Events

Ethelind Kaba is the Executive Director of the Ann Bancroft Foundation, which provides life-changing opportunities for girls across Minnesota. She leads the organization’s strategy, partnerships, and fundraising to expand access and amplify girls’ voices.

Previously, she founded The StarGirl Initiative, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering teen and tween girls, for which she was recognized as a Changemaker by Minnesota Women’s Press. She has also been named to the Twin Cities Business 100: People to Know list and recognized as one of Minnesota’s 50 Black Leaders to Know.

A passionate advocate for advancing human dignity and potential, Ethelind serves on the Augsburg University Board of Regents and previously served on the National Governing Board of the Jeremiah Program, focused on advancing economic mobility for single mothers.

An immigrant from Ghana, she lives in Edina with her family, where she’s still learning to love road trips.

Thumbs Up is a mental health nonprofit founded in 2014 to honor Bob Schmit and Chuck Dahlheimer, who died by suicide. Our mission is to raise awareness and provide support and resources for all. We run nine programs, including bereavement support, suicide prevention, after-school initiatives, and teen outreach in schools. Learn more at thumbsupformentalhealth.org.

Kate Simonet is the development manager of Thumbs Up and has her own mental health story. She had a mental health crisis and survived a suicide attempt in 2013, as a senior in high school. She truly believes in the mission at Thumbs Up and believes that if Thumbs Up was around when she was in high school, her journey would have been a lot different.

Minnesota State Representative Jess Hanson represents District 55A for Savage and NW Burnsville in the south metro. She has served in the Minnesota Legislature since 2021.

She grew up in Lakeville in poverty, and she always says she was never supposed to become a politician. Her life has brought her on a journey from being a high school drop out and teen mom to a first-generation college graduate, a solo parent and homeowner, an experienced professional and educator, and a three-term state legislator. Hanson earned a Bachelor of Science in Social Work from St. Catherine University and a Master of Arts in Advocacy and Political Leadership (MAPL) from Metropolitan State University.

Hanson serves as co-vice chair of the Children and Families Finance and Policy. She is serving her third term on the Higher Education Finance and Policy and is in her first term on the Taxes Committees. She co-teaches the Model Legislature course at Metropolitan State University in the MAPL program where she brings young people to St. Paul for a 2-day mini session where they perform as legislators by electing leaders, participating in committees, and debating and voting on bills.

She believes that politics is how we care about each other, that we deserve a responsible government, and that we can and must do the most good for the most people by working together.

Karen Wojahn was raised in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin School of Business with a degree in Accounting. She worked in government and public accounting and has actively volunteered with many non-profits, including the Embroiderers’ Guild of America. In her spare time, she enjoys embroidery, traveling, reading, golf, and cross-country skiing.

In March, 2025, Karen and 16 other Global Travelers shared an amazing experience in the Brazilian Amazon. They combined service and learned about grant opportunities with incredible sight-seeing.

Early Childhood Literacy Packets Assembly
Tuesday, January 6 and January 20, 12:15 p.m. - 1:15 p.m.
Brookview Golden Valley
Community volunteers will gather at Brookview on January 6th and January 20th to assemble a total of 400 literacy packets designed to support early childhood development for children ages 0–3. Each literacy packet includes a hardcover Dr. Seuss book, additional age-appropriate children’s books, and a Progress Wheel that helps parents understand key developmental milestones during the early years.
REGISTER HERE

Tony Loyd is a former Fortune 500 executive who knows what it means to endure. As a lifelong marathoner, he has raced across continents, pushing his limits in pursuit of something deeper than a finish line. But in 2025, everything changed. After undergoing cancer surgery that removed 25 percent of his lung capacity, Tony faced a new kind of challenge: learning how to keep going when the path forward looked nothing like the one behind him.

Now, he is training for the 2026 Age Group World Championship marathon. His goal is not just to compete, but to discover what it takes to get 100 percent out of 75 percent of his lungs. That journey, equal parts grit, humility, and science, mirrors the message he brings to leaders around the world.

Tony is the founder of Culture Shift Advisors and the architect of Endurance Leadership, a field-tested, science-backed framework for building resilient, high-integrity organizations. At its core are five Aid Stations: Calm, Clarify, Change, Connect, and Continue, each grounded in research from psychology, neuroscience, and organizational behavior. These pillars help leaders regulate stress, align with purpose, navigate change, foster trust, and sustain momentum at a sustainable, human-centered pace.

Tony’s work is shaped by decades of executive experience and a deep commitment to service. He is a TEDx speaker, best-selling author, and the host of Social Entrepreneur, a podcast ranked in the top 1 percent globally. Through keynotes, workshops, and executive coaching, he equips mission-driven leaders to endure, adapt, and make a lasting impact.

