Name & title:

Chris Austin, Tax manager

Employer:

Eide Bailly

Address:

1911 Excel Drive

Mankato, MN 56001

Originally from:

Mankato

Years in the area:

28

Family info:

Wife Aura and 2 yr old daughter Kaia

Hobbies/interests:

Horseback riding, BMX racing, hunting, sports, classic cars

Organization/Volunteer Activities

Board member of Mankato area BMX, Kiwanis member, active with Junior Achievement program, Leader of a regionally based horse drill team

Name & title:

Valerie Brentdahl, Human Resources Rep.

Employer:

Pro Fabrication

Address:

201 First Street

Madison Lake, MN 56063

Originally from:

Mankato MN

Years in the area:

31

Family info:

Spouse: Brian Bentdahl he works for the City of Mankato as a Civil Engineer Technician.  I have 3 sons Tyler age 7, Kaden age 4, and Chase who was born on November 5, 2008

Hobbies/interests:

I enjoy running, camping, canoeing and spending time at the lake with my family.

Volunteer activities:

I have been an active member of SMAHRA since 2005, and I also teach Sunday school at my church.

Name & title:

Ramona J.C. Beiswanger, College Instructor

Employer:

South Central College

Address:

1920 Lee Boulevard

North Mankato,  MN 56003

Originally from:

Military “brat” moved a lot. Consider Mankato home

Years in the area:

21

Family info:

Husband Scott, Daughter Beth, Grover (our dog)

Hobbies/interests:

Family time, cooking, food/home shows on TV, window shopping, travel, reading.  Recently participated in the North Mankato triathalon- excited to train for another race.

Volunteer activities:

In the past have coached t-ball, led girl scout troops, mentored high risk girls, volunteered as a big sister through the YMCA

Name & title:

Ryan Crabtree,  Commercial loan officer

Employer:

First National Bank Minnesota

Address:

500 Long St

Mankato, MN 56001

Originally from:

New Richland, MN

Years in the area:

12

Family info:

Wife Amy and son Aiden- 2 yrs old.

Hobbies/interests:

Golfing, fishing, spending  time outdoors with family

Organization/Volunteer activities:

North Mankato Rotary Club, United Way, Young Professionals

Name & title:

Steven Friese, Credit Analyst/Loan Officer

Employer:

United Prairie Bank

Address:

10 Firestone Dr

Mankato, MN 56001

Originally from:

Parker, SD

Years in the area:

3

Family info:

Wife (7 yrs) Anna, daughter Evelyn (3 ½), daughter Naomi (1 ½)  son Isaiah (1 week)

Hobbies/interests:

Golf, carpentry, most of all spending time with family and friends.

Organization/Volunteer activities:

Kiwanis, New Ulm HUB Club

Name & title:

Brian Gersich, Principal

Employer:

Mankato West High School

Address:

1351 South Riverfront Drive

Mankato, MN 56001

Originally from:

Twin Cities Metro area (Brooklyn Park, Crystal, Plymouth)

Years in the area:

5

Family info:

Wife Rebecca, Sons- Noah (6), Sam (3)

Hobbies/interests:

Golf, fishing, exercise, other sports as both spectator and participant, spending time with family

Volunteer activities:

Member of St. John’s Catholic Parish

Name & title:

Heather Gleason, Assistant Director

Employer:

South Central Workforce Council

Address:

464 Raintree Rd

Mankato, MN 56001

Originally from:

Gibbon, MN

Years in the area:

15

Family info:

Spouse Tony, expecting first child in February

Hobbies/interests:

Walking, biking, yoga, boating-wakeboarding

Volunteer activities:

Name & title:

Cheryl Hamond, Program Coordinator

Employer:

Mankato Family YMCA

Address:

1401 S Riverfront Drive

Mankato,  MN 56001

Originally from:

Annandale/Monticello, MN

Years in the area:

11

Family info:

Husband Jason, children: Josh (11), Joy (8), Sam (6), Olvia (2)

Hobbies/interests:

Love people, biking, playing with my children, spending time  with my husband, Going out for coffee, walks, movies, plays.

