Events

DRC Sponsor: Lorraine Borowski

John Reynolds presently serves as Co-Manager of the Porter House Museum in Decorah. He plans to cover some of the museum's history and will discuss some of the initiatives underway at the museum, including a major effort to open a new exhibit of butterfly displays in keeping with Bert Porter's original dream. Mr. Reynolds will be accompanied by his Co-Manager and spouse Erica.

The Porter House was built in 1867 for the merchant Dighton B. Ellsworth (1822–1896), an English immigrant who had come to Decorah from New York in 1855. In 1898, after his death, the Ellsworth family sold the house to Francis and Emma Young. In 1904, their daughter Grace married Adelbert Field Porter (known as "Bert"), who was raised in the house across the street on Broadway, the son of George Porter and Adell Field Porter. The Young residence became the home of Bert and Grace, as well as of Francis and Emma Young, until their deaths. Bert and Grace Porter had an interest in travel, and Bert developed a natural history collection on his trips through North America, South America, and Asia. His collection, which includes morpho butterflies from South America, also includes the rock wall surrounding the property (built in part by Bert Porter) and the family's personal effects, including papers, books, furniture, and china.

Mr. Reynolds is originally from Delaware where he graduated from the University of Delaware with a history degree. He moved to Decorah by way of New York City with his spouse (a northeast Iowa native) after falling in love with the area on a visit in summer 2018. He has experience in the financial services and technology industry and has a career of serving in project managed roles.

For more about the Porter House Museum please visit their website at https://www.porterhousemuseum.org.

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**Please complete your 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.

We are looking forward to this year's Decorah Rotary Club Holiday Party on Tuesday, February 11, 12PM, at Rubaiyat. Rotarians and their significant others are invited to attend.  Registration is open through 5PM on Feb 8, 2025. Rotarian meals (both noon and after hours members) are covered in full.  Significant others will be billed at $22.

**Please note the venue change to Toppling Goliath for this After Hours meeting**

DRC After Hours Sponsor: Shannon Duncan

Dave Smutzler, founder of the paranormal investigative group P.I.G.s (Police Investigating Ghosts), will be sharing his group's techniques used in paranormal investigations (which differ from what most people are used to seeing on TV shows) and will share some spooky stories! He previously shared a subset of this presentation at the noon Rotary meeting held on January 7th.

Dave's interest in the paranormal began in college. He didn't have any actual experiences at that time but the fascination continued into his career as a Decorah police officer, which began in 1991. He has a desire to help people even when a logical or obvious explanation isn't available, and that desire makes Smutzler and his team passionate about investigating perceived paranormal occurrences. Smutzler claims he’s participated in more than 100 investigations, including some of Iowa’s more famous haunted sites — like the Cresco movie theater, Edinburgh Manor in Scotch Grove, and many others.

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DRC Sponsor: John Moeller

James (Jim) Burns of the Miller Law Office, P.L.C., recently reached a milestone when he completed 50 years of practicing law. He will visit our club to share some of his unique insights and experiences over his long and distinguished law career.

Mr. Burns has practiced with the firm since 1973 as serves as a managing partner. He was admitted to the Iowa Bar in 1974 and the Minnesota Bar in 1990. His professional associations include the Iowa State Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the Iowa Association for Justice, the American Association for Justice, the National Association of College and University Attorneys, and Winneshiek County. He has been active in the community, having served in the Decorah Jaycees (past president), Decorah Lions Club (past president), WinnMed Foundation Board, the Low Rent Housing Agency Board, and a 25-year contributing member of the Decorah Lutheran Church family as a Sunday school teacher. He graduated from Decorah High School in 1966, from Cornell College in 1970, and the University of Iowa Law School in 1973. He also served briefly in the U.S. Air Force Judge Advocate General Corps.

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**Please complete your 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

Decorah Chief of Police Tricia Thein will be visiting our club to talk about the Royal Family Kids Camp of Northeast Iowa.

