Legacy Leader Award

2026 Legacy Leader Award Winners

The 2026 Legacy Leader Award winners are Connie Menne, Vice President of Operations at REM Minnesota (Sevita); Lynne Megan, CEO/Executive Director of TSE, Inc.; and Terri Williams, Founder and Chair of Mains'l Services. The awardees represent over 120 years of combined service to the disability service industry and have been heavily involved with ARRM by serving on its committees, dedicating countless volunteer hours to support the organization’s mission, leaving a lasting impact on their colleagues and people served. 

The awardees represent over 120 years of combined service to the disability service industry and have been heavily involved with ARRM by serving on its committees, dedicating countless volunteer hours to support the organization’s mission, leaving a lasting impact on their colleagues and people served. 

About the Winners

Connie Menne is the Vice President of Operations at REM Minnesota (Sevita) and has served the disability services industry for 41 years. Connie's legacy is distinguished by her commitment to advocacy and advancement of person-centered principles in Minnesota and beyond. Connie has also served several terms on ARRM's Board of Directors, including a term as President from 1998-2000, and has volunteered her time on numerous ARRM committees and task forces. Connie's nominator wrote: "Connie's career spans one of the most transformative periods in disability services history. She was a pioneer during Minnesota's transition from institutional models of care to community-based services, helping shape a system that recognizes every individual's right to live, work, and thrive in their community, something that moves her still."

Lynne Megan is the CEO/Executive Director of TSE, Inc. She has served the disability services field for 46 years, and has been involved with ARRM's committees since 1983. Lynne served on the ARRM board for almost 20 years, beginning in 1984. Lynne's leadership extends beyond ARRM, reaching from local engagement with a coalition of other Minnesota-based organizations to the state and national level, and she has supported hundreds of individuals in their pursuit of fulfilling lives. Her nominator explained, "Lynne’s impact is evident in the countless individuals who now experience greater independence, confidence, and belonging because of her efforts. It is reflected in the staff she has mentored, the systems she has strengthened, and the community she has helped shape. Her story is one of dedication, impact, and inspiration."

Terri Williams is the founder of Mains'l Services, which was born from Terri's personal commitment to improving the lives of people with disabilities. In addition to growing Mains'l from a small HCBS organization in Minnesota in the 1980s to an organization that reaches from coast to coast today, Terri has been a tireless supporter of ARRM. She served as ARRM's Board President from 1994-1996 and worked to advance ARRM's policy goals at the state and national levels. Terri's nominator wrote: "Terri's vision has always been a world that works for everyone. She has spent her career building organizations, mentoring leaders, and changing systems so that people with disabilities can live richer, more self-directed lives. True to the promise she made as a college student in 1973, her vow to build a better world for those with disabilities and beyond continues to play out today, in those she has mentored and the systems she's helped redesign. Our world is a better place because of Terri Williams."

Previous Next

2026 Legacy Leader Award

ARRM believes that a legacy is an individual's enduring impact on those they've served. Legacies are not accidental but a deliberate result of thoughtful actions which placed those they've served at the center of their leadership style. 

The ARRM Legacy Leader Award was established in 2025 to honor our finest and most influential leaders. All recipients will have delivered noteworthy leadership in their lifetime and can be recognized by their ability to empower and influence others towards positive impacts.

In addition to the award itself, our winner(s) will be given free registration and lodging to this year's ARRM Leadership Conference! If you are interested in nominating someone for this award, please review the general bullet points below, then proceed through our Award Nomination Form for full details regarding criteria and submission requirements.

  • The winner(s) will be announced prior to and given out annually at the ARRM Leadership Conference.

  • There is no limit on the number of times a person can be nominated.

  • Nominees may be recently retired (up to 3 years post-retirement or post-employment at an ARRM member organization). Posthumous nominations are also accepted.

Award Criteria

  • Must be an employee or recently retired employee of an organizational, associate, or supporting member of ARRM.
  • Must have provided at least 20 years of service to the disability services industry.
  • Must have provided at least 10 years of significant service to ARRM.    
  • Must have impacted the wider health and human services industry through their endeavors with ARRM.
  • Must be supported by a minimum of two letters of recommendation from individuals currently active in the association who were empowered or inspired by their leadership and influence.
  • Must be approved by an organization's ARRM Primary Contact (If the nomination is for an ARRM Primary Contact, the nomination must be approved by their organization's ARRM Alternate Contact).

Nominations Can Be Completed By:

  • Either a member or non-member, including the individual seeking nomination.
  • A current employee. However, the organization’s ARRM Primary Contact must approve the application.

Any questions regarding this nomination form, including requests to determine the ARRM Primary and Alternate Contact(s) for your organization, can be submitted to info@arrm.org.

2025 Legacy Leader Award Winners

The 2025 Legacy Leader Award winners were John Estrem, Chief Executive Officer of Hammer & NER in Wayzata; Therese Davis, Executive Director (Emerita) of Wingspan Life Resources in St. Paul; Sandy Henry, retired (formerly a Senior Director at Sengistix in Mendota Heights); and Jon Nelson, Executive Director of Residential Services, Inc. in Duluth. The awardees represent over 130 years of combined service to the disability service industry and have been heavily involved with ARRM by serving on its committees, dedicating countless volunteer hours to support the organization’s mission, leaving a lasting impact on their colleagues and clients. 

From left: 2025 ARRM Board President Anna Hegland (Dungarvin), John Estrem, Therese Davis, Sandy Henry, Jon Nelson, ARRM CEO Sue Schettle