Events

Jessica Petroske is the Outreach Coordinator and a Scientist Educator with the Minnesota office of Science from Scientists. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Education with a minor in Animal Science from the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. Jessica has worked as an agriculture teacher at AFSA Middle School and Resource Specialist with Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom. She also held internships with the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, USDA, and Conservancy of Southwest Florida. Jessica has a passion for bringing quality agriculture and science lessons to students. Jessica has been with SciSci since early 2025.

Bekki Hansen is the Director of Operations for the Minnesota office of Science from Scientists. She holds a bachelor's degree in Microbiology and a master's degree in science education. Bekki worked as a molecular biologist at Vanderbilt University and at the Mayo Clinic before becoming a licensed science teacher. After a couple of years teaching in traditional classrooms, Bekki found her passion in informal science education, working as a program manager at The Bakken Museum for 16 years. Bekki has been with SciSci since 2023.

Science from Scientists - Stemming the STEM Crisis
In 2025, approximately 2.5 million STEM jobs will go unfilled because of a lack of candidates in the workforce pipeline. The number of STEM workers needed will continue to increase in years to come and it's anticipated that, long-term, the gap between open positions and interested/qualified candidates will widen. Science from Scientists is a 501(c)3 non- profit that aims to close the gap by inspiring the next generation of STEM workers, the elementary and middle school students of today.

Not a meeting to be missed! The Golden Valley Rotary Club members will have a discussion on membership and transition team, leadership opportunities, grants, and future projects, etc. You'll definitely want to attend this Rotary meeting to contribute to the important Club conversations. We'll also be discussing the 2025 Taste & Tour of Golden Valley event and our Annual Awards Luncheon scheduled for June 10th. Look forward to seeing you there!

Ellen Schreder started her practice at Carson, Clelland & Schreder doing criminal prosecution and family law. As her family law practice grew, her time as a prosecutor decreased. Ellen soon became a partner, and the law firm has since been known as Carson, Clelland & Schreder. Ellen now practices solely in the field of family law, and works with all types of family law cases, including but not limited to dissolution, custody and parenting time, post-Decree issues and modifications, third party custody, grandparent visitation, adoptions, and step-parent adoptions. Ellen spends the majority of her time away from the office working on all aspects of the sewing program which she runs in Cap-Haitian, Haiti. She recently applied for and received a Rotary Global Grant to further this work in Haiti, where women from two different villages are employed sewing items needed by and purchased by the Haitian people. Ellen also enjoys bicycling and all things outdoors, including spending time at her cabin. She is a longtime member of the Brooklyn Center Rotary Club.

A Haitian native, Gymps Sunel was raised by his grandmother after losing his parents at the age of two. He was educated in Haiti, Martinique, the Dominican Republic, and later on in the United States. Gymps works for the State of Minnesota's Department of Health and Human Services as a Behavioral Analyst when he is not working on various projects in Haiti. After Covid-19 hit in 2020, Gymps saw an increase in the number of children and people, that were already living in poverty and hunger, plunged to a deeper level, not knowing where their next meal would come from. More than half of Haiti’s total population is chronically food insecure, and 22% of children are chronically malnourished. People don't have the food they need to live a healthy and productive life. Hunger affects the ability of children to learn, and perpetuates the cycle of poverty. It was this realization that led Gymps to find a parcel of land in his home country and the vision of Mango Community Family Farm was born. It is their hope that Mango Farm will provide a safe space for families to grow their own food and be able to provide a sustainable, living wage from the proceeds of sales at the market.

The couple operate Days for Girls and Mango Community Family Farm in northern Haiti, and for over 20 years, have worked to provide opportunities for Haitians to help themselves and their families.

Meet at WorkAbilities at 12:00 p.m. for a Culver's lunch and presentation and tour of WorkAbilities.

7400 Laurel Ave., Golden Valley, MN 55426

Luana Ball, Executive Director, will speak. Luana has been employed with WorkAbilities since November of 1995. Prior to that, her work was in residential supports for people with developmental disabilities. Luana has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Southwest State University and a Master of Arts degree in Counseling and Psychological Services from St. Mary's College.

