Events

DRC Sponsor: Shannon Duncan

DRC member and Northeast Iowa Community College President Dr. Liang Chee Wee will provide our club with an update on the programs associated with the college, as well as insight into his future personal plans. Dr. Wee has served as NICC President since 2012 and prior as the Calmar Campus Provost starting in 2007. Before his arrival at NICC, he worked at Luther College for 15 years, first teaching in the Department of Economics and Business, then serving as Chair of the department. In 2001, he accepted the position of Associate Dean for Advising and Special Programs and Registrar. Dr. Wee holds a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Arts in management information systems, a Master's of business administration, and a Ph.D. in business administration, all from the University of Arizona, Tucson.

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Please note this presentation will take place as part of the DRC virtual Tuesday noon meeting using the Zoom application. There will be no face-to-face meeting. A separate email invitation will be forwarded to all Club members to facilitate their access to the meeting.

DRC Sponsor: Ward Budweg

Eli Swift, General Manager of Spahn & Rose Lumber in Decorah, will provide our members with the latest, up-to-date information on lumber prices and ordering lead times. He will also address the ramifications of the new building code inspector for Decorah.

Spahn & Rose Lumber Co. was organized in 1904 as a retail lumber company with the goal of providing knowledgeable staff, excellent service and superior-quality products to Midwest contractors and builders. Today, the company has 24 retail lumber and building-material stores in Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin, along with a lumber-distribution facility in Independence, Iowa. See https://www.spahnandrose.com for more details.

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Please note this presentation will take place as part of the DRC virtual Tuesday noon meeting using the Zoom application. There will be no face-to-face meeting. A separate email invitation will be forwarded to all Club members to facilitate their access to the meeting.

$7 for chili, cornbread and dessert or potato soup, bread and dessert.

Use the alley off Broadway (adjacent to the Methodist church) to access the west side of the church to pay and pick up your soup and/or chili.

Sponsored by Rubaiyat, Spectrum, Magpie, and 301 Eatery.
 

DRC Sponsor: Lorraine Borowski

Brittany Todd, owner and photographer at Photography by Brittany on West Water Street in Decorah, will discuss her motivations and actions associated with the Reset Business Conference sponsored by Winneshiek County Development and Tourism. She plans to share an overview of the life changing strategies offered at the conference.

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Please note this presentation will take place as part of the DRC virtual Tuesday noon meeting using the Zoom application. There will be no face-to-face meeting. A separate email invitation will be forwarded to all Club members to facilitate their access to the meeting.

DRC Sponsor: Lorraine Borowski

Decorah native and local wealth management advisor Harlan Satrom is a history buff when the subject is our 16th president, Abraham Lincoln. He plans to share some of his infectious enthusiasm with our members.

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Please note this presentation will take place as part of the DRC virtual Tuesday noon meeting using the Zoom application. There will be no face-to-face meeting. A separate email invitation will be forwarded to all Club members to facilitate their access to the meeting.

DRC Sponsor: Maureen Duncklee

Our members will be introduced to the new Executive Director of the Decorah Area Chamber of Commerce (DACC), Jessica Rilling. Formerly serving as Executive Director for Iowa Valley Resource Conservation & Development of Amana, Jessica assumed her new position on December 9th and replaced Kristina Wiltgen, who had served the DACC for 17 years. Jessica has extensive experience in creative placemaking, economic development, business support, and grant writing.

The DACC mission is to be the trusted resource in the local business community for advocacy, collaboration, and education. The organization currently serves 350 area businesses.

To learn more visit www.decorahareachamber.com.

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Please note this presentation will take place as part of the DRC virtual Tuesday noon meeting using the Zoom application. There will be no face-to-face meeting. A separate email invitation will be forwarded to all Club members to facilitate their access to the meeting.

DCR Sponsor: John Moeller

Steve Holland, Professor of Economics at Luther College, will summarize recent research examining the economic impact Luther College has on the city of Decorah. Dr. Holland has been a professor in the Economics, Accounting, and Management Department since 2005, focusing on the topics of microeconomics, environmental economics, and public policy.

