Our Staff

Program Staff

Niel Ritchie
Executive Director
Before joining the League of Rural Voters, Niel spent 14 years with the Minneapolis-based Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy serving in a variety of roles, including eight years as a national organizer responsible for outreach and networking among U.S. farm and non-farm groups. He has managed statewide and Congressional campaigns in the Midwest, and is the author of numerous articles and op/eds on food, farm, and rural economic policy. Niel currently serves on the boards of Rural Community Assistance Partnership, Jobs NOW Coalition and Main Street Project, and serves on the political committee of Clean Water Action Alliance of Minnesota.

Larry Weiss
Employee Free Choice Act Field Director
Larry served as executive director of the Citizens Trade Campaign for four years, and eleven years before that, served as director of their Minnesota state affiliate, the Minnesota Fair Trade Coalition. Most recently he managed Rep. Keith Ellison's 2008 election campaign.

Organizational Staff

Kathy Hiltsley
Office Manager
Kathy Hiltsley has worked as a volunteer and staff member in the nonprofit world for more than 20 years. Prior to joining The League of Rural Voters, she worked at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, providing administrative support for everything from event coordination, to youth volunteer and librarian supervision to building management. Hiltsley brought her skills and commitment to social justice issues to the League of Rural Voters in 2007.

Kat Vann
Director, Communications
Kat Vann joined the League of Rural Voters in 2008. She's new to nonprofit work, but not to the power of communications in building relationships and advancing change. Vann has more than 25 years of communications experience, primarily in the health care industry and including strategic communications planning and implementation.