WorkAbilities is a day training and habilitation program that trains and supports clients with disabilities with an emphasis on volunteerism. Projects range from meal-packaging and local clean-ups to crafting and sewing projects. Clients have made leg warmers for micro-premature babies at North Memorial Health Hospital in Robbinsdale; sensory pillows for seniors at Texas Terrace Care Center in St. Louis Park; and fleece blankets for animals awaiting adoption at humane societies.

https://www.workabilities.org/

Before retirement, Jelan Heidelberg had a long and varied career with IBM. In the late 70's and throughout the 80's, she worked as a systems engineer, supporting companies large and small throughout the Twin Cities. She then switched to working virtually long before it was popular and when the tools were much more primitive. She worked for IBM Rochester and then for headquarters. In her last dozen years at IBM, she managed several software products and had the opportunity to travel the world. She traveled just enough to whet her appetite for more -- more places and more time to meet the local people and learn. Since retirement, Jelan and her husband Jim have criss-crossed the globe. One of their latest adventures took them to Ethiopia. Jelan has been a member of the Golden Valley Rotary Club and now is a member of the Rotary Global Travelers E-Club.

Highway 55 Clean-Up
Thursday, May 22, 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
NE Corner of Hwy 55 and Winnetka Ave.

SIGN UP HERE

The Golden Valley Rotary Club is in its 29th year of caring for our stretch of Highway 55; our work continues on Thursday, May 22! Community members are welcome to join us in this fun and easy project. Dinner at Doolittle's to follow the service project.

Meet at the NE Corner of Hwy 55 and Winnetka Ave.

• Please bring and wear your own gloves.

SIGN UP HERE

We have two lanes reserved for Lawn Bowling at Brookview on Tuesday, May 27 at 12:15 p.m. We can do business and have fun! See you there!

Eric Johnsrud, the Chair of North Star Rotary Youth Exchange, joined Rotary in 1985 and has been a member of Rotary Clubs in Winona and Northfield, Minnesota. He has served as a Club Youth Exchange Officer and, more recently, a North Star Country Officer for Spain. He practiced law in Winona, Minnesota for 36 years before retiring in 2021 and currently represents Region 11 on the Board of Directors of the North American Youth Exchange Network (NAYEN) and is its incoming President Nominee. https://northstarrotary.com/

The Golden Valley Rotary Club will gather with members of the community to celebrate all things Rotary during the 2024-2025 year. We will present the Citizen of the Year award to Dean Penk of the Golden Valley Community Foundation and the Rotarian of the Year award to Assistant District Governor, Mary Timmons. Our high school scholarship recipients from Hopkins High School, Perpich Arts High School, and Robbinsdale Armstrong High School will be honored. Bryan Rossi, Club President, will pass the gavel to incoming Club President, Alisha Weis. A great celebratory event in the fifty-two year history of the Golden Valley Rotary Club!

RSVP HERE

Jim Nelson is a 25-year Rotarian and a member of Minneapolis City of Lakes Rotary Club. His classification is Law, Real Estate; he retired in 2015 after 43 years in private practice, the last 32 years with the firm of Briggs and Morgan in downtown Minneapolis. His second career is in volunteer service through Rotary, various volunteer positions with the City of Edina, and as a board member of Onward, a 501(c)(3) company providing transitional housing and supportive services for homeless young adults in the southwest suburbs.

Jim served as his club’s president in 2009-2010 and as District Governor for District 5950 in 2014-2015. After that, he served as District Fundraising Chair and District Rotary Foundation Chair. His international water experience includes five trips to Western Honduras and participating in raising funds for three separate Rotary WASH projects there, totaling at least 3 million dollars in project costs.

Jim is married to Ellen Durkin and has three grown children and six grandchildren. He was born and raised in Breckenridge, Minnesota, and has lived in Edina for 40+ years.

Golden Valley Rotary is teaming up to produce 200 laundry pod packs for PRISM! We'll set up an assembly line will all the supplies for the participants at PRISM.