Tony’s message is not about bouncing back. It is about moving forward, deliberately, authentically, and together. His story is proof that resilience is not an individual trait. It is embedded in the company’s texture. That is The Endurance Advantage.

Rotarians and volunteers will gather to create Valentine’s Day cards for Senior Citizens. In partnership with One Good Deed, the cards will be given to campuses of senior assisted living facilities. Any remaining cards will be shared with Meals On Wheels, placed in meals delivered in the western and northwestern suburbs.

Long time employees Scott Farrell and Steven Williams recently purchased both Down In The Valley locations. The pair bought the locations from Brandon and Taryn Hyland, the adult children of late founder, Steve Hyland, who opened the business in 1972. 

Farrell has been working for the business for 25 years, and plans on continuing the store’s legacy for years to come. “Steve Hyland created and nurtured this shop, and it’s become a vital voice in the record store scene in Minneapolis and beyond," said Farrell in a press release. “We’re proud to continue his legacy by giving customers a great selection, outstanding customer service, exclusive merchandise, and cool events.”

Scott and Steven were leading the brand for more than a decade; Farrell as the general manager and Williams as its music buyer and assistant general manager. Now they add co-owners to their titles.

Voted Minnesota's Best Record Store from 2021 through 2025, Down in the Valley celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022 and currently employs 25 people.

No Sew Fleece-Tie Blankets

Volunteers will make no-sew fleece tie blankets benefitting youth in crisis. Finished blankets will be distributed among The Ronald McDonald House, Foster Adopt MN (FAM), Hennepin Healthcare, Gillette's Children's Hospital, and Children's Minnesota organizations. All materials are supplied. In partnership with One Good Deed.

As Government Relations Director, Steve Schultz brings more than 25 years of experience working in politics including lobbying at the capitol, volunteering for campaigns, and organizing people and communities to protect our water. When not at the capitol, or plotting with coworkers on how to win on our campaigns, he is probably in his garden or at the lake enjoying the outdoors on his kayak or sitting on the beach. He also enjoys camping, hiking, running, biking, disc golfing, and Minnesota Twins baseball and Green Bay Packers football. https://www.friends-bwca.org/

Sierra Lyon is the Manager of Corporate Partnerships at Make-A-Wish Minnesota, where she connects companies with opportunities to help grant life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. Her presentation will highlight the lasting impact of a wish on children, families, and communities, as well as opportunities for Rotary members to support Make-A-Wish through volunteer engagement and community partnerships. A former member of the Rotary After Hours Club of La Crosse, Sierra is passionate about community engagement and continues to live out the Rotary value of “Service Above Self” through her work. She joined the Make-A-Wish Minnesota team in March, 2025. She is originally from La Crosse, Wisconsin, and moved to Minnesota in 2024. Sierra got started in nonprofit fundraising when she started the organization Abilities in Harmony that provides show choir camps to individuals of all abilities. In her free time, she takes dance classes, travels, water skis, and golfs. Sierra has two brown tabby cats, Julian and Willoughby.

Ember Reichgott Junge, former Minnesota state senator (for New Hope, Crystal, Robbinsdale, and a small part of Golden Valley), journalist, and nonprofit executive, is an attorney and broadcast political analyst. She is an alumna of the international cast of Up with People and a late-blooming ballroom dancer. Her first book, "Zero Chance of Passage", won the 2013 Grand Prize for Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards and was cited as an expert resource in a 2025 U.S. Supreme Court case. Ember is a graduate of St. Olaf College, Duke University Law School, and University of St. Thomas (MBA). She and her husband, Michael Junge, commute between their Hutchinson and Minneapolis, Minnesota, homes with their miniature schnauzer, Maya. Ember's new book, "The Dance of Resilience: Transforming Lives and Staying Vibrant Through Partner Dance", will be published in January, 2026.

Khalique Rogers is a graduate of Gordon Parks High School, St. Paul College, and has been asked to provide featured presentations at conferences not only in Minnesota, but also in other states. Rogers has co-authored columns in the Star Tribune and MinnPost. He’s been asked to testify a number of time at Minnesota legislative committees focused on helping reduce the number of youth and family experiencing homelessness. He personally experienced homelessness as a youngster. He served as the leader of a successful effort to convert a trash-filled vacant lot in St. Paul into a beautiful playground. Rogers has a deep belief in the importance of having young people be present and have opportunities to help shape policy.