Dr. Holland holds a Ph.D. in Applied Economics from the University of Minnesota, as well as a J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center. He received his B.A. in Economics and English at St. Olaf College.

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Please note this presentation will take place as part of the DRC virtual Tuesday noon meeting using the Zoom application. There will be no face-to-face meeting. A separate email invitation will be forwarded to all Club members to facilitate their access to the meeting.

DRC Sponsor: Kim Bonnet

Adam Polashek will be discussing his family business, Polashek's Locker Service. His presentation will be done via Zoom in order to support a virtual tour of the facility.

Polashek's Locker Service, Inc. was founded in 1983 by Paul and Judy Polashek. They celebrated 35 years in the meat business in 2018 and continue to offer award winning meats and customer service. They offer custom beef, pork and venison processing and have a full case of fresh and frozen meat, homemade products, cheese, and deli products. They also supply meats to local area grocery stores.

In 2013 their business was featured on the Travel Channel program Bizarre Foods, hosted by Andrew Zimmern. In this particular episode, the crew observed the production and participated in the sampling of jaternice, pickled pork hocks, pickled beef tripe, and head cheese.

Learn more about the company by visiting their website: Polashek's Locker Service

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The meeting announcment, agenda, location and logistical information including meal sign-up and Zoom meeting link will be distributed to all members by email in advance of the meeting.

DRC Sponsor: Kim Bonnet

Caleb Padilla, Head Football Coach at Luther College, will join our club to offer his observations and expectations for the Luther football program and his outlook for the coming season.

In December 2017, the Luther College Director of Athletics promoted Coach Padilla to his present position as Head Coach after having served as Defensive Coordinator for the Norse over the prior three years.

A native of West Liberty, Iowa, Coach Padilla has served as an assistant at the high school, NCAA Division II and Division III levels. He joined the Norse staff in 2015 as Defensive Coordinator from Division II Notre Dame College in South Euclid, OH where he served in the same role for two years. His coaching resume also includes two years as Defensive Coordinator at Albion College, Albion, Michigan, (2010-12); Outside Linebackers Coach at Colorado School of Mines (2008-09); and two years as the varsity Defensive Backs Coach and junior varsity Defensive Coordinator at Rangeview High School, Aurora, Colorado (2006-07). While at Winona State University, MN from 2001-2005 he was a member of the Warriors football team that captured four Northern Sun Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships.

See more about Norse football at their website: Football - Luther College

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The meeting announcment, agenda, location and logistical information including meal sign-up and Zoom meeting link will be distributed to all members by email in advance of the meeting.

DRC Sponsor: Kim Bonnet

Good Dog Center Retail Manager and Marketing Director Julie Wittry will offer our club her unique insight into the operations of the Good Dog Center, including the anticipated and exciting relocation to their new, expanded facility on Highway 52 in Decorah (the former Knob Hill Supper Club location).

The Good Dog Center has been offering dog training and grooming services in the Decorah area for over 20 years. Their staff has a combined 150 years of dog training and behavioral experience and they continuously attend training seminars and workshops to remain on the cutting edge of their discipline.

Take a virtual visit and consider joining their mailing list at their website: Good Dog Center

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The meeting announcment, agenda, location and logistical information including meal sign-up and Zoom meeting link will be distributed to all members by email in advance of the meeting.

DRC Sponsor: Carson Eggland

Brooke Kunkel from Helping Services for Youth & Families will be discussing opioid and stimulant drugs. She will be covering different categories of drugs/medications, signs and symptoms of someone with a substance abuse disorder, Narcan use, and resources available in the area in order to combat the issue. During the presentation she will talk about the prevalence of these drugs in northeast Iowa. 

Helping Services for Youth & Families is a nonprofit organization based in Decorah that was subcontracted to work on the State Opioid Response (SOR) Grant.  This grant works to prevent opioid and stimulant use in the community and to promote the use of Narcan.

For more information visit the organization's website at https://www.helpingservices.org.

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The meeting announcment, agenda, location and logistical information including meal sign-up and Zoom meeting link will be distributed to all members by email in advance of the meeting.