PRISM offers dignity-centered resources for food, housing, and other basic needs to participants in the northwest Twin Cities suburbs.

Thank you, Rotary!

The Joint Community Police Partnership (JCPP) is a collaborative effort between Hennepin County and the cities of Bloomington, Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Robbinsdale, Crystal, New Hope, Hopkins, Edina, Minnetonka, and Richfield. Their mission is to enhance communication and understanding between law enforcement and the multicultural residents of these cities. By building trust and communication between police departments and community members, they aim to improve the safety and livability of their communities.

Rotary Summer Family Picnic at Brookview

Brookview Park Large Pavilion

(Families/Partners invited!)

200 Brookview Parkway N
Golden Valley, MN

https://www.goldenvalleymn.gov/Facilities/Facility/Details/Large-Pavilion-6

RSVP HERE

Join us for lunch at 12:15 p.m. on Tuesday at Brookview to go over the final details for our 9th Annual Taste & Tour of Golden Valley!

Then join us on Thursday for the actual event!
Thursday, July 24th
5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. – Community Check-in to receive your passport under the Golden Valley Water Tower by City Hall. FREE to attendees and open to all. Passports distributed until 6:30 p.m. or until they're gone, whichever is first. Also at this location: play games, face painting station, and shuttle stop.
5:00 p.m. - 7:45 p.m. – Community members tour participating businesses, enjoying fare and/or activities provided by the businesses. Validate your visit on your passport. Hop on the shuttle to explore more businesses.
7:45 p.m. - Closing Reception with Raffle and Prize Drawings

SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER AT THE EVENT HERE

REMINDER: Club members are asked to be selling raffle tickets for Taste & Tour! Every ticket we sell contributes to the 50/50 pot for our Club's charitable giving. Bring all tickets to lunch on Tuesday OR, at the latest, to the event on Thursday.

Join us under the Water Tower on Thursday, July 24th, for the 9th Annual Taste & Tour of Golden Valley!

5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. – Community Check-in to receive your passport under the Golden Valley Water Tower by City Hall. FREE to attendees and open to all. Passports distributed until 6:30 p.m. or until they're gone, whichever is first. Also at this location: play games, face painting station, and shuttle stop.

5:00 p.m. - 7:45 p.m. – Community members tour participating businesses, enjoying fare and/or activities provided by the businesses. Validate your visit on your passport. Hop on the shuttle to explore more businesses.

7:45 p.m. - Closing Reception with Raffle and Prize Drawings

Thank you to our sponsors!

Madison Alcázar is a new member of the Golden Valley Rotary Club. She graduated from Michigan State University and recently moved to the Twin Cities area to work as a Research and Development Packaging Engineer at General Mills. Madison’s Rotary journey began in 2018, when she spent a life-changing year in Turkey as a Rotary Youth Exchange student.

Her exchange experience opened her eyes to new cultures, languages, and perspectives, and inspired a passion for global connection and service. Madison credits that year abroad with shaping who she is today and bringing her back to Rotary. She’s excited to share highlights from her exchange and why she believes Rotary Youth Exchange is one of Rotary’s most powerful programs.

Madison lives in Plymouth with her husband, Enrique, and two cats. In her free time, she likes to spend time outdoors and play her violin in the Linden Hills Chamber Orchestra.

Following Madison's presentation, we will discuss the 2025 Taste & Tour event.

• Pastor at St. Peter’s - Edina, a Lutheran Church and Family Education Center for 25-years
• Passionate about supporting families with children who have intellectual or developmental disabilities
• A NASCAR chaplain for the Cup Series nationally and for Elko Speedway here in Minnesota
• Married to Joann for 40 years with three adult daughters with families in the Twin Cities Metro area
• Blessed with five grandchildren
• Together, they own a family business, "Memories of Home" a faith and family gift store in Eden Prairie
• A member of the Rotary Club of Minnesota Veterans
• Privileged to have served in many Rotary roles at the club, district, and zone levels

