Meeting Information
When: Thursdays at Noon
Where: Tavern 4&5 in Eden Prairie 
 
Please check calendar for more detailed information. 
 
All are welcome! 
 
Questions? Interested in joining the club? Would you like to speak to our club? 
Please contact:
    John Urbanski
    952-949-0744
 
Upcoming Events
Speakers
Dale Snyder
Apr 04, 2024 12:00 PM
Haiti Outreach
Jewelie Grape, District Governor
Apr 11, 2024 12:00 PM
State of District 5950 - 2023-2024
Rick Getschow - EP City Manager
Apr 18, 2024 12:00 PM
State of the City of Eden Prairie
Loren and Barb Nelson
May 02, 2024 12:00 PM
Dolly Parton Imaginary Library
Weekly Update
Dr. David Langemo is the founder and president of Long Meadow Leadership, a nonprofit dedicated to providing leadership training throughout the Minneapolis area. He talked to our club about his experience researching destructive leadership, a leadership style characterized by consistent abusive and authoritative tendencies. He received his Doctor of Business Administration degree with a focus on leadership by researching the effects of destructive leadership, especially in the nonprofit sector. Through interviews, he gained insight into the effects of destructive leadership and how it can harm a business as a whole. He also mentioned that he is conducting new research by interviewing young children about their views and opinions on leadership and what makes a good leader. In his time with us, Dr. Langemo emphasized the importance of recognizing this leadership approach and working to cut it off by interfering with it whenever we witness it happening. There are solutions to getting these types of leaders out of their positions, but it takes a lot of effort among greater organizations to recognize who these leaders are and that what they are doing is not okay. Read more about Dr. David Langemo and his work at longmeadowleadership.com.
Amy Markle recently accepted the position of Eden Prairie Parks and Recreation Director for the city. She came to our club to talk about her background in parks and recreation and some recent news about the department. Markle grew up in Rosemount, where she always enjoyed the outdoors and worked at her local parks. She then attended UW-Stevens Point, majoring in Resource Management and Biology. She worked as a National Park Service Ranger after college before moving to Richfield and becoming their Recreation Services Director, at which point she also pursued higher education. From Stephen F. Austin State University, she received her Master of Science degree in Natural Resource Education, and from the University of Missouri, she received her Doctorate in Education. Now, in Eden Prairie, she is working on new projects and upcoming events. This includes Arbor Day, the annual tree sale event, at which they are doubling the amount of trees being given out. They will also be adding new playgrounds to multiple parks throughout the city and revamping some of the courts as well. July 3rd's community event will feature a new drone show that has been featured at many large events across the United States. She also talked about the challenges of the warm winter weather, commenting on the department's efforts to get people outside for things that differ from the typical winter activities. If you want to connect with Amy for any reason, feel free to reach out to her at 952-949-8440 or through the Eden Prairie Parks and Recreation website!
Shannon Watson, Executive Director at Majority In The Middle spoke with us this past week about division. Her company mission is giving those in the middle a place to gather outside the back-and-forth, elevating the voices of people who are modeling the behavior we want to see, and working on ways to bring a little more civility and a little less partisanship to our politics. She is driven by the main point; why does division happen? She goes on to say that it is only natural for humans to split off and be around people who have similar interests. Shannon wants a place where people with different opinions can come together and work to collaborate and compromise. Her work is extremely important and we hope she can continue to impact our community positively. If you want to check out their website here is the Link
Hennepin County EMS Chief, Marty Sheerer Spoke to our club about what is happening within the EMS division here in Hennepin  County. Their mission is to deliver high-quality, compassionate, and timely emergency medical services to individuals experiencing medical emergencies. The mission is centered on saving lives and improving the community's health outcomes. Hennepin County EMS  covers 14 different cities with a total population of 1.5 million people. In just Eden Prairie alone, in the past year, they have received 4536 with an average response time of 9 minutes. In their future plans, they hope to build a new headquarters and implement more AI into answering and responding to phone calls to bring their response time down. We appreciate your time and service greatly!
Crystal Cullerton-Sen spoke to our club about her Minneapolis-based non-profit, The Compassion Museum. The Compassion Museum is an initiative driven by three guiding questions: What is compassion? Why does it matter? How do we cultivate it and bring it alive in our lives? After working with children's mental health and trauma as well as hospice care, it was this third question that inspired Crystal to begin the initiative. She and her team work to bring awareness and teach others how to be more compassionate through public pop-ups and exhibits, immersive tours, programs, participatory art, and more. She shared with us many stories of discovery through these experiences, and how it has helped so many community members to be more compassionate with those around them. The Compassion Museum is young and expanding, looking to its next goal of fundraising to fund the growing experiences and opportunities it brings to the greater Minneapolis community. Support Crystal, her team, and this inspiring cause by donating at https://www.thecompassionmuseum.org/donate-1
Reta Johnson, the Family Resources Specialist for Eden Prairie Schools, spoke to our club about the work she does to combat homelessness in our community. She currently works with around 140 homeless students (down from 200 last year) and 20 foster care students at Eden Prairie High School. Her role is to ensure each one of them has the same access to resources as other students. Some of her work includes coordinating transportation for students in new locations and getting families into shelters. She also took the initiative to create the EP Help on Hand Family Resources Program Guide, which outlines different resources available for families or students in specific situations or with certain needs. The comprehensive booklet is available online at edenpr.org and in person at schools across the district. She also emphasized the importance of community outreach and service in her presentation, recognizing places like the PROP Shop for how vital they are in getting families the clothing and furniture they need. Her work is extremely important, and it is a great reminder of why we do what we do!