Events

DRC Sponsor: Shannon Duncan

Fellow Decorah Rotarian and local Mayo Clinic Health System Physician Dr. John (JT) Vogel, along with former Decorah Community Free Clinic Director and ongoing clinic volunteer Souk Sengsaisouk, will be demonstrating and describing a vitals machine sponsored by the Decorah Rotary Club to share how it benefits area patients. The Decorah Community Free Clinic provides free high-quality healthcare and education to uninsured and underinsured individuals in Decorah and in the surrounding areas of northeast Iowa.

Dr. Vogel is a graduate of Des Moines University and David Grant Medical Center. He works at WinnMed where he specializes in family medicine and focuses his practice on caring for the entire family from birth through the end of life as well as obstetrical care. He is also one of the volunteering physicians at the Decorah Community Free Clinic.

Mr. Sengsaisouk is a 2023 Luther College graduate and has been working for and volunteering with the free clinic since 2022. He is pursuing his BA in Global Health with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. He works at the Mayo Clinic as a colorectal surgery nurse.

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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: Ward Budweg

Decorah volunteer firefighters John Budweg, Collin White, and Jessie Reyerson will give an inside look at being a volunteer firefighter. They will cover the training, recap some of the unusual calls, and share the commitment it takes to serve the community.

The Decorah Fire Department is committed to providing rapid, high quality emergency services through teamwork and leadership, utilizing trained volunteers dedicated to the well being of the community twenty-four hours per day. The department services the City of Decorah and the residents of Decorah, Glenwood, Canoe, Pleasant Townships and portions of Madison, Bluffton, Burr Oak, Hesper, Highland and Springfield townships through an agreement with the Decorah Rural Fire Protective association.

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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

Decorah native and Luther College graduate Gail Magnuson, founder and owner of Agora Arts in Decorah, will speak about the history of her store--how it started, how it grew, etc. She will also talk about the ways retail has changed downtown and give her assessment of the present situation.

Gail opened Agora Arts in 1992 with the consigned work of 30 local artists. Since then, Agora Arts has developed a reputation for consistently introducing new and exciting handcrafted work to the gallery. Many of the most recognized artists in the industry trust Agora Arts to promote and sell their work. Agora Arts features contemporary art and fine craft by over 250 American and Canadian artists. They offer the highest quality collection of handcrafted work in the upper Midwest. Agora Arts is a four-time recipient of the Niche Top 100 Retailers of American Craft Award. Criteria for the award include promoting and marketing American craft, treating artists fairly, and giving back time and energy to the community.

For more on Agora Arts please visit their website at https://www.agoraarts.com.

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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: Erick Kephart

Presentation details TBA

The Riverview Center is unique in that it is the only agency in the 14 county northeast region of Iowa providing dedicated sexual assault services. They also offer sexual and domestic violence services in Jo Daviess and Carroll Counties in Illinois. Their services are free regardless of biological sex, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, immigration status, English proficiency, race and/or ethnicity, incarceration status, disability or background. Riverview Center is considered a safe space whose services are available to anyone affected by sexual assault, including non-offending family members of the survivor.

For more about the Riverview Center please visit their website at https://www.riverviewcenter.org.

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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

Megan Wilson, Director of Athletics at Luther College, will join our members to discuss the state of affairs for the athletics programs at Luther. She will discuss her philosophy on athletics--character, community, and competition--and how those attributes are key in making college athletics meaningful and transformative.

Ms Wilson was appointed as Director of Athletics at Luther in June, 2025. An NCAA Division III national champion athlete, former head coach, and experienced athletics administrator, she arrived at Luther from the University of Dubuque where she had served as associate dean of student engagement and intercollegiate athletics. Prior to joining Dubuque, she served as associate athletics director and advisor to the Student Athlete Advisory Committee at Luther. Along with home event administration for major events including the All-American cross country meet and three A-R-C conference championships hosted by Luther, she served as the director of the then-named Regents Center. Earlier in her athletics administration career, she was associate athletics director and senior woman administrator at the University of Wisconsin (UW) Stevens Point and held the same position at the UW-Platteville. As a head coach, she had a nine-year career leading UW-Platteville women’s basketball, and during her time also served as the liaison for athletics and admissions for Pioneer athletics.

As a college athlete, Ms Wilson had a legendary career for UW-Stevens Point, playing all four years and serving as the team captain her junior and senior seasons as the Pointers won the NCAA Division III National Championship in 2002. Following graduation, she became an assistant coach for the Pointers for four years, helping guide the team to back-to-back Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships and NCAA tournament bids. A native of Barneveld, Wisconsin, she led Barneveld High School to back-to-back basketball state championships and was the valedictorian of her graduating class.

Ms Wilson holds a Master's Degree in Education and a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from UW-Stevens Point. She and her husband Josh have three children, Aidan, Brody and Palmer.

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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

Sam Boeke, Executive Director of The Highlands (the new senior living center under the auspicers of Aase Haugen Senior Services) will take our members on a virtual tour of the new facility located at 607 Highland Drive in Decorah and will discuss its infrastructure and operations.

The move of residents and staff from the previous location in West Decorah to The Highlands was completed on December 17, 2025. The move marked the culmination of a long-term effort to enhance care, comfort and dignity for residents while honoring the organization’s legacy. The Highlands remains a part of the overall Aase Haugen Senior Services business entity and features the new, intentionally designed campus, skilled nursing, long-term care, memory care, and rehabilitation services; and modern technology, dining, and wellness spaces.

Mr. Bodke joined the senior services team at Executive Director at Aase Haugen in April 2022. He has over 31 years of experience in executive management and long-term care/senior living leadership. As a former board member of the Iowa Health Care Association and active member of the National Health Care Association and Leading Age Iowa, he led many long-term care initiatives both at the state and federal level.

Mr. Boeke earned his Bachelor of Science in Marketing from National University in San Diego, CA, and went on to earn his MBA from the University of Northern Iowa. He was designated a Certified Organizational Management (COM) professional at the University of Oklahoma in a program led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and also served as a board member of National Small Business United in Washington, DC.

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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 After Hours Sponsor: Diana Morrow

Steve Vanden Brink is a critical care paramedic, Director of Ambulance for WinnMed, public information and education office volunteer with the Decorah Fire Department, and American Heart Association cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) instructor. He will meet with the After Hours group to give his authoritative presentation on CPR and, time permitting, will speak about the automated external defibrillator (AED) and its proper use.

February is American Heart Month, a national observance to raise awareness about heart disease, encouraging everyone to learn about risks, symptoms, and lifestyle changes like healthy eating, physical activity, and knowing CPR to protect their cardiovascular health and that of loved ones. Key initiatives include National Wear Red Day and promoting resources from the American Heart Association and National Institutes for Health.

Mr. Vanden Brink has over 35 years experience in fire and emergency medical services (EMS) coordination and response. He is also experienced in training emergency services staff.

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DRC After Hours Sponsor: Diana Morrow

Jeni Melcher, who along with her spouse Tom is a sixth-generation co-owner and operator of Green's Sugar Bush, will join the After Hours group to talk about their renowned maple syrup operation, her family history, and the upcoming 35th annual Maple Festival.

Green’s Sugar Bush near Castalia is the oldest continually operational business in Iowa. The family has been producing maple syrup every year since 1851. The maple farm is about 60 acres in size, and the Melcher familiy taps the trees every spring to make their wildly popular syrup. It takes an immense and variable volume of sap to create maple syrup -- a single tap may only yield 1/2 pint to one quart of syrup. Every year beginning in 1991 the family has hosted the Maple Festival and Pancake Breakfast the last weekend of March and the first weekend of April.

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