Organization/Volunteer activities:

Volunteer with church (Sunday school, Women’s ministries, AWANA children’s program, search team), Salvation Army, Teresa House. Organizations:  Mentor Network Group, CLOVE, Mankato Area Healthy  Youth, Anti-Violence committee, Intergovernmental Assets Committee, Jaycees, United Way

Name & title:

Jana Klein, Insurance Agent/Sales Consultant

Employer:

James R. Weir Insurance Agency

Address:

208 N Broad St

Mankato, MN 56002

Originally from:

Historic Lanesboro, MN

Years in the area:

8

Family info:

Spouse- Jeff.  Have 2 brothers.  Parents still reside in Lanesboro.

Hobbies/interests:

Golf, running, cooking/baking, reading, vacationing/traveling and sight-seeing, wine enthusiast, enjoy family and friends

Organization/Volunteer Activities

Chamber member, YP member, RCEF board, YWCA member, & fund-raising committee, March of Dimes volunteer, MSU fund-raising committee, MN River Builders.

Assistant Golf coach for Mankato East High School

Name & title:

Jake Krier, Membership Development Director

Employer:

Greater Mankato Growth

Address:

1961 Premier Drive  Suite 100

Mankato, MN 56001

Originally from:

South St Paul, MN

Years in the area:

8

Family info:

Wife- Gretta

Hobbies/interests:

Sports, fishing, outdoors

Organization/Volunteer activities:

Junior Achievement, Key City Sertoma, Greater Mankato United Way, Marketing Association of Southern MN

Name & title:

David Krueger, Assist VP Rural Capital Network

Employer:

AgStar Financial

Address:

1921 Premier Drive

Mankato, MN 56001

Originally from:

Tracy, MN

Years in the area:

6

Family info:

Wife Heather, children Adrianna (5) Jadyn (3)

Hobbies/interests:

Lifting weights, golf, hunting, movies, concerts, politics

Organization/Volunteer activities:

Lion’s club, regional EDA’S EDAM

Name & title:

Lora McCollum, Sales Executive

Employer:

Brown & Brown Insurance

Address:

530 West Pleasant St

Mankato, MN 56001

Originally from:

Mankato

Years in the area:

31

Family info:

Husband Eric, Children: Garrett(12), Briann (7)

Logan (11 months)

Hobbies/interests:

Enjoy the outdoors, walking, biking, camping w/family, play women’s volleyball, coed softball

Volunteer activities:

Member of Kiwanis, volunteer for United Way, coach kids teams, youth program volunteer

Name & title:

Glenn Morris, Director- Socrates ISD 6036

Employer:

South Central Service Cooperative

Address:

2075 Lookout Drive

North Mankato, MN 56003-1719

Originally from:

North Chicagoland

Years in the area:

34

Family info:

Wife–Peggy-teacher. Daughter Abby (29) and Marguerite (19)

Hobbies/interests:

Exercise- swimming, yoga, running, cross-country skiing Reading, wine and jazz. Entertaining and traveling with friends and family.

Organization/Volunteer activities:

Various professional organizations and committees, past president of Suzuki School of Music, church, family org- Rivke Verbund

Name & title:

Lisa Nagel, Purchasing Manager

Employer:

MTU Onsite Energy

Address:

100 Power Drive

Mankato, MN 56001

Originally from:

Ceylon, MN

Years in the area:

15

Family info:

Husband Dean (14 yrs), children Austin (12), Grant (9), Foreign exchange student Matthias (16)

Hobbies/interests:

Scrapbooking, camping, baking, kids’ sports, 4-wheeling.

Organization/Volunteer activities:

Past church officer, co-chair for multiple fundraising activities, APICS member, 4-H, past church committee member on many committees at church.  Love to stay busy!

Name & title:

Sandra Oachs, Director of Sales

Employer:

Hilton Garden Inn – Mankato Downtown

Address:

20 Civic Center Plaza 

Mankato, MN 56001

Originally from:

Pocahontas, IA

Years in the area:

17

Family info:

Husband Clayton, daughter Amber (15), son Chase (11)

Hobbies/interests:

Riding motorcycle, camping, boating, traveling and spending time with family and friends.  Sports- MN Twins, Chicago Bears, MN Wild, reading good books, watching my kids play sports.  Appreciate different cultures and love history

Organization/Volunteer activities:

YMCA Y’s club (past president and vice president), Merely Players board member, SCC fund drive volunteer, member of MASM, DEX alumni (past MN state officer), Greater Mankato Chamber Cavalier, YP member

