing them in the lower one-third of the senior class. At Osseo, a group of mentors lead 14 meetings on topics such as time management, positive attitude, respect, career planning and networking.
Along with study sessions, the goal is to improve the students’ grades, outlook and acceptance into college or vocational school. Additionally, the Rotary Club of Maple Grove awards 10 STRIVE scholarships valued at $6,000. If the students choose to attend North Hennepin Community College, Hennepin Technical College, or Dunwoody Technical College, the scholarships are matched by the college.
“It’s an extraordinary return,” Berg says. “You might not see it on a day-to-day basis, but the reward is there. At the [yearend] banquet, parents will come up and say, ‘You saved my kid and turned them around.’ ”
Ronnie King, a STRIVE liaison and assistant principal at Osseo High School, says students in the program often don’t have the resources of those in the upper one-third, but leave STRIVE with relationships that others don’t have the privilege of receiving.
The students gain first-hand knowledge and stories of how to make it as professionals. After graduation, students can continue the relationship with their mentor, seeking career advice, a possible internship or a reference letter.
That alone, King stresses, is a great value.
Osseo student Kimber Washington says STRIVE helped her improve her grades from Cs and Bs as a junior to As and Bs as a senior.
“It has shown me that studying is most important,” Washington says of STRIVE. “Everything else is second. … I should value my education.”
Attorneys at Henningson & Snoxell could provide a long list of other philanthropic efforts as evidence, but Doug Galka, a Rotarian, STRIVE leader and certified public accountant, will provides a closing statement:
“That firm is very involved in the community from Rotary, chambers, at boards, in the community,” Galka says. “It’s just part of their philosophy and how they practice.”
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Evidence Sheet
Among the many places that attorneys at the law firm of Henningson & Snoxell serve:
