Minnesota Center for Employee Ownership Announces Two New Board Appointments

Jeff Cairns and Leah Goldstein Moses bring complementary legal, governance and lived employee-ownership expertise to MNCEO’s growing leadership team

ST. CLOUD, MN, UNITED STATES, February 5, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Minnesota Center for Employee Ownership (MNCEO) today announced the appointment of two new members to its Board of Directors—Jeff Cairns and Leah Goldstein Moses—effective immediately. The appointments strengthen MNCEO’s leadership with a rare combination of deep technical knowledge, governance experience and firsthand leadership in employee ownership.

“As MNCEO continues to expand its statewide reach and build durable ecosystems for employee ownership, the addition of Jeff and Leah comes at a pivotal moment,” said Kirsten Kennedy, MNCEO’s executive director. “Together, they bring both the structural expertise and the lived experience needed to help more Minnesota businesses explore ownership transitions that are practical, equitable and built to last.”

Cairns recently retired as a partner at Stinson LLP, where he practiced in the firm’s Minneapolis office. An attorney and certified public accountant, Cairns spent decades advising employers, corporate boards, trustees and plan administrators on employer-sponsored compensation and benefit plans, including Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) and other ownership-aligned benefit structures.

A graduate of Mitchell Hamline School of Law, where he earned his J.D., Cairns later served on the school’s board of trustees. He is an emeritus member of the Great Lakes Area Tax Exempt/Government Entities Council and was inducted as a fellow of the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel in 2016. Cairns’s civic leadership includes past service as a board director and officer with the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club of Minneapolis. He currently serves on the board of the American Red Cross Minnesota and Dakotas Region – Twin Cities Area and is a former member of MNCEO’s Service Provider Advisory Board.

“Employee ownership works best when it is thoughtfully designed, well-governed and clearly understood by everyone involved,” Cairns said. “MNCEO plays a critical role in helping business owners and advisors navigate those complexities, and I’m honored to support that mission as a board member.”

Goldstein Moses brings a different—but equally essential—dimension to MNCEO’s board: the perspective of an owner who successfully led a company through a worker-ownership transition. A business coach and organizational strategist, she is the founder and former CEO of Improve Group, an evaluation and learning firm she led for more than two decades, before collaborating with her team to transition the company into a worker-owned cooperative in 2023.

“Shared ownership isn’t just a structure—it’s a way of leading that builds trust, accountability and resilience,” Goldstein Moses said. “MNCEO helps make ownership transitions more accessible and less intimidating, and I’m excited to contribute my experience to advancing that work across Minnesota.”

Goldstein Moses is currently co-founder of Tranquil Bay, where she supports leaders focused on positive social impact. She continues to serve on the board of Improve Group and is an active civic and business leader, including serving as a regional lead for the Women Presidents Organization. She is also developing her next venture, Ownly.Coop, a worker-owned cooperative holding company designed to expand access to ownership and support cooperative growth across sectors.

A reflective business leader, Goldstein Moses holds a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from the University of Minnesota and a bachelor’s degree in history and urban studies from Macalester College.

Kennedy said the dual appointments reflect MNCEO’s intentional approach to board leadership. “Jeff understands the legal and fiduciary frameworks that make employee ownership sustainable at scale,” she said. “Leah understands what it takes to lead people through change and steward a business in shared ownership day to day. That combination will help MNCEO stay both rigorous and human-centered as we grow.”

As MNCEO continues to support ESOPs, worker-owned cooperatives, employee ownership trusts (EOTs), and other shared ownership models throughout the state, the organization expects Cairns and Goldstein Moses to play key roles in shaping strategy, strengthening partnerships, and advancing education for business owners and their advisors.

“Employee ownership is gaining momentum because it meets real needs—succession planning, workforce retention and wealth building,” Kennedy said. “With Jeff and Leah joining our board, MNCEO is even better positioned to help Minnesota businesses turn that momentum into lasting impact.”

About the Minnesota Center for Employee Ownership
The Minnesota Center for Employee Ownership (MNCEO) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free and unbiased information and resources to business owners and their advisors on the benefits of employee ownership throughout Minnesota. Established in 2020, MNCEO is part of a national network of state centers for employee ownership created by the Employee Ownership Expansion Network, which is committed to closing the wealth gap for all employees. For more information, visit www.mnceo.org.

Lee Hayes
Minnesota Center for Employee Ownership
+1 651-261-4356
email us here

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