Royal Family KIDS (RFK) develops camps across the country and internationally, with the goal of offering weeks of camp to every 6-12 year old in foster care each summer. In addition to camp, these foster kids have the opportunity to participate in club time and 9-month mentor programs. Since 1985, RFK has been offering free week-long summer camps for children of abuse or neglect who have been placed in foster care. For many of these children a week at summer camp is a first. It is a life changing experience for the kids. RFK currently has 175 camps in operation, including 150 across the U.S. and 25 in other parts of the world. Thus far over 63,000 campers have attended a one week camp.

Chief Thein has 27 years of law enforcement experience including her present leadership role in the Decorah Police Department. She attended the Northwestern School of Police Staff and Command as well as other training through the Southern Police Institute. She has served as a school resource officer, crime scene processor, crisis negotiator team leader, peer support team leader, Lieutenant of Investigations, and Lieutenant of Patrol Services. Her passion in law enforcement has always been juvenile law/family services, and she is a strong advocate for victims of crime.

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**Please complete your 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: Kim Bonnet

Margaret "Mugs" Walter from Winneshiek County Celebration of Life will be sharing insights about the organization and the many ways they help individuals in active cancer treatment.

Winneshiek County Celebration of Life is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in Winneshiek County in an effort to raise funds for cancer support, prevention and awareness. Mugs is one of the original founders of the group. The organization started as a collection of caring individuals observing the pressing need to assist women with health information and provide free mammograms for non-insured and under-insured individuals. As time went on, their assistance expanded to include helping individuals in active treatment of cancer. Through a tireless fundraising effort and an amazing response in donations, the group expanded their services to include a fuel card program to help offset the cost of travel to out-of-area treatment, and later added food cards as well. These cards are sent out to Winneshiek County residents or individuals whose primary care physician works in Decorah. Each year they typically help over 70 of our friends, family and neighbors.  

For more information, please visit their website at www.winneshiekcol.com.

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**Please complete your 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: Kim Bonnet

Brett Wilker, the Decorah High School (DHS) robotics coach along with several students from the DHS Robotics Club and their innovative creations will be on hand to recap the recent team successes at the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) Robotics Competiton. 28 teams competed at this recent competion hosted in Cedar Falls.

Each school was provided an obstacle course-style scenario at the beginning of the school year from which they designed, built, and programmed a small robot. The objective was to to score as many points as possible within the constraints of that scenario. The 2025 competition theme "Into the Deep" required teams to retrieve sample blocks from a metal container and either lift them up to place them into suspended baskets or clip them onto hanging poles. Teams could also score points for suspending their robots from the support beams on the metal container, along with other scoring options in both autonomous and a driver-controlled segments. As a result of the competition, the junior and senior team qualified to compete at the state championships on February 28 and March 1 at the Xtreme Arena in Coralville.

Our longer tenured Rotarians may recall Brett and his robotics team visiting the club in the upstairs room at T-Bocks back in April 2019 (<-link). It was a most interesting and entertaining Rotary program!

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**Please complete your 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 After Hours Sponsor: Shannon Duncan

Jeff Wilkerson is a Professor of Physics at Luther College. In addition to his extensive research and teaching, he is an accomplished author and plans to present excerpts from his book 23 Woodcock in 22 Years: Reflections on Hunting, the Night Sky and Our Place in the Universe, highlighting the passage of time as both birds and the stars overhead come and go season after season. He will lead our members in discussing the behavior of birds, stars as the origin of the material around us, the nature of our Milky Way galaxy, the history of the universe, and what can be observed in the night sky right now.

Dr. Wilkerson earned a B.S. in physics from Indiana University and a Ph.D. in physics from the University of California, Berkeley. He has previously worked on projects searching antimatter heavy nuclei in cosmic rays and developing detector technology for studying X-rays from neutron stars and black holes. For the past 28 years he has served on the faculty at Luther where he has taught a wide range of astronomy and physics courses, supervised more than 60 undergraduate research projects involving the monitoring of stellar brightness, and has served in a variety of administrative positions. In addition to numerous research publications and presentations, he has authored two books and presents a weekly, public YouTube (<- link) video on night sky observing.