Name & title:

Jim Panko, Structural Engineer

Employer:

Paulsen Architects

Address:

209 South Second Street  Suite 201

Mankato, MN 56001

Originally from:

Stevens Point,  WI

Years in the area:

7

Family info:

Son- Nathan Panko 5 years old

Hobbies/interests:

Mountain biking, downhill skiing, wake boarding, running, volleyball

Organization/Volunteer activities:

Junior achievement board member/volunteer, MN society of Professional Engineers Committee member, YP member

Name & title:

Bonnie Pettis, Manager of Financial Reporting

Employer:

HickoryTech

Address:

221 East Hickory Street

Mankato, MN 56001

Originally from:

Winthrop MN

Years in the area:

8

Family info:

Husband Darrell, children Ryenne (5) Maya (4)

Hobbies/interests:

Spending time outdoors, traveling and reading.

Organization/Volunteer activities:

EMT with Rivers Edge Volunteer Ambulance Service

Sunday school teacher

Name & title:

Ramon Pinero, Admissions Recruiter

Employer:

MSU- Mankato

Address:

2245 Fairbanks Dr

North Mankato, MN 56003

Originally from:

Venezuela  (Caracas)

Years in the area:

8

Family info:

Wife- Maria Pinero, originally from Tracy, MN 

Hobbies/interests:

Spending time with family and friends.  Love to play sports.

Enjoy traveling.

Organization/Volunteer activities:

Greater Mankato Diversity Council Facilitator, National Society of Leadership and Success, Various youth camps.

Name & title:

Ron Romnes, VP of Field Operations

Employer:

Minnesota Elevator, Inc

Address:

19336 607th Ave

Mankato, MN 56001

Originally from:

Minneapolis, MN

Years in the area:

Since 1971

Family info:

Wife Laura (homemaker), children: John (23), Tacy (8), Brody (16), Tate (12), Ellie (10), Ailee (10), Levi (5)

Hobbies/interests:

Biking, hunting, shooting, fishing, woodworking, Spending time with family,  working on and around the house.

Volunteer activities:

Church and various school activities

Name & title:

Kathryn Rusch,  Work and Learning Center Director

Employer:

South Central College

Address:

1920 Lee Boulevard

North Mankato, MN 56003

Originally from:

Many locations as a child,  3 years in Minneapolis

Years in the area:

20

Family info:

Married with 2 sons- both graduated from Mankato West HS

Married son, wife and granddaughter live in Madison, WI, other son is single and resides and works in St Cloud

Hobbies/interests:

Reading, music, (listening and collecting), attending concerts and plays, art history, and watching movies

Volunteer activities:

MN State Leadership Team STEM equity Pipeline, SC Workforce council – Youth Council, College Prep Task force

Name & title:

Andrew Tatge,  Attorney

Employer:

Gislason & Hunter LLP

Address:

124 E Walnut Street    Suite 200

Mankato, MN 56002-4157

Originally from:

Madison Lake, MN

Years in the area:

Grew up in Mankato area, returned in 2006

Family info:

Single

Hobbies/interests:

Golf, boating, following  college and NFL football

Organization/Volunteer Activities

North Mankato Rotary Club, various law related clubs and organizations

Name & title:

Christi Wilking, Resource Development Director

Employer:

Greater Mankato Area United Way

Address:

101 N 2nd Street  Suite 100

Mankato, MN 56001

Originally from:

Sioux Falls, SD

Years in the area:

8

Family info:

Husband Mitch, dog- Bella J

Hobbies/interests:

Volleyball, reading, walking/running

Organization/Volunteer activities:

GMG Ambassadors, GMG YP member

Name & title:

Anne Wolff, Director of Marketing and Public Relations

Employer:

Snell Motors

Address:

1900 Madison Avenue

Mankato, MN 56001

Originally from:

Sauk Rapids, MN

Years in the area:

1

Family info:

Recently married to Jeremy (May 2009)

Hobbies/interests:

Running (participating in half marathon in Oct), camping, canoeing, anything outdoors. Traveling, Now a farmers wife I enjoy spending time in the field during planting and harvest.

Organization/Volunteer activities:

PRSA (Public Relations Society of America)