Events

Dr. Natan Paradise is Director of the Center for Jewish Studies at the University of Minnesota, where he also serves as Director of Undergraduate studies. He teaches courses in Jewish history and cultures, Jewish American literature, and Jewish humor, in addition to his research and writing on the American Jewish experience, antisemitism, and strategies for advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion that are both effective and truly inclusive. He regularly serves as an invited speaker to local, national, and international audiences on antisemitism and DEI.

This meeting will be hosted at Jewish Family and Children's Service of Minnesota, 5905 Golden Valley Rd, Golden Valley, MN 55422.

The Golden Valley Rotary Club will gather with members of the community to celebrate all things Rotary during the 2025-2026 year. We will present the Citizen of the Year award to Michelle Christensen of One Good Deed and the Rotarian of the Year award to Bryan Rossi. Our high school scholarship recipients from Hopkins High School, Perpich Arts High School, and Robbinsdale Armstrong High School will be honored. Club President, Alisha Weis, will kickoff her second term. A great celebratory event in the fifty-three year history of the Golden Valley Rotary Club!

Ann C. Kay is the co-founder and education coordinator of the MN nonprofit Rock ‘n’ Read Project, dedicated to helping families, educators, and organizations use singing and basic music skills to develop young brains for reading. Ann created a PreK/K curriculum, "A Song A Day: Brain Prep for Pre-Readers", and provides professional development for early childhood educators. Prior to focusing on early childhood, Rock ‘n’ Read received $600,000 from the MN Legislature to conduct a five-year state project that helped 2,500 elementary students make phenomenal gains in reading after using a singing-based software - one year (avg.) after 14 hours of usage. Formerly, Ann was an elementary and middle school music teacher, choir director, instructor of music teachers and classroom teachers, and associate director of graduate music education at the University of St. Thomas.

Rotary Summer Family Picnic at Brookview

Brookview Park Large Pavilion

(Families/Partners invited!)

200 Brookview Parkway N
Golden Valley, MN

REGISTRATION COMING SOON

Leif Hagen grew up in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, and graduated from St. Olaf College in 1988 with a BA in German and French. His early career included teaching languages in Zug, Switzerland, and high school English in Gero, Japan. In 1992, he entered the financial services field as a financial planner with Lutheran Brotherhood, later joining LPL Financial in 2002. He now owns Achievement Financial in Eagan, Minnesota, offering financial planning and Medicare supplemental insurance services.

Leif has held multiple leadership roles within Rotary, including two terms as President of the Eagan Rotary Club, and serving as the two-year charter president of the MN Pride Rotary Club. His Rotary involvement includes leading a Group Study Exchange (GSE) team to Bangalore, India, hosting GSE visitors from Finland and Brazil, serving as District Conference co-chair, Assistant Governor for Area 2, and currently serving on the District Foundation grant committee. He is a Paul Harris Society member, a Major Donor, and has attended Rotary International conventions in Birmingham, New Orleans, Bangkok, and Hamburg. He will serve as Rotary District 5950 Governor for 2026–2027.

Leif lives in Eagan with his partner, Valdir Oliveira, and has three daughters — Kajsa, Svea, and Britta. He enjoys foreign languages, international travel, collecting art, and attending art shows.