Assistant Hennepin County Attorney named 2021 Bush Foundation fellow

The Bush Foundation has announced its annual list of fellows, and assistant Hennepin County Attorney Sandra Filardo has been selected. She is one of 24 fellows, chosen from a diverse and competitive applicant pool of 538. Eligible applicants are those from Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and 23 Native American nations in the three states.

The preeminent St. Paul foundation focuses on the development of leadership skills of selected fellows, investing in their innovative ideas and problem-solving abilities aimed at improving communities and the systems that serve them.

For her fellowship, Filardo will assess ways in which the criminal justice system can be improved, how livability crimes can be reexamined to ensure disenfranchised people are not constant victims of their circumstances, and how she can enhance her leadership and policy making skills.

“Becoming a Bush Foundation fellow is a great honor. It’s an opportunity for me to develop my leadership abilities so I can help make our community a better, more equitable place,” Filardo said.

I am excited and eager to begin this fellowship. This is a chance to make substantial, lasting, and impactful changes to criminal justice system that unfairly treats marginalized community members. I look forward to collaborating with communities in the region, increasing community engagement efforts, and making the world a more just place for everyone.”

Filardo currently oversees the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office Community Engagement Unit.

Learn more about the Bush Foundation fellowship.