Speakers

DRC After Hours Sponsor: Brecka Putnam

 Since 2007 Benji Nichols and his spouse Aryn have been the owners and creative catalysts of Inspire(d) Media, a quarterly publication featuring the positive people, places, and projects of the Driftless Region (NE Iowa, SE Minnesota, and SW Wisconsin). Benji will be joining us to share the information he presented at the noon Rotary meeting on February 6th about another labor of love that began in May of 2022 -- the "Rhymes with Decorah" Podcast.

The "Rhymes with Decorah" Podcast features positive stories, profiles, and exploration of challenges across the upper midwest and beyond. Since its inception over 57 individual podcasts have been released to the public. As Benji states, "The brainstorming session that my wife Aryn, our daughter Roxie, and I had for this podcast title was epic. It could have been called "Nichols & Sense", "Parts Missing", "Dogs, Beer, and bicycles", or "Nichols de Gallo" - But "Rhymes With Decorah" won out. Because after all - what rhymes with Decorah? Our goal is to tell the stories of the communities in our region, share the challenges and successes -- and find a way forward -- together. That's what life in the rural midwest is all about."

For more information on the "Rhymes with Decorah" Podcast please see the website at https://benjinichols.podbean.com/.

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DRC Sponsor: Jim Morrow

Winneshiek County District 3 Supervisor Shirley Vermace will be honoring our club with her presence and will discuss ongoing plans and programs in Winneshiek County of interest to its citizens and our members.

Ms. Vermace is a strong proponent of local control of policies and regulations in Winneshiek County. She serves on several regional boards including the Iowa RC&D, the Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission, the Northeast Iowa Community Action Corporation, the Northeast Iowa Rural Housing Trust Fund, Northeast Iowa Behavioral Health, the Winneshiek County Opioid Settlement Task Force, and the county safety committee. She represents Winneshiek County in collective bargaining negotiations with the three unions represented in the county. She has volunteered over the last two decades in several areas including Parent-Teacher Organization President for Decorah Schools, the Decorah Parks and Recreation Board, Decorah Community Meals, and the Winneshiek County Habitat for Humanity.

She is a graduate of Decorah High School and earned her B.A. from the University of Iowa in 1988. She and her spouse Mike returned to Decorah in 2000 to put down permanent roots. She is an avid hiker and can be frequently found with her dog Chop on one of the many trails around Decorah.

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**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advace to all members by email.

DRC Sponsor: Don Holmertz

Lisa Grusy is a retired public-school administrator who believes learning is a life-long journey. Never before a backpacker, she completed her first thru-hike in 2022. Lisa will share some thru-hiking basics, her experience, and different ways people support the hiking community.

Thru-hiking is the act of hiking an established long-distance trail end-to-end continuously. The term is most frequently used regarding trails in the United States, such as the Pacific Crest Trail, the Appalachian Trail, and the Continental Divide Trail.

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**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advace to all members by email.

DRC Sponsor: Don Holmertz

The Luther College Trumpet Studio is under the direction of Dr. John T. Cord, Associate Professor of Music at Luther College. This ensemble performs regularly on and off campus, including performance tours to major cities and appearances at national and international trumpet conferences and competitions. The ensemble is made up of trumpeters of varying ages, backgrounds, academic majors and career ambitions. Future performers, educators, doctors, lawyers, and perhaps even Rotary members, this group loves performing together and will present a brief program of some of the exciting trumpet music being composed and recorded professionally throughout the world today.

For more information please visit their website at Luther College Trumpet Studio.

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**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advace to all members by email.

DRC Sponsor: Don Holmertz

Adonai International Ministries (AIM) seeks to provide for the community in Canillá, Guatemala through healthcare, aviation and nutrition. Charlotte and Mike LaBelle traveled there in December as part of a mission team to connect with the people there through crafts, surgery and friendship. They will be speaking to our club about their experience.

AIM is a medical ministry incorporated in Marine, IL that works primarily to provide medical care in the remote highlands of Guatemala. In addition to medical care, AIM is involved in aviation and agriculture. The founders, Duane and Leslie Ficker, had been living in Guatemala since 1999 working at a children's home. After forming AIM as a 501(c)(3) in 2001, they moved to Canillá and began their work in the community.

For more informaiton please visit their website at Adonai International Ministries.

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**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advace to all members by email.

DRC Sponsor: Don Holmertz

Jackie Cooper, fellow Rotarian and Community Relations Manager for Mosaic of Northern Iowa, will be presenting an update on their work in the local area.

Mosaic serves nearly 4,500 people in more than 700 communities. Services are tailored to meet individual needs and goals, allowing people to be as independent as possible. Services are designed for people with disabilities, mental and behavioral health needs and autism, as well as aging adults. They develop a customized plan for each person they serve through natural conversations with staff, loved ones and guardians, as well as through more formal systems like Personal Outcome Measures® and Individualized Service Plans. Services span housing, community support, healthcare coordination, job coaching and more to ensure that all of aspects of a person’s health and life are addressed.

For more information please visit the Mosaic of Northern Iowa website at Mosaic - Northern Iowa.

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**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advace to all members by email.