Welcome to our newest member, Dr. Tim Klesk! Dr. Klesk is from Forward Spine Center in Golden Valley. We welcome him back to the club after a few years away. Tim is a 2014 graduate of Northwestern Health Sciences University where he received his Doctorate of Chiropractic. Prior to graduating from Northwestern, he attended the University of North Dakota, earning his Bachelor’s of Science in Biology. Tim was raised in Champlin, MN and currently resides in Northeast Minneapolis with his wife, Dr. Madeline Klesk, who is also a chiropractor, their two children, and their dog. He enjoys staying active, being outdoors, and spending time with friends and family. He strives to give back to the profession and community as an active member of many local and national organizations. Tim is a former Golden Valley Rotarian. He was a member of the Club from 2015-2017. Welcome back, Tim; we are so pleased you have rejoined the Golden Valley Rotary Club!

We are excited to share that the Rotary Club PB&J Challenge collected 203 lbs. of peanut butter & jelly for PRISM! That is a lot of PB&J sandwiches for local kiddos. The numbers broke down like this:
- Rotary Club of Crystal-New Hope-Robbinsdale: 81 lbs.
- Rotary Club of Golden Valley: 122 lbs.
Cheers to the Rotary #PeopleOfAction, their #ServiceAboveSelf attitude, and a strong drive to help our friends at PRISM!!
Pictured, left to right: Golden Valley Rotarians Peggy Leppik, Julie Peterson, Mary Timmons, Jelan Heidelberg, Brian Liedtke.
Golden Valley Rotary Club is happy to announce the Views of the Valley notecards! Selected winners from the Views of the Valley contest are now converted into notecards with 100% of the proceeds going back to the Golden Valley community through donations and scholarships.
These award winning images were all taken by Golden Valley photographers of Golden Valley scenes. The set of six cards is $15.00 and makes a great gift!
The cards will be available for purchase at the Market in the Valley Winter Market on December 12 at Brookview.
The Rotary Club of Golden Valley appreciates the generosity of these photographers who have donated their images for this non-profit fundraiser.
Welcome to our newest member, Dennis G. Wojahn! Dennis is a Retired CPA and Tax Attorney. He was first inducted into Rotary in 1981 in Menasha, WI. He was a member of the Green Bay Rotary Club from 1986-2021. He was named a Paul Harris Fellow in Green Bay in 1990-1991 and made an Honorary member of their Club in 2021. Dennis has served as Club Treasurer, President-Elect, Assistant District Governor, President-Nominee, and a Club Board member. His hobbies include golf and cross country skiing. Dennis is a member of Wisconsin Institute of CPAs; American Institute of CPAs; Wisc. Bar Assoc; Brown County Bar Assoc; and NE Wisc. Estate Planning Council. He and his wife, Karen, have two children, Laura and Patrick. They enjoy a vacation home in Fish Creek, WI. Welcome, Dennis; we are so pleased you have joined the Golden Valley Rotary Club!
Congratulations to J-HAP and Cornerstone Creek, the Golden Valley Rotary Club's 2021 Business of the Year!
On receiving the award, J-HAP and Cornerstone Creek said, "We are thrilled to be honored by the Golden Valley Rotary Club for the 2021 Golden Valley Business of the Year award. J-HAP at Cornerstone Creek, managed by Trellis, values our relationship with the City of Golden Valley over the past five years. We are proud to have increased the number of affordable housing units in the city. We have provided independent living for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in this innovative model, offering 24/7 front desk presence, social, educational and cultural experiences, as well as community workshops. We look forward to continuing a long and successful relationship with the community of Golden Valley."

