Events

New development projects are sprouting, businesses are growing and transportation options are expanding. David Frank, Director of the City of Minneapolis Department of Community Planning and Economic Development, will talk about the programs and partnerships that support the city’s success and growth; serving residents, business owners and visitors.

Tom Gump is the former president of the Rotary Club of Edina/Morningside, which makes boosting membership a priority.  During his 2016-17 stint as club president, Edina/Morningside added 31 members, eleven of which were women and 10 were under 40 years old.  Tom's 10 tips to attract and retain members was featured in Rotary International's monthly magazine.  Tom will share his insights with our club.

Sharon J. Pierce, Ed.D., president of Minneapolis Community and Technical College, has been dedicated to urban education and the mission of community and technical colleges throughout her career. Prior to becoming president, she served Howard Community College (Md.) as the vice president for academic affairs, chair (dean) of the Health Sciences Division, and director of the nursing education program. Dr. Pierce is a professor of nursing and member of Sigma Theta Tau, International Nursing Honor Society. She holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s from the University of Maryland School of Nursing and a doctorate from Morgan State University (Md.).

Minneapolis College has been in the business of empowering its students and meeting the city’s workforce needs for over one hundred years. The College remains one of the most affordable colleges in the metro and is committed to meeting the workforce needs of the region and serving students, many of whom have been systematically excluded from educational opportunities and economic prosperity.   

However, the strategies our colleges and universities have been employing are not yielding the results we anticipated. Higher completion rates have not been realized, and measures of student success have only demonstrated incremental improvement. The opportunity gap has not closed and is but one of the challenges facing higher education.  Public skepticism of the value of a college degree is growing, higher education governance and business models do not support rapid innovation, and many people question the financial sustainability and viability of our business model. Given this reality, why is Dr. Pierce optimistic and what is Minneapolis College doing to insure its future educating students for a changing society and world of work?  Come find out on March 6th!

Former COLRC member Bob Gardner, the CEO and Visionary of Gardner Builders will speak about the growth of his company, described as a hospitality company in the commercial construction business. Bob started Gardner Builders with a single mission – to create a construction business that defies industry norms by focusing on relationships. To this day, connection and hospitality remain his priorities. Having worked in both the field (as a laborer, carpenter, superintendent, and machinist) and the office gives Bob a unique perspective and an attention to detail in all areas of a project.

Did you know that the rate of fatal falls in Minnesota is climbing faster than in the U.S. as a whole? In fact, since 2000, the rate has doubled. Preliminary data for 2016 from the CDC shows that Minnesota is now fourth in the U.S. for deaths due to unspecified falls. It’s alarming. But what can you do to prevent it among those you know and love? Susan Priem, the daughter of a Rotarian, will be with us to share advice. Susan, who is with Hennepin Health, received her physical therapy degree from the Mayo School of Health Related Sciences and a Master of Health Sciences from Washington University in St. Louis.  She is a Certified Exercise Expert for Aging Adults through the Academy of Geriatric Physical Therapy.  Her expertise is in treating adults for neurologic conditions including stroke and traumatic brain injury, but her passion is assisting adults to age well and in place.  

How does your vocation enable you to be of service to others?  How does your vocation make you a better Rotarian?  How does Rotary help you to perform better in your vocation?  Come to this roundtable discussion concerning vocational service and discuss these and other questions with your fellow Rotarians.

 COLRC is proud to work with Junior Achievement and now we have a chance to tour their new building.  Junior Achievement offers financial literacy, college and career readiness, and entrepreneurship education to K-12 students in Minnesota, North Dakota and western Wisconsin. JA empowers students to make a connection between what they learn in school and how it can be applied in the real world – enhancing the relevance of their classroom learning and increasing their understanding of the value of staying in school.

Joel Carter is an accomplished Palliative Care specialist, author, storyteller and artist. Carter transitioned to Palliative Care in 2002 after being awarded a Bush Medical Fellowship by the Archibald Bush Foundation to pursue interests in End of Life Medicine and Physician Leadership. He completed his fellowship at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute at Harvard University and training at the Physician Leadership College at the University of St. Thomas. He currently is a pain and palliative medicine specialist in Minneapolis where he treats patients and lectures on various topics related to pain and end of life care.

Carter’s clinical interests include the use of storytelling and narrative as they pertain to the psychosocial aspects of dying patients and their families. He has been published in the Los Angeles Times, Reader’s Digest and the Annals of Emergency Medicine. He is the author of two previously published books including Lava Lamp Lessons – Writings, Stories, and other Free Associations and Rockpeople – The Chester Creek Inuksuit Anthology, which recently sold-out.

Neen, from Chang Mai, Thailand, will talk about her year in Minneapolis and at Edison High School as our inbound Rotary Exchange Student.

Jean Kane, CEO, Colliers International, was voted as one of 2017’s most admired CEOs. Jean has been with the company for 30 years and has been CEO and majority owner of Welsh and Colliers International MSP since 2012. She sold WelshCo to global giant Colliers International Group Inc. of Toronto in April and has remained on as CEO. Jean's strong leadership and ability to take on tough challenges led the company to become one of the largest commercial real estate firms in the Twin Cities. Besides growing the business, creating a welcoming culture that embraces diversity and a variety of viewpoints is incredibly important to Jean. As a result, Welsh and Colliers International MSP has a stack of Best Places to Work awards from the Business Journal.

As Minnesotans, we cherish our lakes, rivers, forests, animals, the clean water we drink and canoe on. We cannot bear to think of losing these sacred places. Or worse, the thought of our great grandchildren not being able to know and love them, too. Let’s learn how we can act together to save what we love. Grounded in the Rotary Four-Way Test, this community forum will identify places we love and hold sacred; present climate science’s latest findings, impacts and urgency; and identify hopeful solutions to protect further loss of what is sacred to us.  

Featuring Paul Huttner, Chief Meteorologist, MPR

Alan Anderson, Northfield Rotary Climate Action Team

J. Drake Hamilton, Science Policy Director for Fresh Energy

As a member of Ryan’s Development team since 2005, Tony has led or contributed to over 3,000,000 square feet of development. He leads project teams through all aspects of the development process including site selection and acquisition, constraint analysis and due diligence, municipal approvals, design and construction coordination, and lease or sale negotiation. As an urban specialist, Tony understands current market trends and uses that knowledge to implement win-win solutions for clients and project stakeholders on even the most challenging development sites.

Certified B Corporations are businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. B Corps are accelerating a global culture shift to redefine success in business and build a more inclusive and sustainable economy. The B Corp community works toward reduced inequality, lower levels of poverty, a healthier environment, stronger communities, and the creation of more high quality jobs with dignity and purpose. By harnessing the power of business, B Corps use profits and growth as a means to a greater end: positive impact for their employees, communities, and the environment. B Corps form a community of leaders and drive a global movement of people using business as a force for good.