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Courtney grew up on Humboldt Avenue in Lowry Hill and even helped deliver the Hill &amp; Lake Press before her family moved to Karachi, Pakistan when she was 12. Like many Minnesotans, she eventually felt the pull of home and returned to Minneapolis. She and her husband raised their two children—and a lively pack of dogs—in East Bde Maka Ska before settling in Kenwood, where she now serves as neighborhood board chair.
A retired non-profit leader, Courtney devotes her time to community service, with a focus on reproductive health, affordable housing, and healthcare access. She is deeply involved at Hennepin Healthcare as a Foundation board member and a therapy dog volunteer team.
Courtney’s photos regularly appear in the Hill &amp; Lake Press, and she occasionally contributes commentaries and articles. For her, photography is both a creative outlet and a way to celebrate the community—capturing neighbors and moments as they are, unposed and authentic.
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Courtney Cushing Kiernat

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Craig Wilson has long been active in neighborhood and citywide community organizing, bringing people together to build a stronger, more connected Minneapolis. His background in cultural studies and comparative literature, along with landscape architecture and urban and regional planning, shapes his interest in how culture, place and community intersect. As editor of Hill &amp; Lake Press, Craig is dedicated to highlighting local stories, championing civic engagement and nurturing the shared spirit of the Hill &amp; Lake community — often with his two whippets by his side on neighborhood walks.

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