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DRC Sponsor: Kim Bonnet

Colinne McCann and Will Kuelbs from Helping Services for Youth and Families will be visiting our club to provide information and insights on their Youth Mentoring Program. Youth mentoring provides a consistent, prosocial relationship between an adult or older peer and one or more youth. Mentoring consistently improves self-esteem, academic achievement, and peer relationships and reduces substance misuse, aggression, depressive symptoms, and delinquency. Helping Services has matched caring adults with hundreds of kids for over 20 years. Their program offers services in Allamakee, Clayton, Delaware, Southern Fayette, Howard, and Winneshiek Counties.

Colinne McCann has been a resident of Winneshiek County for the past 18 years. She received her AA in Human Services at Northeast Iowa Community College and then her BA in Social Work at Luther College. Colinne has been involved with youth mentoring at Helping Services since 2016. Youth mentoring and giving back to the next generation is where her passion lies. In her spare time Colinne spends time with her daughter, is a service unit director for Winneshiek County Girl Scouts and teaches 7-12 grade Sunday School.

Will Kuelbs is a Minneapolis, MN native and is a senior at Luther College majoring in Social Work. He currently serves over the summer months as a Childcare Specialist for the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board, where he works in and with summer school-age programs. His long-term goal is to become a school social worker in the Twin Cities. Will is excited to join Helping Services as an intern this spring. He deeply admires the organization’s critical role in providing vital support to the Decorah community and is eager to contribute to its mission of fostering positive change.  He looks forward to working with such a dedicated team and gaining hands-on experience in the field.

For more about Helping Services for Youth and Families please visit their website at https://www.helpingservices.org.

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**Please complete your 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: Kim Bonnet

First Lutheran Church Senior Pastor and fellow Decorah Rotarian Mike Wilker will be sharing images and stories from his recent delegation trip to Namibia. Discover the vibrant connections between Namibia and northeast Iowa through Luther College, local congregations, and regional partnerships.

This relationship continues a connection dating back to the 1970s, when educational exchanges first brought Namibian students to northeast Iowa. Mike represented northeastern Iowa Lutherans at the installation of two new Namibian Bishops in February. He witnessed firsthand how international cooperation has strengthened both communities over decades. Learn how this longstanding relationship between Namibia and Decorah continues to foster educational, cultural, and humanitarian exchanges that benefit both regions.

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**Please complete your 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: Brecka Putnam

Trish Johnson from Helping Services for Youth and Families will share information on the Domestic Abuse Resource Center (DRAC). DARC provides services to those who have or are experiencing IPV (intimate partner violence) including domestic abuse, dating violence, stalking & human sex trafficking. They help with obtaining civil protection orders, safety planning, limited financial assistance, navigating the criminal justice system, medical advocacy and more. They also provide community education and presentations to middle and high schools on healthy relationships. Trish will share information on the dynamics of domestic violence and how to respond when someone discloses abuse.

Trish Johnson has been a Certified Victim Advocate for twelve years and is our area’s bilingual domestic abuse advocate. She has a BA in Communications and Linguistics from Luther College. DRAC is a program of Helping Services for Youth and Families, providing services to Howard, Allamakee, Winneshiek, Clayton, Fayette, Chickasaw, and Bremer Counties.

For more on the DRAC program please visit their website at Helping Services for Youth and Families - DRAC.

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DRC Sponsor: Jim Morrow

Luther College Professor of Biology Scott Carlson and selected Luther College students participating in the 2025 Luther January Term study abroad course offered by the Center for Global Learning entitled "Nepal: A One Health Perspective" will visit our club to share the highlights of their trip to Nepal and selected results from their investigation.

The World Health Organization defines One Health as "an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals and ecosystems." This course focused on Nepal to study the dynamic relationship between people, animals, plants, and the environment, and how they are interconnected in contributing to the wellness of a population. This course emphasized the work of the Center for Molecular Dynamics Nepal (CMDN), which is the leading public health and wildlife research organization in the country. Students participated in ongoing projects at CMDN involving disease surveillance, biomedical research, wildlife conservation, and environmental health. The itinerary also included travel to Kathmandu, Pokhara, and the Chitwan National Park.

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**Please complete your 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.

