1) What motivates you to serve on the board for Rice County Area United Way?
Rice County is a special place to live and work,, so as a recent retiree I jumped at the chance to be able to learn more about how it functions and many groups that build our community since I knew that the United Way helped fund many of them. My hope is to become a more involved and active citizen through meeting people, learning more about how local needs are met and then offering both my own organizational expertise as well as just a helping hand as needed to optimize fund-raising and ensure wise distribution of the funds to support the overall health of the community.
2) What's one of your favorite places in Rice County? Why is it your favorite?
This is a hard question. A few months ago my hands-down answer would have been the Brick Oven Bakery for its welcoming atmosphere and awesome treats... I truly hope that the cafe is only on hiatus and will soon return. When not enjoying pastries etc., I love being outdoors and so the bike/walking trail on the east side of the Cannon River between Northfield and Dundas is a favorite place. It is accessible, perfect for a quick bike ride or a longer stroll and feels "wild" despite being close to Hwy 3 and multiple businesses. We are lucky to have so many outdoor spots from the St. Olaf Natural Lands to the Big Woods State Park.
3) Share what excites you most about our United Way.
It feels as though our United Way truly collaborates with the community not only by providing funds but also by providing connections through Books on Central, the Dolly Parton Imagination and PickleBall tournament events. As an entity that has a multipronged strategic fundraising mission, serves as a force multiplier especially for some of the smaller yet stellar NGOs in the area.
4) Please provide a short (4 sentences or less) bio.
I grew up in Washington, DC where two critical factors influenced my future--fantastic biology teachers and being immersed in the effects of racial/economic disparities. I followed my academic love of Biology to multiple places, finally ending up at St. Olaf College in the Biology Department where I had multiple opportunities to help create programs and spaces that encouraged respectful collaboration across disciplines. Helping all students find their voices and meet challenges successfully on campus and abroad was a joy that included teaching in our SSS TRiO Summer Bridge program and mentoring that cohort throughout their four years with the help of STEM and other TRiO programs.