Events

DRC Sponsor: Ward Budweg

Matt Tapscott will take our members on a wonderrful journey into his passion for the Decorah Community Food Pantry and those for whom it serves.

"Hunger is a story we can end," says Feeding America, the Decorah Community Food Pantry's national "upline" supplier. The Pantry has a formal agreement with Feeding America established through their partnership with the Northeast Iowa Food Bank in Waterloo. Matt and the Pantry staff feel strongly that hunger is a story we must hear, particularly at the local level. The local Pantry refers to the people who use the Pantry (clients) as neighbors, because that is who they are. These are people who sit in church next to us, at the classroom desk in our schools, and serve as our co-workers.

In America, a typical household throws away 30-40% of its food. We use convenience of packaging at our own peril. The "convenience" may be literally burying us alive in the amount of plastic and food waste we throw into our landfills. Addressing food insecurity in America requires addressing food waste.  

After three years in the U.S. Marine Corps, Matt was introduced, by chance, to early childhood education as a career option. He fell in love with the work and stayed in that field for 40 years as a teacher, administrator and childcare business owner. He "retired" in 2022 from the life's work he loved. After six weeks of retirement Matt was approached by the Decorah Community Food Pantry board members to explore becoming a part-time director for the Pantry. That invitation happended three years ago this summer. Though early childhood education is his first passion he is honored and loves being part of the work of the Pantry. Matt's time serving at the Pantry has reinforced his admiration for the local Decorah and Winneshiek County communities and the tremendous support they provide. 

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**Please complete your noon meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advace to all members by email.

DRC Sponsor: John Moeller

Jon Jensen is a Professor of Environmental Studies and Philosophy at Luther College and is Director of the Center for Sustainable Communities at Luther. He will be speaking about a recent research project focused on watershed planning efforts and enhancement of community flood resilience in northeast Iowa with an emphasis on Upper Iowa River flooding events.

In the aftermath of the 2016 Upper Iowa River flood, the Luther Center for Sustainable Communities convened a team of faculty and students to work in partnership with the Iowa Flood Center and the Upper Iowa River Watershed Management Authority to study community flood resilience, with a particular focus on Freeport. Funded by a federal grant, the research on the Upper Iowa was part of the Iowa Watershed Approach, a statewide initiative that seeks to understand and enhance flood resilience in nine watersheds across the state. Both climatological research and anecdotal experiences show flooding as a growing concern in the upper Midwest. In particular, those who live near rivers like the Upper Iowa must adapt to this changing reality. The research sought to understand how community preparation and response can be done most effectively.

In addition to his work as a faculty member at Luther, Dr. Jensen has been a member of the board of directors for the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education and on the steering committee for the Upper Midwest Association for Campus Sustainability. He works to promote sustainability in the curriculum at Luther, across the Midwest, and throughout the country. He teaches courses on Environmental Philosophy, Food and the Environment, Environmental Leadership, and Sustainable Communities.

Dr. Jensen was awarded a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Colorado (2000), an MA in Philosophy from the University of Colorado (1999), and a BA in Philosophy and Political Science from Luther College (1989).

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**Please complete your noon meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advace to all members by email.

DRC Sponsor: Lorraine Borowski

Nick Yaneff is a police officer with the Decorah Police Department and also serves as their K-9 Handler for Loki, the Department's police service dog. Officer Yaneff will be speaking about his work as the handler and the special skills and abilities Loki brings to Decorah.

Officer Yaneff officially started his Law Enforcement career with the Decorah Police Department in November of 2019. Originally from Sioux City area, he attended the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy and proudly wears Badge Number 7. Loki comes to Decorah from a local breeder and is a one-year old German Shepherd. The dog has extensive training in narcotics detection and missing persons tracking. Loki also provides emotional support for our police officers and attends events and programs for the Decorah Community School District and across the community.

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**Please complete your noon meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advace to all members by email.

After Hours program details TBA

DRC Sponsor: John Moeller

Steve Hopkins serves as a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Energy in America (REAP) Program Manager and Energy Coach for Winneshiek County in association with the Winneshiek Energy District (WED). He will be speaking about the partnership between WED and the nonprofit Clean Energy Districts of Iowa (CEDI) to offer free energy coaching to assist farms and small businesses in applying for USDA grant funding for renewable energy or energy efficiency improvement projects.

CEDI employs two Energy Coaches for the REAP program to serve the 13 Iowa counties with Energy Districts. Steve offers his coaching services in the counties of Allamakee, Cerro Gordo, Clayton, Dubuque, Howard, and Winneshiek.

Eligible projects for REAP renewable energy system grants include biomass, geothermal, small and large scale wind generation, and small and large scale solar generation. Eligible projects for REAP energy efficiency improvements include high efficiency heating, cooling, and ventilation (HVAC) systems, insulation, lighting, cooling or refrigeration units, doors and windows, and replacement of energy-inefficient equipment. CEDI provides priority assistance to customers and communities that are traditionally underserved by the REAP program, including areas defined by USDA as disadvantaged communities and distressed communities.

Steve started as REAP Program Manager and Energy Coach with CEDI in the summer of 2024. He recently retired from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) as Nonpoint Source Program Coordinator where he managed programs that supported watershed projects and water quality projects to improve Iowa’s lakes, rivers, and streams. Steve worked for Iowa DNR for 24 years and has worked in natural resource conservation for over 40 years. Steve also farmed in Iowa for 20 years and began one of the first dairy farms in northeast Iowa to use prescribed rotational grazing practices. He has a BA in Human Ecology from Luther College and an MS in Land Resources from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is also a graduate of the Iowa Certified Public Management Program at Drake University.

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**Please complete your noon meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advace to all members by email.

After Hours program details TBA