Decorah Rotary is proud to once again partner with local groups in support of the Decorah Community Meal. Our assigned day is April 3, 2025. The event takes place in the Fellowship Hall (lower level) at Decorah Lutheran Church, 309 Winnebago Street.  The sign up includes spots for salads, desserts and workers.  Food items can be dropped off as early as 4:15 in the church kitchen the day of the event.  If you have a container that you need returned, please make sure it is marked with your name.  The event coordinators have requested that children under the age of 14 be accompanied by an adult.

For those of you signing up to work, you may be assigned to any of the following jobs:

Cut and serve desserts, refill dessert table

Mix and pour drinks, refill drinks

Floater/Runner; Keep main table stocked with dishes, silverware, napkins, entrées, salads

Serve coffee and greet guests.

Bus dishes and help in kitchen after meal

Dry washed pots, pans, bowls, etc.

Unload dishwasher and put dishes away

Wipe tables and chairs

Vacuum/mop and help with take-down

Assistance to any of the DCM committee members as needed

DRC Sponsor: Jim Morrow

Luther College Professor of Social Work Britt Rhodes and selected Luther College students participating in the Luther Paideia 450 study abroad course offered by the Center for Global Learning entitled "Forging Paths to Peace (Northern Ireland)" will visit our club to share highlights of their experiences and report on selected results of their investigation.

This course examined the difficult yet inspiring Northern Ireland peace process through the lives of its participants. The participants explored the challenges and potential of political and grassroots peace building, with special attention to issues of identity, culture, and memory as challenges and the principles of compromise, forgiveness, mercy, justice, and peace as potential. An integral part of this course was the conduct of meetings with representatives of the main political parties of Northern Ireland, former members of paramilitary organizations, academic experts, police officers, members of inter-community organizations, and victims of past violence. The itinerary included trips to Derry, Belfast, and Ballycastle within Northern Ireland and Dublin in Ireland.

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**Please complete your 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.

Please note location change to the Hovde Room in the Luther College Library.  It is the first meeting room on the right after entering the library.  Please park in the lot behind the library.

DRC Sponsor: Shannon Duncan

First Lutheran Church Senior Pastor and fellow Decorah Rotarian Mike Wilker will be sharing images and stories from his recent delegation trip to Namibia. Discover the vibrant connections between Namibia and northeast Iowa through Luther College, local congregations, and regional partnerships.

This relationship continues a connection dating back to the 1970s, when educational exchanges first brought Namibian students to northeast Iowa. Mike represented northeastern Iowa Lutherans at the installation of two new Namibian Bishops in February. He witnessed firsthand how international cooperation has strengthened both communities over decades. Learn how this longstanding relationship between Namibia and Decorah continues to foster educational, cultural, and humanitarian exchanges that benefit both regions.

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Our annual Spring Roadside Cleanup event is scheduled for Saturday, April 12. Please meet at Putnam Law Office at 8AM to pick up safety vests and bags.  We will also take a photo of volunteer present at that time.

If you would like to assist with the project but are unable to participate on the 13th, please reach out to Ward Budweg to make alternative arrangements.

DRC Sponsor: Jim Morrow

Mike Bollinger, fellow Decorah Rotarian and Executive Director of Seed Savers Exchange (SSE), has offered to speak to our club about the SSE 50th Anniversary Celebration planned for August 8-9, 2025 at the SSE Heritage Farm site north of Decorah. The event will feature a variety of activities including speakers, farm and facilities tours, workshops, a seed swap, and live music.

SSE conserves biodiversity by maintaining a collection of over 20,000 different varieties of heirloom and open-pollinated plants, varieties with the ability to regenerate themselves year after year. These seeds (and tissue cultures or other plant materials, depending on how a plant reproduces) have the power to withstand unforeseen pestilence and plant disease, climate change, and limited habitat, and to stop dinnertime boredom forever. The SSE Heritage Farm serves as the headquarters of SSE and includes the Lillian Goldman Visitors Center and Gift and Garden Store, miles of hiking trails, a trout stream, display gardens and a historic orchard. The Heritage Farm serves as the principal location for housing the extensive seed collection and for hosting special events. The entire SSE team (including preservation and education staff, donor and member services, the garden crew, and order fulfillment team) is also based at the Decorah location.

