Golden Vally Rotary kicked off 2023 with an inspiring presentation by Jaime Belden, President and Co-Founder of the non-profit Future Roots. Jaime updated us on a challenging and rewarding water project. The water project, installing low-cost water filters in homes in remote villages in Central America, is sponsored by 7 Rotary clubs in our area: Crystal – New Hope – Robbinsdale (primary club), Golden Valley, Minnetonka, Brooklyn Park, Maple Grove, St Louis Park, and Plymouth.Golden Vally Rotary kicked off 2023 with an inspiring presentation by Jaime Belden, President and Co-Founder of the non-profit Future Roots. Jaime updated us on a challenging and rewarding water project. The water project, installing low-cost water filters in homes in remote villages in Central America, is sponsored by 7 Rotary clubs in our area: Crystal – New Hope – Robbinsdale (primary club), Golden Valley, Minnetonka, Brooklyn Park, Maple Grove, St Louis Park, and Plymouth.
Congratulations to Bergstrom Studio, the Golden Valley Rotary Club's 2022 Business of the Year!Rotary Club President, Mary Timmons (center) is pictured with Bob Zagaros, President/Owner (left) and Cindi Bergstrom Kranz, Buyer/Owner (right).
On receiving the award, Zagaros said, "We really enjoy being part of the Golden Valley community. We jumped right in and became part of the Taste & Tour in 2019 and was able to introduce ourselves to a lot of people. I was a member of [Rotary Club #9 Minneapolis] in downtown for years. Rotary is an extremely important organization in our community and in the world. To be recognized by this group is a huge honor! 'Service Above Self' is very important to us. We take care of our customers like they're family. And it pays off. That is why we'll be celebrating 100 years in business next year. Cindi is third generation of the Bergstrom family. Businesses have a hard time making it through to the third generation. Businesses rarely survive 100 years. So we think we've done something right. And we'll continue the traditions and the services that her father taught us; he was our mentor. All we are doing is our job, so for you to recognize that as 'Service Above Self', we appreciate that. So thank you very much!"
Jelan Heidelberg was originally welcomed into the Club during COVID times (remember all the Zoom?) and never had an in-person membership ceremony. So we did a re-do last week and celebrated Jelan's membership.
Before retirement, Jelan had a long and varied career with IBM. In the late 70's and throughout the 80's, she worked as a systems engineer, supporting companies large and small throughout the Twin Cities.
She then switched to working virtually long before it was popular and when the tools were much more primitive. She worked for IBM Rochester and then for headquarters. In her last dozen years at IBM, she managed several software products and had the opportunity to travel the world. She traveled just enough to whet her appetite for more -- more places and more time to meet the local people and learn. Since retirement, Jelan and her husband Jim have criss-crossed the globe. Their latest adventure took them to her 88th country, Rwanda. Jelan joined the Golden Valley Rotary Club in late 2020.
"When our children were going through Hopkins Schools, particularly Meadowbrook Elementary, I volunteered as much as I was able," said Jelan. "I co-chaired the carnival, served as volunteer chair, and treasurer of the PTO. As our children got older, I shifted my volunteer work to Hopkins Education Foundation, where I served on the Board for 7 years, including 2 as Board President. I'm still on the Board as an emeritus member and help with the website and other marketing activities. I've always felt very connected through the schools but haven't felt strongly connected to Golden Valley as a community, especially because I worked remotely for so many years. That's why I joined Golden Valley Rotary...to become more connected to the community where my husband and I have lived since the mid 1970s. I want to get to know people outside our neighborhood and the school community. In terms of service, my strengths lie more in behind-the-scenes work; marketing, web management, and in organizing activities and events. And I hope my international experience and love of travel will somehow merge with some Rotary activities."
Welcome, Jelan! We are thrilled to have you as a member of the Rotary Club of Golden Valley!
Welcome to our newest member, Logan Hershey! Logan is a Golden Valley resident and grew up in Maple Grove, MN. He attended Saint John’s University in Collegeville, MN where he played baseball and earned a degree in Accounting & Finance. After college, he began his career in public accounting. Today, Logan works at RBC Wealth Management as a Financial Advisor where he focuses on planning to help clients feel confident that they are financially secure.
Outside of work, Logan serves as a mentor for Big Brothers Big Sisters and volunteers at various organizations teaching financial literacy classes. For fun he enjoys dining at new restaurants with his fiancé, Sarah, fishing, golfing, and spending time at the lake.
“I joined Rotary because I wanted to get involved in the community where I live,” said Logan. “Rotary does great service work throughout the community and the members were incredibly welcoming and hospitable. I’m excited to be a part of the events and connecting with members of the community. With Rotary, I hope to make a positive impact in the lives of every person, organization, or group we interact with. I believe experiences are better when shared. I can’t wait to share my talents, expertise, and time serving members of this great community.”
Welcome, Logan! We are thrilled to have you as a member of the Rotary Club of Golden Valley!
The Golden Valley Rotary Club is thrilled to bring back the Taste and Tour of Golden Valley!
Thursday, September 15, 2022
4:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
4:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. – Community Check-in to receive your passport. FREE to attendees and open to all. Passports distributed until 6:30 p.m. or until they're gone, whichever is first.
4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. – Community members tour participating businesses, enjoying food and drinks or activities provided by the businesses. Validate your visit on your passport.
7:00 p.m. - Closing Reception (Music, Raffle Drawing, etc.)
4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. – Community members tour participating businesses, enjoying food and drinks or activities provided by the businesses. Validate your visit on your passport.
7:00 p.m. - Closing Reception (Music, Raffle Drawing, etc.)
On Tuesday, May 31, 2022, the Rotary Clubs of Golden Valley and Crystal-New Hope-Robbinsdale partnered to produce 100 Intake Packets for The Bridge for Youth. The packets consisted of a blanket, a zippered hoodie, a pair of sweatpants, a pair of socks, and a fidget toy. As homeless youth enter The Bridge, they will now have new items of their own. This project was also supported by a grant from Rotary District 5950. Rotarians are #PeopleOfAction!
We had every intention of hosting our Brookview Lawn Bowling Membership Recruitment Event on Wednesday, May 25, but Mother Nature had other plans. The rain caused the lawn bowling event to be cancelled so we took the party indoors. Rotarians were treated by a visit from new Golden Valley police chief, Virgil Green, at Brookview's Three One Six restaurant.
The Golden Valley Rotary Club started its 26th year of caring for our stretch of Highway 55 on Tuesday, May 17 with Highway Clean-Up. A great crew of Rotarians pitched in to clean the road and then enjoyed a nice dinner together at Doolittles. This fun and easy project is just one of the ways the Rotary Club of Golden Valley serves our community.
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!
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Service Above Self
Golden Valley, MN 55426
United States of America