Speakers

No Sew Fleece-Tie Blankets

Volunteers will make no-sew fleece tie blankets benefitting youth in crisis. Finished blankets will be distributed among The Ronald McDonald House, Foster Adopt MN (FAM), Hennepin Healthcare, Gillette's Children's Hospital, and Children's Minnesota organizations. All materials are supplied. In partnership with One Good Deed.

Chris has had a lifelong passion for environmental conservation, stemming from his childhood experiences of playing in lakes and streams and fishing. This interest led to a legal career where he practiced environmental law. His background in law combined with his love for the environment has shaped his career dedicated to preserving natural resources and advocating for conservation efforts. He has run the state office of a national, nonprofit land conservation organization and worked on Native American land conservation projects before becoming Executive Director of the Friends in 2017. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Chris is a graduate of Georgetown University and the University of Virginia School of Law. 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.