Mike has a long and fruitful connection with SSE. He originally served as a member of their garden crew and contracted as a seed producer. For more than a decade, he has collaborated as the primary producer of transplants for the SSE plant sales with his wife, Katie, through their certified organic farm, River Root Farm. As co-founder of an agricultural solutions company, Mike has also provided support to SSE on greenhouse design and organic production practices. Mike has not only gained a practical understanding of organic and sustainable growing practices but also dedicated years of service as an active member on the board of directors for organizations focusing on farmer education services and local and regional food systems.

For more information on SSE and to register for the 50th Anniversary Celebration visit https://www.seedsavers.org/.

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**Please complete your 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: Jim Morrow

Decorah City Manager Travis Goedken will be visiting our club to share information on the various projects and plans in store for the city of Decorah during the 2025 calendar year.

Mr. Goedken assumed the duties as Decorah City Manager on September 9, 2021. He previously served as City Administrator of Humboldt, where he served for nearly six years. Prior to that, he served in diverse roles as a Deputy City Clerk, underground utilities heavy equipment operator, and firefighter/EMT. He is a two-time graduate of the University of Iowa in Political Science and Economics and obtained his master’s degree in Public Administration from Drake University. He was born and raised in the Dyersville area. While in Humboldt, he oversaw several major projects including a five block downtown streetscape project, construction of a community daycare facility (of which he served as President), and the construction and donation of a 71,000 square foot recreation center.

Travis and his spouse Tara have four children. In his limited spare time he enjoys fly fishing or ice fishing depending on the season.

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**Please complete your 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.

Please note the location change to the Hovde Room at the Luther College Library.  It is the first room on the left after you enter.  Please park in the lot behind the library.

DRC Sponsor: Shannon Duncan

Cheryl Johnson, President of Iowa Grotto, member of the Cave Research Foundation - Eastern Operations, and member of the National Speleological Society will present on the discovery, exploration and preservation of Winneshiek County's Coldwater Cave, the largest cave in the Upper Midwest.

Ms. Johnson's interest in the science of speleology began as a child. She could hear water running through the ground near sinkholes on her family farm and was fascinated about what might lay underneath. A grade school field trip to Niagara Cave in Harmony, MN opened her eyes to the world below the karst topography of the Driftless. Due to a lack of available scholarships in the field she was unable to pursue a career in Geology; however, now that her children are grown she has the opportunity to pursue her passion for caves as a leisure interest. Her interest has grown into her involvement in cartography projects at both the local and national level.

Born and raised in rural Decorah, Ms. Johnson graduated from Decorah High School in 1999 and studied accounting at Luther College. For the past 10 years she has served as the office manager for the Chiropractic Offices of fellow Rotarian Kelly Reagan.

For more about the Iowa Grotto and the National Speleological Society please visit https://caves.org/grotto/iowa-grotto/.

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DRC Sponsor: Tim Cronin

Our club is pleased and honored to welcome accomplishd author, educator, and humanitarian Dr. David Markward, who will be speaking about his recent book From Dubuque to Selma and Beyond: My Journey to Understand Racism in America. In his book, Dr. Markward investigates the complex world of racism. It is a testament to his belief in humanity and the power of education to effect change. It invites readers to reflect on their own biases and work toward a more just and equitable future. From his upbringing in a predominantly white community to his lifelong pursuit of racial justice, the story is both inspiring and thought-provoking.

After graduating from Dubuque Senior High School and Augustana College, Dr. Markward earned two advanced degrees from Western Illinois University and a doctorate from Illinois State University. He started his career as a junior-high-school science teacher, then served as a coach, principal, school district superintendent (including for the Rock Island-Milan School District and Cedar Rapids Community School District), college instructor, and educational consultant.

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**Please complete your 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.

 link ------> Bicycle Care, Collection, and Cookies Ride Information Flyer <----- link

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Please click on the link above for details. The Decorah Rotary Club is a co-sponsor of this event. 

We do not need volunteers but encourage our Rotarians and their families, kids, grandchildred, etc. to attend. Also, please feel free to bring your used bicycles for donation to this good cause!