Mike Kibat from the Minnesota Astronomical Society will be our speaker. Mike Kibat has been interested in the stars since his childhood 60+ years ago. He is currently a member of the Minnesota Astronomical Society, and served in the past as president of the organization for four years. Mike has been active in the Society's public outreach and education for over three decades and is currently an active volunteer at the organization's facility in western Carver County, the Eagle Lake Observatory. He is retired from a 40-year career in healthcare information technology. The Minnesota Astronomical Society has been sharing the joys of amateur astronomy with the public and their dedicated membership since 1972.

https://www.mnastro.org/

Born in Haiti, Saintanne Tipton grew up in an orphanage, where she lived until she was adopted by a local Minneapolis businessman, Thomas Tipton. Because of his generosity, she is here today and grateful to God for saving her and giving her a chance for a better life. This is the same opportunity that she now desires to make available for the homeless children of Haiti.

Saintanne is the president/CEO of The Lighthouse. She holds a degree in Elementary Education and an Associate Degree in Theology. Currently, she is the Assistant Director for Studio 4 Enterprises, a subsidiary management company for the High School for Recording Arts, since 2003. She is also the Chairperson for Mission Outreach Ministry at Faith Tabernacle Gospel Fellowship International Church. She actively volunteers in the community and with Big Brothers and Big Sisters organization. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Christian Operation for Health Education and Development, COFHED.

The mission of The Lighthouse is to bring about a positive change in the lives of at-risk children and families through support services that directly impact their spiritual, mental and physical wellbeing. The Lighthouse serves children, young people, and families who are homeless, vulnerable, and/or orphaned, and in need of activities, programs, and wrap-around services, in the areas of: Food & Nutrition, Residential Shelter, Education, Vocational Training, and Sports & Recreation.

https://www.thelighthousehaiti.org

Please invite friends, coworkers, spouses, prospective members, etc. Julie has a game-friendly lunch planned so we can eat and play :)
We have the Lawn Bowling lanes reserved from 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.; come when you can!

Margaret Ganyo has served as the Executive Director of the nonprofit Children First since February, 2020. The organization’s North Star is for all people and organizations in St. Louis Park and Hopkins, MN and the surrounding communities to be knowledgeable, strategically aligned, and actively involved in increasing positive outcomes for children and youth, ensuring that kids feel included, valued, and deeply connected to our caring community. Its current priorities include Kindergarten Readiness, Youth Mental Wellness, and Post-Secondary Readiness.

Under Margaret’s leadership, Children First launched a StriveTogether Cradle to Career Network partnership, one of 68 in the country working to close the race, ethnicity, gender, and poverty opportunity gaps so that all young people can realize their brilliance. Last year, the Network was awarded the Schwab Global Social Innovation Award at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, for its work putting 4 million more young people on the path to economic mobility by the year 2030. Children First was also accepted as one of nine Minnesota Education Partnership Coalition members.

Prior to joining Children First, Margaret served as CEO of the United Way of Southeastern Idaho for fifteen years where she managed two regional Early Learning Opportunity Act grants totaling nearly $2mm that improved Kindergarten readiness by more than 51%. Her team founded imPACT East Idaho, a StriveTogether Network partnership, and she led a policy advocacy effort to secure Idaho’s first-ever state funding for pre-K in 2019 as she was transitioning to living in Minnesota full-time to care for her mom.

Before her tenure at United Way, Margaret worked in Community Development, helping NeighborWorks Pocatello achieve Community Development Financial Institution status and secure millions of dollars in new investment. She also served as Director of Pro Bono Services for Utah Legal Services and practiced law for the six years prior to moving into Community Development work.

