Erik Torch Joins Northland Foundation as Grant Program Manager

The Northland Foundation is pleased to welcome Erik Torch as Grant Program Manager. Beginning March 2nd, Torch will assume the position previously held by Mary Robillard, who retired in November after more than a dozen years with the Foundation.

Erik has spent the past six years with the Damiano Center in Duluth, serving as executive director for the last three. Previously, he spent five years developing and supporting justice and peace-building programs in the former Yugoslavia and in Southeast Asia. He received a Masters in Social Work from the University of Minnesota Duluth in 2005 and also holds a bachelors degree in Outdoor Education from Northland College.

“Erik has lived the daily challenges of managing and funding a nonprofit organization. His experience and understanding will serve both the Northland Foundation and the region very well,” stated the Foundation’s President, Tom Renier.

As Grant Program Manager, Erik will oversee the Grant Program which last year awarded more than $1.5 million in funding to nonprofit organizations located in the seven-county region of northeastern Minnesota.