St. Paul, MN -- Governor Mark Dayton today announced Kevin Lindsey, a civil litigation attorney in the Office of the Ramsey County Attorney, as his Commissioner of Human Rights. Mr. Lindsey brings over fifteen years experience resolving complex legal and public policy questions to the Dayton Administration. His deep familiarity and passion for issues concerning human services, housing, employment and civil litigation in both the private and public sector make him ideally suited for the position.

The Minnesota Department of Human Rights' mission is "to make Minnesota discrimination-free." It serves as a neutral state agency dedicated to investigating charges of illegal discrimination and ensuring that businesses seeking state contracts comply with equal opportunity requirements. The Department strives to eliminate discrimination by educating Minnesotans about their rights and responsibilities under the state Human Rights Act.

"Kevin is a respected lawyer and advocate with deep experience in the community working on issues of fairness in the workplace and in the community," said Governor Dayton. "He will be a strong, professional voice in the Dayton Administration."

I look forward to working with Governor Dayton in the Department of Human Rights and will strive to make its mission of making Minnesota discrimination-free a reality, said Lindsey. I am humbled and honored to have been selected by the Governor for this position and I'm excited about the opportunity to serve.

Kevin Lindsey received his JD and BA from the University of Iowa, where as a law student he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Iowa Law Review. He worked for the firm of Oppenheimer Wolff and Donnelly where he practiced civil litigation, primarily representing clients in employment, product liability, contract and health law. He also brings private sector experience as Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel of Axis, Inc., where he was responsible for managing human resources operations, ensuring legal and administrative compliance, and risk management. Prior to joining Ramsey County Mr. Lindsey worked for the firm of Halleland, Lewis, Nilan and Johnson in the employment and health law groups.