Joe Nathan has been an inner city public school aide, teacher, and administrator. He was selected to coordinate a National Governors Association project, Time for Results: the Governors 1991 Report on Education. More than 30 state legislatures and several Congressional Committees have asked him to testify on various education issues. Student, parent, and professional groups have given him awards for his work. Nathan has helped write several major laws, including Post Secondary Enrollment Options and the nation’s first charter public school law. He served as a local PTA president in St. Paul, and a member of the Minnesota State PTA board. He has written two books named “must read” by the American School Board journal, along with a third, and edited a fourth. More than 30 newspapers including Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Atlanta Constitution, and Detroit News have published guest columns he wrote. Nathan has written proposals that generated more than $33 million from a variety of national, regional, and local foundations, government agencies, and companies.

Between 1989 and 2004 he wrote a weekly column carried by three of Minnesota’s four largest daily papers. He now writes a twice-a-month column carried regularly by about 20 suburban and rural Minnesota newspapers. The column also has appeared on local and national websites. Nathan has appeared on more than 400 television and radio programs including “The Today Show”, “Good Morning America”, "McNeil/Lehrer News Hour”, and “All Things Considered”. He earned a B.A. from Carleton, MA and PhD from the University of Minnesota. Nathan has been married for 46 years to a retired St. Paul Public School teacher. The Nathan’s three children all attended and graduated from St. Paul Public Schools. Their five granddaughters also attend St. Paul Public Schools.

Katherine Meerse is Executive Director of Avenues for Youth, a nonprofit that partners with youth experiencing homelessness to achieve their dreams. Katherine joined the Avenues staff in 2018, coming from Hennepin County Health and Human Services where, as Manager of Youth Education, she led the county's work to ensure education success for children and youth receiving county services. Her prior role as Initiative Manager for "Better Together Hennepin" led a county-wide youth development and teen pregnancy prevention program. 

Before joining Hennepin County, Katherine held leadership roles at Planned Parenthood of Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. She has a PhD in US Women's History from the University of Minnesota and brings over 20 years of experience in nonprofit and government sectors to Avenues.

An annual tradition! Bring your (Rotary appropriate) jokes for some good laughs in celebration of April Fool's Day. Can't find a joke? Never fear; Peggy Leppik has pre-approved jokes for sale.

With the support of friends and family, Dan started PeaceMaker Minnesota in 1998. He was inspired in part by his college studies, experience in living with Franciscan priests in Siberia and his professional work in soliciting foundations.

While a student at the University of Minnesota, Dan participated in the Student Project for Amity among Nations (SPAN) study abroad program. He spent the summer of 1988 traveling Yugoslavia and writing a research paper on peace. After graduating from the University, he served as a Scholar’s Intern with The King Center in Atlanta, Georgia and was an assistant to the Executive Director.

In the fall of 1992, Dan joined the Franciscan Mission Service as a lay volunteer. From 1993 to 1995, Dan served as the Assistant Director and then the Acting Director of Caritas for the Asian Part of Russia. The organization, based in Novosibirsk, Russia, had eight employees. Their primary work was to oversee construction of a home for children, to distribute humanitarian aid and to provide food and assistance to the city’s population of individuals experiencing homelessness.

Upon returning  to Minnesota, Dan was hired as Catholic Charities’ Grants Coordinator and then Director of Corporate and Foundation Giving. Dan began working for Guild Incorporated in 2000 as Development Director. He started their fundraising program while working four days a week, allowing time to develop PeaceMaker Minnesota.

In 2007, Dan reduced his hours at Guild Incorporated, becoming their Major Gift Officer, in order to start working for PeaceMaker Minnesota on a part-time basis. In April 2018, Dan resigned from Guild Incorporated to work for PeaceMaker Minnesota full-time.

Meeting location: Frankie's Chicago Style
3556 Winnetka Ave N, New Hope, MN 55427

Larry Johnson and Elaine Wynne are a Golden Valley-based husband-and-wife storytelling duo, known as "The Key of See Storytellers," who specialize in children's stories, folktales, and, for nearly 60 years, promoting peace. They are active with Story Arts of Minnesota and frequently perform in the Twin Cities. Larry is a Vietnam War veteran and former medic. Elaine is a licensed psychologist and founder of the Veteran Resilience Project, which provides EMDR therapy to Minnesota veterans. Elaine grew up in Alaska and rural Minnesota, with a background in psychology and performing arts. Larry is a media literacy educator and author.

Jacquelyn Kramer is Senior Planner for Golden Valley's Planning Division.

The Missing Middle Housing Study is a roadmap to understanding how smaller, multi-unit housing types—like duplexes, triplexes, townhomes, and courtyard apartments—can fit into neighborhoods in ways that are attractive, affordable, and sustainable. It is the next step to expanding housing choices in Golden Valley.