DRC Sponsor: Don Holmertz

Merry Makers is a scripted comedy-based club formed at Luther College in October 2023. The club creates a space for Luther students to learn more about and practice various types of comedy including sketch comedy, improv, mime, slapstick and clowning. They also explore writing, direction, and acting in comedic theater.

The Merry Makers clown troupe "Cloupe Therapy" will be on hand to share their entertaining creativity with our club. Laughter is a guarantee!

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**Please complete your 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 After Hours Sponsor: Shannon Duncan

Mike Bollinger, fellow Decorah Rotarian and Executive Director of Seed Savers Exchange (SSE), has offered to speak to our Rotary After Hours group about the SSE 50th Anniversary Celebration planned for August 8-9, 2025 at the SSE Heritage Farm site north of Decorah. The event will feature a variety of activities including speakers, farm and facilities tours, workshops, a seed swap, and live music.

SSE conserves biodiversity by maintaining a collection of over 20,000 different varieties of heirloom and open-pollinated plants, varieties with the ability to regenerate themselves year after year. These seeds (and tissue cultures or other plant materials, depending on how a plant reproduces) have the power to withstand unforeseen pestilence and plant disease, climate change, and limited habitat, and to stop dinnertime boredom forever. The SSE Heritage Farm serves as the headquarters of SSE and includes the Lillian Goldman Visitors Center and Gift and Garden Store, miles of hiking trails, a trout stream, display gardens and a historic orchard. The Heritage Farm serves as the principal location for housing the extensive seed collection and for hosting special events. The entire SSE team (including preservation and education staff, donor and member services, the garden crew, and order fulfillment team) is also based at the Decorah location.

Mike has a long and fruitful connection with SSE. He originally served as a member of their garden crew and contracted as a seed producer. For more than a decade, he has collaborated as the primary producer of transplants for the SSE plant sales with his wife, Katie, through their certified organic farm, River Root Farm. As co-founder of an agricultural solutions company, Mike has also provided support to SSE on greenhouse design and organic production practices. Mike has not only gained a practical understanding of organic and sustainable growing practices but also dedicated years of service as an active member on the board of directors for organizations focusing on farmer education services and local and regional food systems.

For more information on SSE and to register for the 50th Anniversary Celebration visit https://www.seedsavers.org/.

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Decorah Rotary Club is proud to host an evening with Erika Billerbeck on Thursday, May 15, from 5:30-7:00 PM at the Decorah VFW .

Luther College alumnus ('97) Erika Billerbeck has been an Iowa Conservation Officer for the last 25 years. In 2020, the University of Iowa Press published her book Wildland Sentinel: Field Notes from an Iowa Conservation Officer. In this book, Erika takes readers along for the ride as she and her colleagues sift through poaching investigations, chase down sex offenders in state parks, search for fugitives in wildlife areas, haul drunk boaters to jail, perform body recoveries, and face the chaos that comes with disaster response. Using an introspective personal voice, this narrative nonfiction work weaves stories of Iowa’s natural history with a cast of unforgettable characters. Wildland Sentinel touches on what it means to be a woman working in the male-dominated field of conservation law enforcement.

At this special, all-member gathering of the Decorah Rotary Club, Erika will talk about her book, tell stories, and take questions. Books will be available for purchase and personalized signature by the author for $20.

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DRC Sponsor: Don Holmertz

**Please note the special meeting logistics provided below**

Luther College alumnus ('97) Erika Billerbeck has been an Iowa Conservation Officer for the last 25 years. In 2020, the University of Iowa Press published her book Wildland Sentinel: Field Notes from an Iowa Conservation Officer. In this book, Erika takes readers along for the ride as she and her colleagues sift through poaching investigations, chase down sex offenders in state parks, search for fugitives in wildlife areas, haul drunk boaters to jail, perform body recoveries, and face the chaos that comes with disaster response. Using an introspective personal voice, this narrative nonfiction work weaves stories of Iowa’s natural history with a cast of unforgettable characters. Wildland Sentinel touches on what it means to be a woman working in the male-dominated field of conservation law enforcement.

