Heather Ring is the new executive director of the Minnesota Innocence Project.

The nonprofit says it goal is: “Keeping the innocent from being convicted and freeing those imprisoned for crimes they didn’t commit.”

Ring, an attorney and development professional, has been working at the University of Minnesota as a development officer.

Her job at the Innocence Project is to “provide leadership in resource development, organizational management, and work with the organization’s legal director to shape policy and advocacy work.”

Jon Hopeman, board co-chair for the Minnesota Innocence Project, said: “Heather Ring has a rare combination of experience – in criminal law and development – that is custom-built for this position.”

Ring has also been a volunteer attorney with First Defense Legal Aid in Chicago, a student intern with the immigration program at the Advocates for Human Rights, and a program coordinator for Heartland International, which designs social development projects.

Ring is a magna cum laude law school graduate and summa cum laude undergraduate from the University of Minnesota. She also holds a Master of Arts (M.A.) from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium.