Speakers

Early start of 12:00 p.m.

9280 Golden Valley Rd., Golden Valley, MN 55427

Cornerstone Creek welcomed its first tenants in January of 2017 and all 45 units were quickly filled. The state-of-the-art building is the culmination of 10 years of planning, research, fundraising, and dedication. It’s the only place of its kind in the Twin Cities offering affordable, independent apartment living along with progressive amenities at no charge to the tenants or their families.

Blue Spectrum Books was created to explore and produce books on a wide range of topics and genres. Their goal is first to find those interesting, and sometimes quirky, products that invite a reader to awaken their imaginations. Whether the reader is a child, an adult, or an adult that dreams like a child, they create books especially for your interests.

Lynn Garthwaite is the author of the Dirkle Smat Adventure Series, mysteries for young learners just starting to read chapter books. Her passion for children's literacy also compelled Lynn to start a non-profit called Books on Wings which devotes itself to closing the achievement gap, one child at a time. She lives in Minnesota where she is proud of that spunky little topknot on its northern border.

Patina Park is Cheyenne River Sioux, an adult adoptee, and Executive Director at the Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center, providing programming grounded in cultural strengths to heal, preserve, and strengthen Native American women and families.

Ms. Park has enjoyed working throughout Indian Country and with state and county government agencies nation-wide, training on topics including: Federal Indian Law; working with Native Communities; historical trauma; and poverty and the impact on families, and is co-author of Best Outcomes for Indian Children, Child Welfare Volume 91(3)(2012). Patina lives in Wisconsin with her husband, two kids, three cats, and an easy-going dog. She is also fond of cake.

Mario Rodriguez is a professional speaker, consultant, and executive coach. He has a M.S. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Capella University in Minneapolis, MN and a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Business Economics from St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, MN. Rodriguez is an active member of Toastmasters International. He has spoken at research conferences and non-profit organizations and conducted training and facilitated workshops in a variety of companies.

Amanda Ottman is the Global Connections Officer for American Refugee Committee. She has worked in international organizations and non-profits in the US, Latin American, and Europe. Ottman has a B.A. from the University of Minnesota in Global Studies and a M.A. from the Universidad del Salvador in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She began her Rotary journey as a Rotary Youth Exchange Student to Argentina in 2000. In 2011-12, Amanda served as a Rotary World Peace Fellow, completing her Master’s studies in International Relations at the Universidad del Salvador in Buenos Aires, Argentina and interning with Save the Children in Spain. Amanda is a member of the Eden Prairie Noon Rotary.