Speakers

Mike’s from a small town in South Dakota very similar to Northfield. He moved to Northfield in 2014 and fell in love with this community. From working at credit unions, banks, and now in the mortgage business, Mike's developed a passion for financial education. With a little help, everyone could achieve their financial goals. Hosted by Ken Pankow

Discover the 5 Elements Framework, a tool for unleashing the full range of your voice. Practices have vocational and everyday implications and inspire reflection about our relationships with the natural world. 

Andrea grew up in Northfield and is a former Rotary Exchange Student to Poland. She is currently a naturalist and environmental educator and is passionate about connecting people to the natural world in creative and experiential ways. In her free time she studies her Celtic and Germanic ancestry, makes art and music, and enjoys walking along the Mississippi River. She is a certified Full Voice Trainer with the Full Voice Institute and her teacher is Barbara McAfee. Hosted by Jean Wakely.

The board will update us on our club budget and donation strategy, with an opportunity to discuss and give feedback. We will also be voting on the proposed Bylaws and our Board of Directors for the 2023-24 Rotary year.

Environmental Initiative is a group of committed individuals who bring people together to talk, listen, develop and implement creative solutions to problems. Executive Director Mike Harley and Partnership Coordinator Emily Kraeske will provide an overview of Environmental Initiative with an emphasis on their ag work, Sustainable Growth Coalition, EV efforts, and the state’s climate action framework. 

Emily's background: The biggest thing drawing me to Environmental Initiative is the focus on building bridges and collaborating to accomplish goals. I’m a firm believer that we can achieve our strongest and most sustainable work by joining forces and having more voices represented. I was drawn to the projects at Environmental Initiative that not only prioritize acting on our most pressing environmental issues but also work to center equity.

Mike's Background: I first came to the organization when it was just two years old, and he joined as an intern and the organization’s first communications staff person. I had come to Minnesota from working in an environmental justice organization in the poorest counties in Eastern Kentucky, and although I believed deeply in that work, I had come to realize that we were almost entirely in relationship with people who already agreed with us. No hearts and minds were being changed by working with a small group of people who mostly felt and thought in the same ways.

This presentation is brought to you by the RCAT in recognition of Earth Day. 

As Northfield and Minnesota moves to a carbon free future; we will need to replace pipelines with more electrical lines; replace smokestacks with more clean energy. Anna Thill is a Community Relations Manager for Xcel Energy; working with the community and government leaders to get the alignment and approvals needed to meet the needs for sustainable growth. She is an advocate for both Xcel and our area communities.

Project Drawdown's mission is to help the world reach “drawdown”—the point in the future when levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere stop climbing and start to steadily decline, thereby halting catastrophic climate change—as quickly, safely, and equitably as possible.

Jonathan Foley, Ph.D., is a world-renowned environmental scientist, sustainability expert, author, and public speaker. His work focuses on understanding our changing planet and finding new solutions to sustain the climate, ecosystems, and natural resources we all depend on.

Jon’s groundbreaking research and insights have led him to become a trusted advisor to governments, foundations, non-governmental organizations, and business leaders around the world. He and his colleagues have made major contributions to our understanding of global ecosystems, food security and the environment, climate change, and the sustainability of the world’s resources. He has published over 130 peer-reviewed scientific articles, including many highly cited works in Science, Nature, and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. In 2014, Thomson Reuters named him a Highly Cited Researcher in ecology and environmental science, placing him among the top 1 percent most cited global scientists.

Hosted by Ed Marek

A myopic biopic of how life led Elizabeth to make Northfield home. Hosted by Jean Wakely.

"Rainbow Rock", is book by our former club president Dan Jorgensen.  "Rainbow Rock" is a mystery-thriller and has won several national awards and is nominated for the Thriller Writers International's “Best Original Paperback Book” award. The book was featured in the Northfield News and in an interview on KYMN.   Dan has been speaking to Rotarians all across the nation, and has pledged support for both the Polio Plus and Adult Literacy programs. 

He has won awards for his creative writing, newspaper feature writing and educational public relations work.

In addition to writing many hundreds of news and sports articles and feature stories, both as a journalist and in public relations, he also is the author of 9 books, including the award-winning bestsellers "And The Wind Whispered" and "Killer Blizzard." His newest book is the mystery/adventure "Rainbow Rock."

He also has written 3 songs, a one- act play; contributed to 2 anthologies, and is a frequent presenter on the topics “Storytelling―From Journalism to Creative Writing” and “The Writing Life.” He also writes the blog “A Writer’s Moment.”

Amazon.com: Dan Jorgensen: books, biography, latest update