Events

Katherine is Executive Director of Mary's Pence, which was was founded by women to support women on the margins at a time when women-led social justice projects were overlooked and under-funded.

Katherine has led Mary's Pence for almost 17 years, managing the two programs - Mary's Pence Grants which are given across the US, and the ESPERA program in Central America and Mexico. During her time the programs have grown and expanded. Prior to working with Mary’s Pence she worked at Honeywell and Toro, in organization development roles where she gained skills in strategic planning, project management, training and facilitation. She has facilitated retreats on nonviolence, and served as a core team member founding the Minnesota Peace Team which was created to provide a nonpartisan presence during the Republican National Convention. She currently serves on the board of Ignatian Volunteer Corps.

Tricia Wright serves as the first Executive Director of Onward, stepping into the role in April 2022 after two years of board service. With 17 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, she has served as a strategic advisor, consultant, organizational leader, and board member—helping mission-driven organizations grow and strengthen their impact. Tricia holds an MBA from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management, where she focused on organizational leadership and social entrepreneurship. A strategic and values-driven leader, she is passionate about driving community change and expanding opportunities for young adults.

We will hear from the students we've recently sponsored for Rotary Short Term Student Exchange -- Irene (daughter of Kwame and Alissa) and Johanna (who is here now from Germany). 

Mike Benz has been a member of the Minneapolis Uptown Rotary Club for over five years, after working many years with John Campobasso and Chris Dokken at Kraus-Anderson Construction Company.

Mike grew up outside of Buffalo New York, went to college in upstate New York, and came out to Minneapolis about 100 years ago to see a Bonnie Raitt concert, then decided to stay for graduate school. Originally studying elementary education, then MBA, and finally settling on computer science. Mike has always worked in information technology — first as a computer programmer, network engineer, project manager, strategic consultant, then moving into executive leadership positions.

Mike is a lifelong learner, recently earning two Master of Science degrees in Cybersecurity and the Management of Technology at the University of Minnesota. He has been studying French daily for the last 30 years and is getting pretty good at it. He and his wife LuAnn have an apartment in a small town in southern France where they live part-time.

Dr. Peter Kennedy is a Professor in the Department of Plant and Microbial Biology at the University of Minnesota, where he studies the hidden world of fungi and their vital role in our forests and soils. His research focuses on how fungi interact with plants, microbes, and the environment, and how these interactions shape ecosystems from the North Woods of Minnesota to the tropical forests of South America. He has published widely on topics ranging from how fungi recycle nutrients to how climate change is altering underground communities. Beyond his research, Peter is also deeply involved in mentoring students and training the next generation of scientists, guiding both graduate and undergraduate projects in the lab and in the field.

In addition to his scientific work, Peter has served in leadership roles such as Associate Dean for Research in the College of Biological Sciences and as Interim Curator of Fungi at the Bell Museum of Natural History. He is a Fellow of the Mycological Society of America and has received several national and international awards for his research and teaching.

Margot Carlson Delogne and Kim Benner are the daughters of Air Force Captain John W. Carlson, who was shot down near Saigon on December 7, 1966. Captain Carlson’s crash site has never been found, and he remains missing in action. Decades after his death, Margot sought to bridge the divide left by war by founding the 2 Sides Project, a nonprofit that unites sons and daughters whose fathers were killed on opposite sides of the war. In November, Kim and Margot will travel to Vietnam with a group of 15 American sons and daughters who lost fathers in the Vietnam War, so that they too can visit the sites where their fathers died and meet children of North Vietnamese soldiers. This will be the fourth such Two Sides Project trip, which to date has united 20 Americans and nearly 100 Vietnamese children of war. Kim and her husband Rich are also spearheading the search for Captain Carlson. That search continues through their own intense investigative work and that of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA). Kim and Rich’s perseverance and insights are guiding other families of the missing and the DPAA’s search of a potential Captain Carlson site in Vietnam, scheduled to start just a few days from now. 

Stephanie graduated from Benilde-St. Margaret's High School, the University of Wisconsin-Stout (BS), and Cardinal Stritch University (MBA).

Though she’s traveled around the world, Stephanie is proud to call Minnesota her lifelong home. She has two sons who keep her grounded. Five years ago, as her kids were entering middle and high school, and parenting through COVID – she decided it was time to fulfill her dream of becoming an entrepreneur, and she started her State Farm Insurance Agency. Steph enjoys building her business while ensuring her customers stay on track to achieve their goals, so that unexpected challenges don’t get in their way.

Stephanie just passed her fourth year Rotarian anniversary; she has been a member of our club since Aug. 05, 2021.

M. Jay Shahidi has been an international affairs researcher, public speaker, opinion writer, lobbyist, consultant and human rights activist since 1968 as well as a business owner since 1977.  He now lives in Saint Louis Park, MN. 

Jay has published dozens of opinion articles and given over 1,200 public speeches on social-political issues. Born in Tehran, Iran, he studied life sciences, economics and political science and became a private businessman with a lengthy history of advocacy and representation on a multitude of civic and humanitarian boards.

In 2019, Jay received the Lifetime Achievement Award of the United Nations Association/Foundation for 50 years of advocacy of the UN mission and work.

In 2004, he received the Minnesota State University, Mankato’s Distinguished Alumni Humanitarian Award for his leadership as student body vice president and president in 1970s and for his later work on diplomacy and peace-building; public education; refugee assistance; landmines removal; population stabilization; environmental protection; economic development; and, nuclear disarmament.

His work continues today through M.J. Shahidi Business Consulting Co. which has provided organizing & management services to and advocacy for small business, civic and charitable groups.

