YouthLink Announces 2021 Todd Klingel Award Winner Melvin Tennant To Be Honored At Signature Event on September 14

Minneapolis, MN – Melvin Tennant, President/CEO of Meet Minneapolis and former YouthLink board member, will be honored with the Todd Klingel Star of Hope Award at YouthLink’s Signature Event, Stand Up for Youth, on Tuesday, September 14. For more than 45 years, YouthLink has provided support services to young people (16-24) experiencing and/or at risk of homelessness in the surrounding Minneapolis area. Today, more than 1,800 young people are served annually.

Each year, the Minneapolis-based nonprofit honors a community member for their dedication to the mission of the organization and to someone who demonstrates a spirit of generosity and commitment to inspire young people and others to believe in themselves for a positive future of hope and opportunity. The award honors the memory of the late Todd Klingel, former President/CEO of the Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce, who was active in Twin Cities community-led efforts for more than 30 years before passing away in 2016. Klingel initiated the first of four “Night of Hope Executive Sleep Outs.”

“Melvin is a significant civic leader in the Twin Cities who has a big heart for the issues of homelessness,” said Steve Cramer, Chair of the YouthLink Board of Directors and President/CEO of the Downtown Council and Downtown Improvement District. “He was such a strong advocate for YouthLink during his time on the board that he was designated as the first ‘emeritus’ member when his term expired.”

Tennant assists his wife, Julie, in her homelessness ministry that focuses on residents of Salvation Army’s Harbor Light Center in Minneapolis. He also served on the YouthLink board for six years. “I am honored and humbled to accept this award and would like to thank the YouthLink Board for this honor,” said Tennant. “Serving our community is a joy, especially for an organization like YouthLink that seeks to uplift young people experiencing homelessness on a daily basis. Receiving the Todd Klingel Award is a special honor – I have fond memories of Todd’s passion and dedication to young people when we worked to help start the Night of Hope Executive Sleep Out event.”

Since joining Meet Minneapolis, the city’s Convention and Visitor’s Association, in 2008, Tennant has overseen a team of 60 who are dedicated to positively impacting the economic and social prosperity of the Minneapolis community. Under his leadership, Meet Minneapolis and its partners have secured and executed major events including the 2018 Super Bowl and 2019 NCAA Men’s Final Four as well as approximately 700 other large, mid-sized and smaller meetings and conventions annually. He is a past chairman of the Destination Marketing Association International and currently serves on the board of Hennepin Theatre Trust, a local performing arts nonprofit organization.

Tennant will be honored at the YouthLink Breakfast 2021: Stand Up for Youth on Tuesday, September 14. Funds raised will help further YouthLink’s mission to support and empower young people on their journey to stable housing and self-reliance. To learn more about Stand Up for Youth and how you can join us, please visit our event page.