Margaret grew up in rural West Central Minnesota and received her Bachelor of Arts degree Magna Cum Laude from Central College in Pella, Iowa. She received her Juris Doctor degree Cum Laude from Santa Clara (California) University.

https://children-first.org/

Seth Thompson joined Freshwater in January of 2025 with a decade of experience designing and delivering programs that sit at the intersection of science and societal impact. He earned his PhD in limnology and oceanography in the Water Resource Sciences program at the University of Minnesota in 2019, where he studied the links between phosphorus and carbon cycling in lake systems. Seth is passionate about connecting people with opportunities to improve the world around them and believes that science is a powerful tool for public good. He lives in Brooklyn Park with his wife and two sons and loves to spend time gardening, exploring local nature areas with family, or engaging in an exciting evening of board games with the kids.

https://freshwater.org/

Attorney Marshall H. Tanick of the Twin Cities law firm of Meyer Njus Tanick will make his annual presentation to the Rotary Club. As the U.S. Supreme Court begins its 2025-26 Term, Tanick will provide a look back at major rulings of the Court during the past year and a glance ahead at upcoming cases.

Lois Norrgard serves as the National Field Organizer for the Alaska Wilderness League. In this position, she leads strategic grassroots outreach efforts for the organization’s campaigns focused on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska, and the Tongass National Forest.

Lois has dedicated many years to protecting public lands, beginning her work in the late 1990s. Motivated by growing concern over the degradation and loss of natural ecosystems she was witnessing firsthand, she made the pivotal decision to leave her role as a co-owner of a small graphic design business to focus on conservation and biodiversity protection.

Lois will show a short documentary, "THE ARCTIC: Our Last Great Wilderness". This film provides an immersive, inspiring centerpiece for an array of discussions ranging from wildlife conservation to climate action, and from American public lands to Indigenous culture and subsistence. America has had a tumultuous tradition of protecting this treasure for over 50 years. Recently threats have been greater than they have ever been from oil exploration and leasing – come learn about the history, the place and its values, and the ongoing work to protect this national treasure.

Not a meeting to be missed! The Golden Valley Rotary Club members will have a discussion on membership, dues, public relations, leadership opportunities, grants, and future projects, etc. You'll definitely want to attend this Rotary meeting to contribute to the important Club conversations.

Jenny joined the Crescent Cove staff in 2022 as the Engagement and Communications Manager after a decade of frequently volunteering her talents to the organization. Before Crescent Cove was a physical space it was an idea that needed funding and support - Jenny was instrumental in building both of those with a team of passionate volunteers.

Jenny has an embarrassingly large number of years of experience first as an agency partner helping nonprofits raise money via direct mail, then switching to working at nonprofits in fundraising roles. She worked at Gillette Children's in St. Paul, then at Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation. She then opened a consulting business for a time, helping small- to mid-sized nonprofits with their fundraising strategy, copywriting, data, and audience needs before heeding the call to arrive back at Crescent Cove. 

Jenny resides in the southern suburbs of the Twin Cities with her husband, youngest daughter, and their pitbull rescue, Beauty. In the summer, you can find her skating around the lakes, training for her next inline skating marathon. You'll recognize her car in the parking lot when you visit our Home.

Anne Tyler is a certified Canfield Success Principles trainer, speaker, and coach based in Minneapolis, MN. She recently became a #1 international bestselling author, featured in the book: "Believe Beyond: Discover the Power of Unwavering Belief". The book debuted on a New York City Times Square billboard earlier this year.

Anne is on a mission to help people shake off doubt, step into their most courageous selves, and claim the bold, authentic lives they deserve—one “baby brave” step at a time. With a passion for helping others feel seen, heard, and understood, she guides audiences in uncovering the clarity, confidence, and purpose they need to create the fulfilling lives they are meant to lead. Her message is simple yet powerful: courage doesn’t have to be loud to be life-changing.

Ann Staloch serves as the Volunteer Women’s Associate Coordinator for The Redemption Project (TRP). TRP is built on the Power of Partnership, bringing together Community Partners, Employment Partners, and Support Service Partners to walk alongside our Associates as they reenter society. Their goal is to provide partnership, employment opportunities, and community support so that transformation can last in perpetuity.

As a Rotarian and an Exchangite, she knows the strength of service organizations and the impact they can have when working together. At The Redemption Project, they welcome partners who are willing to guide, hire, or support their Associates so that, together, we can change lives and strengthen our communities.