HMC update one year later

In the spring of 2025, the Hamline Midway Coalition disavowed former board president Cole Hanson, who was running for Ward 4 City Council. Several other board members resigned and HMC Organizing Director Justin Lewandowski was suspended for speaking to the Monitor. (See story titled, “HMC disavows former board president Cole Hanson” on the Monitor website.)

HMC engaged a professional HR consultant to review HMC board and staff conduct in spring and summer 2025. The review concluded that Justin Lewandowski’s suspension was not undertaken using best practices, according to HMC Executive Director Lisa Nelson. The suspension has been removed from his personnel file, and Lewandowski remains an employee in good standing at HMC.

Following unauthorized downloads of internal data in spring 2025, HMC engaged legal counsel, and they did not recommend further action. HMC policy already in place prohibits the use of HMC documents for any outside purposes. HMC has taken additional steps to improve internal data controls and security to prevent future unauthorised access or use of internal documents.

On Nov. 18, 2025, the HMC Board unanimously approved an update to its bylaws explicitly requiring current board members to immediately resign from the board in the event that they begin running or campaigning for public office.

They also unanimously approved an updated conflict of interest policy and disclosure forms.
HMC will continue its commitment to nonpartisanship and refrain from hosting any candidate forums, said Nelson.

They have conducted board and staff training on HMC’s technology policy, conflict of interest policy, and board obligations of fiduciary duty and duty of care.