Speakers

Hopkins Education Foundation's mission is to partner with families, educators, donors, and organizations to enrich the lives of all Hopkins Public Schools students by identifying and funding additional educational experiences and resources.

Dr. Carlton Jenkins has been honored to be the Robbinsdale Area Schools Superintendent since August 2015. Before becoming Superintendent in Robbinsdale Area Schools, he was the Chief Academic Officer in the Atlanta Public School system. Additionally, he spent four years (2010-14) as the Superintendent of Saginaw Public Schools, a district in Michigan with 7,500 students (15 schools, including 10 elementary schools, 1 middle school, and 3 high schools). Jenkins also served four years as the Executive Director of Secondary Leaders (and as a high school principal) in the Beloit Public Schools system in Wisconsin. Prior to this, he served as a high school principal in the Columbus Public Schools in Ohio.

Carlton's experience also includes one year as a middle school principal, two years as an associate principal at a high school in the Beloit Public Schools, and one year as an associate principal at a high school in Madison, Wisconsin. His teaching career started in 1989 at Beloit Memorial High School. Jenkins earned a Master of Science degree in Educational Administration and a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Ben Peterson is the Executive Director and Founder of Engage Your Destiny, a non-profit ministry for veterans and their families.

Ben spent 8 years in the Army while deploying to Iraq during the surge in 2008-09. His time in a Combat Aviation Brigade was challenged by fellow soldiers killed in action, suicide, and tragic civilian casualties. In the beginning of 2016 he felt the call to start a mission to help veterans and their families heal from their experiences. Ben travels the country speaking in businesses, non-profits, churches, military installations, and schools about his time in the military and the journey of coming home.

Blue Spectrum Books was created to explore and produce books on a wide range of topics and genres. Their goal is first to find those interesting, and sometimes quirky, products that invite a reader to awaken their imaginations. Whether the reader is a child, an adult, or an adult that dreams like a child, they create books especially for your interests.

Lynn Garthwaite is the author of the Dirkle Smat Adventure Series, mysteries for young learners just starting to read chapter books. Her passion for children's literacy also compelled Lynn to start a non-profit called Books on Wings which devotes itself to closing the achievement gap, one child at a time. She lives in Minnesota where she is proud of that spunky little topknot on its northern border.

Mario Rodriguez is a professional speaker, consultant, and executive coach. He has a M.S. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Capella University in Minneapolis, MN and a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Business Economics from St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, MN. Rodriguez is an active member of Toastmasters International. He has spoken at research conferences and non-profit organizations and conducted training and facilitated workshops in a variety of companies.

Amanda Ottman is the Global Connections Officer for American Refugee Committee. She has worked in international organizations and non-profits in the US, Latin American, and Europe. Ottman has a B.A. from the University of Minnesota in Global Studies and a M.A. from the Universidad del Salvador in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She began her Rotary journey as a Rotary Youth Exchange Student to Argentina in 2000. In 2011-12, Amanda served as a Rotary World Peace Fellow, completing her Master’s studies in International Relations at the Universidad del Salvador in Buenos Aires, Argentina and interning with Save the Children in Spain. Amanda is a member of the Eden Prairie Noon Rotary.