Speakers

Speaker	Date	Topic
Vocational Tour - Cornerstone Creek	May 28, 2019	Housing for Adults with Developmental Disabilities Early start of 12:00 p.m. 9280 Golden Valley Rd., Golden Valley, MN 55427 Cornerstone Creek welcomed its first tenants in January of 2017 and all 45 units were quickly filled. The state-of-the-art building is the culmination of 10 years of planning, research, fundraising, and dedication. It’s the only place of its kind in the Twin Cities offering affordable, independent apartment living along with progressive amenities at no charge to the tenants or their families.
Lynn Garthwaite, owner, Blue Spectrum Books	Jun 04, 2019	Our States Have Crazy Shapes 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.
Susan Spalding, MN-North Dakota Alzheimer’s Assoc.	Jun 18, 2019	Ten Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s Sue Spalding joined the Alzheimer’s Association Minnesota-North Dakota Chapter as the chief executive officer in 2012, and became the Region 5 leader for the Association in January of 2017. The Chapter recently hosted the second largest Walk to End Alzheimer’s® in the country and raised $1 million at The Purple Gala in the Twin Cities. Spalding is a member of the Edina Rotary Club. Before joining the Alzheimer’s Association, Spalding served as the executive director of The ALS Association, Minnesota/North Dakota/South Dakota Chapter for eleven years. Prior to her work with ALS, she was the executive director of the Pearson Lakes Arts Center in Okoboji, Iowa. Spalding holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism from Iowa State University. Currently, she lives in St. Michael with her family.
4th of July Picnic	Jul 02, 2019	4th of July Picnic
Mario Rodriguez, Integrated Leadership Systems	Jul 09, 2019	Communication Based on Thoughts, Beliefs, and Emotions 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, Global Connections Officer	Jul 16, 2019	American Refugee Committee 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.