The Golden Valley Rotary Club gathered with members of the community to celebrate all things Rotary during the 2020-2021 year. We presented the Citizen of the Year award to Peter Knaeble and the Rotarian of the Year award to Bryan Palmer. Our high school scholarship recipients (Jack Halverson, Kate Larrabee, Kobi Schear, Libby Tonn, Lilly Wright) were honored. Paul Harris Fellows were given for extraordinary service to Michelle Ness and Betsy Anderson. And Michelle Ness, Club President, passed the presidential gavel to Mary Timmons, President-Elect. A great celebratory event in the forty-eight year history of the Golden Valley Rotary Club!
Welcome to our newest members:
- Judy Halper
- Jelan Heidelberg
- Thomas Johannsen
- Ryan Larson
We welcomed four fantastic new Rotarians during the Fall, 2020/Winter, 2021 months of COVID-19! We are meeting virtually and don't have the opportunity for our normal new member ceremony, so we created a virtual presentation.
- Judy Halper is the Executive Director of Jewish Family and Children's Service of Minneapolis in Golden Valley
- Jelan Heidelberg is retired from IBM and is an active volunteer with the Hopkins Education Foundation, loves to travel, and is a very proud grandmother many times over
- Thomas Johannsen is a Mortgage Loan Officer and lives in Golden Valley with his young family
- Ryan Larson is President & CFO of Golden Valley Supply
Welcome, Judy, Jelan, Thomas, and Ryan; we are so pleased you have joined the Golden Valley Rotary Club!
Congratulations to Best Wishes Floral, the Golden Valley Rotary Club's 2020 Business of the Year!
Rotarians were out in force to volunteer at PRISM, helping to sort toys during their Fill The Van event! We ❤️ our partnership with PRISM and we love making a difference in the community! #ServiceAboveSelf #Rotary

Celebrate autumn and the season of giving with a beautiful centerpiece by Best Wishes Floral. Proceeds benefit local non-profits.
On August 10th, widespread, destructive, straight-line winds blew across central Iowa. The most extreme winds, estimated to be at 110-140 miles-per-hour, destroyed or damaged numerous outbuildings, barns, grain bins, homes, mobile homes, apartment buildings, trees and power poles in parts of Benton, Linn, Jones, Cedar and Clinton Counties. The Cedar Rapids area was particularly hard hit. As #PeopleOfAction, we would like to do what we can to help our neighbors to the south.
The Golden Valley Rotary Club gathered virtually with members of the community to celebrate all things Rotary for the 2019-2020 year during the Twenty-First Annual Awards Ceremony on YouTube. We presented the Citizens of the Year award to Dawn Dresser and Sue Klaseus of Kid Pack. We presented the Rotarian of the Year award to Brian Liedtke. Our five high school scholarship recipients were honored. Paul Harris Fellows were given for extraordinary service. And Bryan Palmer, Club President for 19-20, passed the presidential gavel to Michelle Ness, Club President for 20-21. It was a great celebratory event in the forty-seven year history of the Golden Valley Rotary Club!
The Golden Valley Rotary Board of Directors met for a conference call on March 19, 2020 to make important decisions for the near future of the Golden Valley Rotary Club. We share a deep concern for you, your loved ones, the Golden Valley community, and the community at large.
Due to the spread of COVID-19, the federal government and the state of Minnesota strongly discourage meetings of more than 10 people. Rotary International has encouraged all Clubs to follow recommended guidelines. Therefore, the GV Rotary Board of Directors has decided that the Club will not meet in person through at least the end of April. Brookview Community Center has also suspended meetings and meal service until April 3, and we don’t know what their policy will be after that. As this is a fluid and rapidly evolving situation, we may decide to extend the timeline for resuming in-person meetings. We will keep you posted on future developments.
Welcome to our newest member, Ethan Meirovitz! Ethan is new to the Golden Valley Rotary Club but not new to Rotary; he was previously a member of the Rotary Club of Omaha Suburban in Nebraska. He's also not new to Golden Valley; Ethan grew up in our community and attended Hopkins Public Schools. He's now a full-time student, pursuing a degree in Business Administration. Rotary sparked Ethan's interest because of the avenues for community service and the ability to give back to others. He's looking forward to making new connections within the Club and the community. Welcome, Ethan; we are so pleased you have joined the Golden Valley Rotary Club!
JFCS representatives accepting the award were Judy Halper, Executive Director; Lee Friedman, Chief Operating Officer; Lori Leavitt, Marketing and Communications Director; Dana Rubin, Development Director; Jeff Barin, Board Chair; and Jaye Snyder, Board Member. They are pictured with Bryan Palmer, Golden Valley Rotary Club President.
“We are honored to receive this recognition from the Rotary Club and proud to be a part of the Golden Valley community along with so many businesses and organizations working to make a positive impact,” JFCS Chief Executive Officer Judy Halper said. “JFCS provides essential services to people of all ages and backgrounds to sustain healthy relationships, ease suffering and offer support in times of need. We are also co-located with PRISM, and we are grateful for the opportunity to amplify one another’s work and improve service delivery to people in need. Just as the Rotary Club is dedicated to community service, at JFCS we are dedicated to serving our community, one person at a time, with boundless compassion.”
Service Above Self
Golden Valley, MN 55426
United States of America