Erika plans to discuss her book, tell stories, and field questions at this special, all-member meeting of the club. She will have copies of her book available for purchase and personalized author signature for $20.

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**This presentation will have a special Thursday evening meeting time for accommodating both our Noon and After Hours Rotarians, as well as their spouses and significant others. It will also be advertised to the public on a free and first come, first served basis. The club will be hosting this special presentation at the VFW, with hors d'oveures and cash bar available. Due to anticipation of the popularity of this presentation, prompt email responses to the forthcoming special event announcement will be important and needed for planning purposes.

DRC Sponsor: Don Holmertz

Former Provost Dr. Brad Chamberlain was named the 12th president of Luther College in November 2024 and assumed the office with the start of the Spring 2025 semester. He will be visiting our club to provide brief news updates from Luther and will open the floor up to questions and a dialog with Rotary members.

As Provost, Dr. Chamberlain brokered new academic programs and expanded the Office of Student Success with the addition of Advising, the Career Center, the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching and the Writing Center to create an integrated student success model, the first of its kind at Luther. Prior to those duties, he was Vice President for Mission and Communication from 2019 until 2022. He led the implementation of Luther’s first integrated brand strategy, developed the college’s first strategic internal communications plan, and co-led the COVID Response Team. Joining the college in the fall of 2001 as a visiting professor, Dr. Chamberlain earned tenure in 2007 and became a full professor in 2014, serving as Chairman of the Chemistry Department from 2014 to 2018.

Graduating magna cum laude with his bachelor’s in Chemistry from Gustavus Adolphus College, Dr. Chamberlain earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Minnesota. Before joining the Luther faculty, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Cornell University. He has continued his education with professional certifications in fundraising management from Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy; in diversity, equity and inclusion from Cornell University’s online campus; and in strategy from the Harvard Business School.

Dr. Chamberlain's presidency comes at a unique moment both in the long history of Luther College and also for higher education in America. He service has begun with emphasis on leading the Luther community into his guide points of honesty and hope; pride and belief, supporting the vision of Luther College becoming the standard for preparing its students for lives of meaning, purpose, and service.

Married to Luther alumnus Julie Torkelson Chamberlain ('96), they are the proud parents of Decorah High products and Luther students Drew (’26) and Liam (’29).

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**Please complete your 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: Don Holmertz

Dr. Laird Edman, a cognitive psychologist and recently retired college professor, will talk to us on research he has done about why religious and secular rituals are so meaningful to us. Almost all important events in the life of a person or family, in communities, and even nations, of every culture and religion down through human history, are marked by some kind of ritual…even when we don’t notice we are doing it. He will show that while the reason why we do our rituals “this way” is usually lost to us over time, they are essential to who we are and where we belong by helping us with the meaning, changes, and challenges during our lives.

Dr. Erdman holds a doctorate in educational psychology from the University of Minnesota. His research has been published in journals and books including The Psychology of Religion and Spirituality and The Oxford Handbook of the Cognitive Science of Religion. He has taught at various institutions and is presently a professor emeritus of psychology and a research professor for Northwestern College in Iowa, and also served as a visiting scholar at Oxford University. He is a member of the American Psychological Association's Council of Representatives and serves on the executive committee of the Society for the Psychology of Religion and Spirituality.

For more information on Dr. Erdman's research please visit his website at https://www.lairdedman.com.

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**Please complete your 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: Alan Lerstrom

Winneshiek County Auditor Benjamin D. (Ben) Steines will visit our club and offer an overview of the duties of the County Auditor. He will emphasize election procedures and processes that help ensure accurate and secure voting. There will be time for questions from the membership.

Ben Steines was first elected County Auditor in 2008. Before that he served as a Deputy in the County Treasurer’s office, starting after his Luther College graduation in 1997. A 1993 graduate of Decorah High School, he and his family live in rural Decorah. His wife Stephanie is a math teacher at Decorah High School. They have four children ages 21, 18, 16, and 13.

As County Auditor, Ben prides himself with providing friendly and efficient service in the Auditor’s office, overseeing elections, the county budget, accounts payable, payroll, and numerous other administrative duties; all with honesty and integrity. He enjoys spending time with his family and playing board games and cards with his friends.

