Sharon Van Leer

Sharon is a native Minnesotan who grew up in the Rondo neighborhood of St. Paul and moved to White Bear Lake because of the gentrification of Rondo. Sharon worked for The Higher Education Assistant Foundation from 1984 to 1991 as Minnesota Regional Coordinator for federal guaranteed student loans, where she provided technical support and assisted in the recovery of defaulted student loans for Minnesota, Iowa, Chicago, Wisconsin, North and South Dakota.

Sharon joined Mitchell Hamline School of Law in 1991 as a faculty administrative assistant, contributing to the overall effectiveness and professional administrative support to full-time faculty, visiting scholars and distinguished judges. She later became a program manager in the Office of Multicultural and International Inclusion and is now a director in the law school’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion office.

Sharon earned a Masters in Public Administration from Bethel University and a BA in Business Administration from Metropolitan State University.

Sharon has been very active in numerous civic and community organizations including:

• Member and former Treasurer, School Board, South Washington County Schools
• Member, Minnesota Commission on Judicial Selection
• Steering Committee Member – YMCA Racial Justice
• Member of the National Association of International Educators
• Member of the Twin Cities Diversity Round Table
• Executive Board Member for Law School Diversity Professional
• City of Lakes Jack & Jill of America –Executive Board Member and Financial Secretary
• South Washington Educational Foundation Board Member
• South Washington County Education Equity and Integration Community Advisory Board
• Past member, William Mitchell College of Law Dean’s Diversity Council
• District Diversity Representative for Woodbury Senior High
• Past President of Parent Support Council – JJ Hill Elementary School
• Member of Washington County Foster Parent Association
• Past Member of the Selby-Dale Safety Committee
• Past Secretary for the Greater St. Paul Area Church Women United
• Past Fundraising Chair – St. Paul American Cancer Society

Momma Sharon, as she is affectionately called, was married to the Rev. Thomas Van Leer. They have five children; 14 grandchildren; 16 great grandchildren; 36 foster children, and 22 great foster grandchildren.

Further reading: Mama Sharon: The model of caring