Speakers

Rotary Short Term Exchange presents opportunities for students to advance their knowledge and world understanding by allowing them to briefly live in a different country.  The Rotary STEP (short term exchange program) is a family to family summer exchange program. After a match is established with an international family, the two students will spend one month at each other's home in the coming summer, with the exact dates determined by the two families.

Olivia Miller’s exchange sister, Anna-Lena Hofman who is from Deispeck, Bavaria, Germany

Peter Noreen’s exchange brother is Gustav Henriksen from Viborg, Denmark

Julia Paschke’s exchange sister is Adele Pereira from LeHavre, France

Aidden Howie’s exchange sister is Lucia Arias Pascual from Madrid, Spain

Rotary Short Term Exchange presents opportunities for students to advance their knowledge and world understanding by allowing them to briefly live in a different country.  The Rotary STEP (short term exchange program) is a family to family summer exchange program. After a match is established with an international family, the two students will spend one month at each other's home in the coming summer, with the exact dates determined by the two families.

Olivia Miller’s exchange sister, Anna-Lena Hofman who is from Deispeck, Bavaria, Germany

Peter Noreen’s exchange brother is Gustav Henriksen from Viborg, Denmark

Julia Paschke’s exchange sister is Adele Pereira from LeHavre, France

Aidden Howie’s exchange sister is Lucia Arias Pascual from Madrid, Spain

Learn more about the club's conversation to be strategically positioned to achieve continuity, consistency and consensus over the next five years.

A new member expectation is to give an introductory talk to the club. Consider joining us to get to know Dale better.

Mike was born in Rochester, Minnesota and joined Greater Rochester Rotary in 2002. He has served the club on every board position with the exception of Secretary/Treasurer and was club president 2010-2011. Currently he is the District Governor elect, past Tech Team Chairperson for District 5960, STRIVE Co-Chair for the Rochester clubs, Board member of NCPETS, Vocational co-chair of Greater Rochester, member of the District 5960 Visioning Training Team, Technical Chair for NCPETS.

Mike and Nancy have been foster parents for over twenty years and have been “foster parents” to 82 children. In 2005 they were awarded the honor of Foster Parents of the Year by Olmsted County. Mike and Nancy have served on the Parents board for the Foster Care Association and have been invited speakers to the International Shaken Baby Conference. Mike has served on his church’s Board of Directors for seven years and is a past Chairperson of that committee. 

Currently he is with First American Staff Appraisals as a Senior Appraiser and trainer, was the past owner of Becker Appraisals, a real estate appraisal firm since 2005. Has owned another appraisal firm and has been in the same business since 1991. He is an affiliated member of the Appraisal Institute and is a classroom instructor in the field. He currently serves as a board member of the Southeast Minnesota Association of Realtors MLS board and is Treasurer of the First Homes board of the Rochester Area Foundation.  Mike is an ongoing student of the profession and has logged over 1,000 hours of education time and credits.

Mike has been married to his lovely wife Nancy for 42 years and has always resided in Rochester. They have five children, Beth, Robin, Marc, Brian and Nykkole. They have ten grandchildren all under the age of nine. 

In St. Croix County, as well other counties in Wisconsin and throughout the nation, there is a shortage of foster care resources for children who are placed in out-of-home care. The numbers of children entering foster care continues to increase significantly. Much of this increase can be attributed to parental substance abuse, especially of methamphetamine and opioids. Foster care providers are an invaluable resource for children and youth who are unable to live in their in their own homes. Recruiting foster parents has become more and more challenging over the years as it has become much more than taking a child into the home and providing love, support and encouragement. The demands and challenges of fostering are great and in today’s world, foster parents must be prepared to meet the needs of foster children who have complex trauma histories. Although foster parenting can be incredibly challenging, and perhaps one of the most difficult “jobs” an individual may have in their lifetime, it can also be one of the most fulfilling and rewarding experiences of an individual’s life as well. Please consider if there is something you or your community can do to help alleviate this crisis.