Events

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.

Highway 55 Clean-Up
Tuesday, April 28, 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! Community members are welcome to join us in this fun and easy project. Dinner at Doolittle's to follow the service project.

Highway 55 Clean-Up
Tuesday, April 28, 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! 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

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.

Golden Valley Rotarian, Shep Harris, will give us a tour of the Minnesota State Capitol and will provide a Member Spotlight.

RSVP HERE

Attorney Marshall H. Tanick of the Twin Cities law firm of Meyer Njus Tanick will make a presentation to the Rotary Club. “Dylan’s Lyrics and the Law” celebrates the 85th birthday (May 24th) of Minnesota's Bob Dylan. To commemorate it, the presentation reviews some of the court cases citing and relying upon the songs of the Nobel Prize winning troubadour in judicial decisions.

Join us for lunch and a Board meeting. Planning for Taste & Tour will be discussed.

After time in state and county government, Theresa Schyma moved into local government in late 2007 and quickly realized elections would be her long-term focus. She got her start as a Deputy City Clerk for the City of Richfield, where she learned the ropes from a seasoned clerk—just in time for her first three elections to go to recount.

In 2016, she became City Clerk for a smaller city on Lake Minnetonka, where she could fully manage elections and quietly refine processes. She joined the City of Golden Valley five weeks before the 2020 Presidential Election (yes, that one), and thoroughly enjoys being part of the team within the Legal Department. Since then, she has focused on improving systems and operations and is preparing for whatever 2026 decides to bring.

We'll hear from Theresa Schyma, Golden Valley City Clerk, about the election security process and the steps our city takes to make sure our elections are secure.

Tim Mulcrone, PolioPlus Chair for Rotary District 5950, will share Rotary International’s mission to eradicate the disease and how Rotary Clubs continue to make a difference around the world. A colleague said: “Tim can always be counted on for the latest data and progress on Rotary’s flagship initiative, the worldwide eradication of polio.” He is the last remaining charter member of Chanhassen Rotary founded in 1987, serving three times as President and on numerous Club and District committees. Since 2012, he has served as the PolioPlus Chair for Rotary District 5950 which encompasses 71 Rotary Clubs in Minneapolis and Central Minnesota. Tim shared: “I retired from a career in law enforcement and reside with my wife, Ginger, in Savage where we hand-built our home on the Credit River.”

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

UPDATE: Brookview Golden Valley (too hot to be outside!)

(Families/Partners invited!)

316 Brookview Pkwy S, Golden Valley, MN 55426

REGISTRATION HERE

Dave serves as a Senior Partner of Community Outreach and Institutional Adjunct Instructor who works directly with civic organizations and community leaders to strengthen our network of Community Partners, Employment Partners, and Support Services Partners. As an instructor of the Virtues for Success™ course, he helps Associates build the foundation for a successful reentry. He also plays a role in matching Associates with Partners who will walk alongside them, ensuring they have the guidance, opportunities, and support needed to thrive.

The Redemption Project (TRP) is a Saint Paul–based nonprofit dedicated to supporting justice-involved individuals. At TRP, the  mission is igniting potential and transforming lives through innovative education and powerful partnerships. Every year, individuals return to our communities after incarceration without the support systems they need to succeed. At TRP, they work to break the cycle of recidivism by providing practical resources, mentorship, and meaningful opportunities that help people rebuild their lives with purpose and dignity.

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.

Bryan Rossi has been a professional musician and educator all his life. He attended Washington University in St. Louis, the Sorbonne in Paris, and has a M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of St. Thomas and a Ph.D. in Education Policy and Administration from the University of Minnesota. He taught French for 15 years and was a school principal for 8 years before becoming a consultant and adjunct professor. Dr. Rossi is currently Program Director at High School for Recording Arts (HSRA) where he oversees both the academic and recording programs. Bryan has played with such groups as The Mary Jane Alm Band, Orquesta Sabroson, Bomba, Sabor Tropical, and The Latin Sounds Orchestra, all Minnesota Music Awards Recipients. In May 2008, he was inducted into the Mid-American Music Hall of Fame for his work with the Judd Group. He currently is performing with Salsa del Soul and his own group, the Latin Jazz Ensemble. Bryan has been a member of the Golden Valley Rotary Club since 2005. He has served as Club President twice, hosted Rotary Youth Exchange students, has multiple Paul Harris Designations, and was awarded the Golden Valley Rotarian of the Year in 2026.