Club Origins & Growth

How We Came to Be

EP Noon Rotary began meeting in 2002 in response to the growth in Eden Prairie, the need for a second club, and the service opportunities available. Rotarians instrumental in the formation of EP Noon were Tom Thorfinnson, Bill Michaelson, and Gardner Gay. Bill Michaelson served as the first President of EP Noon, until June 30, 2003.

  • First service project: volunteering on a Habitat for Humanity house in Richfield, MN, June 14, 2002.
  • First social function: watching the MN Lynx women's NBA team from a luxury suite at Target Center.
  • EP Noon co-hosted (with the EP Morning club) a Rotary Exchange student for the 2002-2003 school year.
  • The first EP Noon Rotary golf outing was held in calm weather at Bent Creek on October 28, 2002.
  • First EP Noon fundraiser: coffee sale using the expertise of member and coffee wholesaler Larry Olson.
  • Charter night celebration, November 7, 2002, enjoyed by over 40 people, including spouses and guests.
EP Noon has a primary focus on education and literacy efforts in our community.  One of our first service projects was called "Feed Your Brain", a project working with Eden Prairie schools to provide healthy snacks to students on days of standardized state-wide testing.  District funds were obtained to help fund this effort, and members of the club provided the people-power to make it happen.  This event was even covered on local TV news programs!

Fall 2003 marked the beginning of a program to collaborate with the Eden Prairie Early Childhood Education Center, offering Rotarians monthly volunteer opportunities to spend an hour with our youngest citizens, assisting in the classroom with reading, games, and other activities.  Again, district funds were used to help fund curriculum needs for this project.  In Fall 2004, we continued our emphasis on education with participation in the Strive program, mentoring students in high school to help them do their best. 

Spring 2005 was the first of our annual "My Book Day" events, a program where every first grader in Eden Prairie schools would be given their own hardcover book in a community-wide celebration of reading.  This has become our flagship project, working with Eden Prairie schools and the Hennepin County library system to promote literacy in our community.
 
Past and Present Club Presidents
President 2025-2026: Amanda Ottman
President 2024-2025: Bill Hooke
President 2023-2024: Nick Rogers
President 2022-2023: Shawn Hofman-Bram
President 2021-2022: Sam Eicher
President 2020-2021: Mike Thomas
President 2019-2020: Molly Koivumaki
President 2018-2019: Marcus Beyer
President 2017-2018: Kim Ross
President 2016-2017: Rick Johnson
President 2015-2016: Katie Kearney-Bidwell
President 2014-2015: Jim Lockman
President 2013-2014: John Steinlicht
President 2012-2013: Brian Smith
President 2011-2012: Bob Danielson
President 2010-2011: Rich Weaver
President 2009-2010: Bill Falk
President 2008-2009: Randall Hardwick
President 2007-2008: Stacy Newgaard
President 2006-2007: Todd Bollig
President 2005-2006: Kevin Von Bank
President 2004-2005: Dave Engen
President 2003-2004: John Urbanski
President Start-2003: Bill Michaelson