Michael Piafsky is a book seller at Magers & Quinn.  A relatively recent transplant to Minnesota, he retired as an English Professor and Chair of the Creative Writing Program at Spring Hill College.

In the last three years as Minneapolis Park Commissioner for District 4, Elizabeth has gained the trust of Ward 7 residents through attentive listening, responsiveness and transparency.  As an active presence in the thirteen neighborhoods she represent, Elizabeth is a familiar face and aware of community concerns.

Carolyn joined Reuse Minnesota in December 2021. She is an alumnus of the Hennepin County Zero Waste Challenge. Her professional background lies in program and event management and marketing, with previous roles at the University of Minnesota and Target Corporation. Carolyn is a Hennepin County Community Recycling Ambassador and also serves as a Sustainability Commissioner for the City of Eden Prairie. She holds bachelor’s degrees in management and marketing from the University of Minnesota.

In her free time, Carolyn enjoys being physically active, engaging in DIY projects, developing a green thumb, and serving as a volunteer in many of her kids’ activities. Carolyn resides in Eden Prairie with her husband and three sons. She possesses a remarkable sense of smell and loves to start her day with eggs for breakfast.

She loves engaging with others to inspire enthusiasm for the world of reuse—whether by sharing thrifting discoveries, encouraging new ways to repair or mend, or bringing people together at events like swaps and Fix-it Clinics.

Soren Jensen is Executive Director of the Midtown Greenway Coalition. 

Soren has over 35 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, including positions with the
United Way, American Red Cross, and the National Parks Conservation Association in
Washington, DC. He is also former employee of Target Corporation, where he managed the United Way
campaign and employee volunteer programs for Dayton’s, Hudson’s, and Marshall
Field’s.

Soren has been the executive director of the Midtown Greenway Coalition for the past 14 years. He works to support the organization’s mission to keep the Greenway safe, clean, green, and full of public art. Soren has extensive community leadership experience. He is a former board member of the Corporate Volunteerism Council – Twin Cities; a founding board member of the Minnesota Association for Volunteer Advancement; and served for seven years on the board of directors of HandsOn Twin Cities, including terms as Treasurer and Board Chairperson.

Soren has a bachelor’s degree in communications and psychology from the University of Iowa, and a master’s degree in nonprofit management from Hamline University.

In addition to biking, Soren is an award-winning homebrewer, and looks forward to competing for blue ribbons at the Minnesota State Fair each year. Soren lives in south Minneapolis with his wife, three daughters, and one leopard gecko.

Katie Cashman lives in the Steven’s Square-Loring Heights neighborhood and grew up in Minneapolis. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Geography and a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning & Management. Before her time on City Council, Katie worked at the United Nations in the Urban Legislation Unit of the Human Settlements Program, founded and led a non-profit that is advancing climate change education in classrooms globally (including here in our own MPS elementary schools), and was a Project Manager at the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy (MCEA), a public interest environmental law firm.

As a Council Member, Katie leads with transparency. She helps connect Ward 7 residents to City Hall and work together for solutions to the pressing daily issues we face in our neighborhoods. She currently serves as Chair of the Climate & Infrastructure Committee, and serves on the Administration & Enterprise Oversight, Business Housing and Zoning, Budget, and Intergovernmental Relations committees at City Hall; the Meet Minneapolis Executive Committee; the Transportation Advisory Board; the Minneapolis Tree Advisory Commission; and the Family Housing Fund Board.

Audrey has dedicated her life to shedding light on human trafficking and the injustices taking place in our world.

After graduating from the University of Delaware with a Bachelor of Science in Education, she moved to Belgium to work with international students and refugees throughout Western and Eastern Europe. While living in Europe, she learned of the horrors of human trafficking firsthand when a children’s home she had been volunteering at was exposed as a front for prostitution. At the time she was a charter board member for the organization, Make Way Partners, which helped to close down the home. In an effort to rescue vulnerable children before experiencing the trauma of trafficking, Audrey moved to Alabama in 2005 to support the foundation and expansion of LUV’s indigenously directed anti-trafficking network that today spans Sudan and South Sudan.

In 2018, Audrey became CEO of Lift Up the Vulnerable and leads the mission of preventing trafficking and empowering changemakers.

Julius is the Founder and Executive Director at Best Future Centre Projects and Founder and Director at Best Future School. He Studied at BISHOP STUART COLLEGE MBARARA. 

Julius is a goal-driven entrepreneurial leader that brings a track record of success in the start-up Best Future Center for refugee children and adults. He has more than eight years of experience successfully managing multiple tasks from generating revenue, program planning, recruiting staff and mobilizing the community to them be able to find solutions to their challenges rather than passively relying on others. Julius has a strong entrepreneurial spirit, open mind and willingness to take on new challenges that require patience and perseverance. He served as a project manager for more than five years at BFC, the first refugee-led organization to receive the Rotary International Global Grant.

Best Future Centre is a safe learning space for both refugee children and adults living in Nakivale refugee camp Uganda with the vision of building a literate and self-sustaining refugee community by giving access to education to young children and opportunities to learn different vocational skills to the adults living in Nakivale refugee camp Uganda

Thomas E. Kottke has promoted personal and public health for Minnesotans for more that 40 years. He is a member of the board of Protect Minnesota, and a member of the Minnesota Medical Association.

The Guatemala Literacy Project (GLP) is a network of individual Rotarians, Rotary clubs and districts, and the nonprofit organization Cooperative for Education (CoEd) with a common interest in improving education for underserved students in Guatemala. It is one of the largest grassroots, multi-club, multi-district projects in Rotary, with over 900 participating clubs since 1997.

For more information see What We Do - The Guatemala Literacy Project