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**Please complete your 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: Alan Lerstrom

Clark Goltz and Karen McLean from the WinnMed Board of Trustees (BoT) will be visiting our club to provide insights into the duties and responsibilites of the members of the BoT. They will be sharing information on the member selection process, terms of sevice, education and training for the BoT members, required meetings, subcommittees, and the intentional involvement of personnel who are able to offer a variety of expertise and perspectives.

Clark Goltz is the current Chair of the BoT and has long ties to northeast Iowa as his ancestors moved here in the 1850s. Many of our Rotarians know Clark as principal of John Cline school. He has also been an assistant superintendent and college instructor. He has received a number of awards recognizing his expertise.

Karen McLean is Vice Chair of the BoT and also chairs the Quality and Patient Safety Committee. She holds degrees in physical therapy, clinical exercise physiology, and exercise science from the University of Wisconsin, UW La Crosse, and Arizona State University, respectively. She was a faculty member at UW La Crosse as well as Provost and  Dean of the College of Science and Allied Health at Des Moines University. She is a volunteer Senior Health Insurance Information
Program (SHIIP) counselor providing “Welcome to Medicare” seminars for prospective enrollees.

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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: Alan Lerstrom

Tim Smock, Winneshiek County Treasurer, will be joining our noon meeting to engage members in conversation about the ways in which the Winneshiek County Treasurer’s Office serves the residents of the county. He will also discuss how public funds are kept secure through detailed financial reporting, accurate reconciliation, and careful investment practices. He will entertain questions at the conclusion of his presentation.

The Winneshiek County Treasurer is responsible for the receipt, management, disbursement, financial reporting, and investment of all monies paid to the County and serves as agent for the State of Iowa Department of Transportation and Iowa Department of Revenue and Finance. The Treasurer compiles composite reports from individual record books to general ledgers, reviews and reconciles receipts, bills, and cash received to assure accuracy of figures to prevent discrepancies and financial loss. In addition, the Treasurer categorizes, indexes, files and deposits materials, forms and monies received to assure public funds are administered properly. The Treasurer is also responsible for the proper receipt, accounting and disbursement of county funds within proper policies established by the State of Iowa, Winneshiek County Board of Supervisors and corporate and unincorporated taxing entities for adequate financial control.

Tim has served in the Winneshiek County Treasurer's Office since 2018 and was appointed Treasurer in January of this year. A native of Decorah, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting and Management from Luther College. Outside the office, Tim enjoys spending time outdoors with family and friends.

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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 Sponsor: Diana Morrow

Joanne Thuente and Mary Engan will be sharing their experiences over the past ten years supporting the local Decorah chapter of the Quilts of Valor Foundation.

The National Quilts of Valor Foundation began in 2003 with a dream by founder Catherine Roberts after seeing her son Nat, who was deployed in Iraq, battle with emotional trauma. She wrapped him in a quilt and his whole demeanor changed from one of despair to one of hope. Her message was: Quilts equals Healing. Each state has its own cadre of volunteers who invest their skills and time to create the quilts. These quilts are presented to veterans and active service members as a tangible means of appreciation for their service, sacrifice, and valor. In May of 2025 the Foundation reached a milestone of when it presented quilt number 400,000. In Decorah, these quilts are presented during different times of the year to honor our local veterans and active service members.

Joanne Thuente lives in rural Decorah with her husband, Virgil. Thety are the parents of two grown children. She has always been interested in gardening, floral design, and sewing. After retiring in 2015 from Seed Savers Exchange as the database editor for 30 years she joined Decorah Quilts of Valor. She believes sewing quilts for veterans is a most gratifying hobby.

Mary Engan hails from Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin and now lives west of Highlandville with her husband of 58 years. They have two daughters. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin, she began the hobby of quilting after retiring as a third grade teacher at Mabel-Canton Elementary School. She learned of Decorah Quilts of Valor when her husband received his quilt. She decided to join the group in 2019 and considers their service and the presentation of quilts to local veterans to be most rewarding. Veterans have a very special place in her heart since her dad was killed during the invasion of Normandy shortly after her birth.

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