Thursday, August 7, 2025

Lunch Buffet

Doors Open 11:30AM

At

 

Dr. Stephen Hennessy

 

Why do many police officers appear to be cold, condescending and matter of fact and sometimes seem to lack compassion. Police officers represent a source of power that often is not readily understood by many in society. Agencies play a necessary, critical role in the preservation of public order and safety but have often been the target of complaint and criticism by the media and others in helping professions.

 

Dr. Stephen Hennessy, a Hibbing born, Minnesota native, is a 40-year law enforcement professional and University Professor who has studied thousands of police personalities and ways of communicating based on the famous Psychologist Carl Jung theories of personality type as measured by the Myers Briggs Type Indicator, the Law Enforcement Personality Profile and other instruments.  His thirty years of research may help explain why officers may appear that way but really aren’t as heartless as one might think. 

 

Be sure to attend this week’s meeting to learn more about this fascinating research.

 

 

Friday, August 8, 2025

Breakfast Buffet

At

 

By Renee Burns

 

The July 31 meeting was called to order by President Zach Walters followed by Past President Al Makynen providing a fitting (as usual) Reflection for the meeting.  He talked about the importance of lifelong learning, beginning in shop class learning basic skills, moving on to his summers working a variety of jobs from planting trees to patching potholes and then to college summers at US Steel and Minntac, working around crushers turning boulders into gravel.  It was then, when using a long-handled number two shovel, he realized a preference for work using a number two pencil.

 

President Zach Walters starting the meeting

 

Guest introductions included Judy Sage and Natalie Junk, who has just moved to Duluth from Omaha, Nebraska and is looking for a Duluth Rotary Club to transfer to!

 

Alan Anway stepped to the microphone to report he and Judy Sage have just celebrated their one-year wedding anniversary on Monday, July 28!  Congratulations Alan and Judy!

 

One year anniversary couple, Alan Anway and Judy Sage

 

Jen Smith dropped $20 into the Golden Can to announce her new position as Executive Director at Arrowhead Regional Computing Consortium.

 

Jeff Fifield kicked the Golden Can to encourage members to read the July Issue of the Rotary International Magazine, where he read about the amazing leadership team heading up RI.

 

President Zach announced that Past President and Past Assistant District Governor Phil Strom is recovering from surgery and appreciates the prayers and support he has received.  Please continue to reach out to him with good wishes, he’s happy to hear from us!

 

It was also announced that on August 7 we will have a celebration of our 40-years of Rose Sales!  If you have photos or stories to share about the Rose Sale, please share them with Jerry Thoreson or Renee Burns.

 

Chair of the Day Tammy Sundbom was next up to introduce the speakers, Rotary Club #25 members Matt Baumgartner and John Magas and their program The Duluth Promise, Building a Strong Workforce. 

 

Speakers Matt Baumgartner and John Magas

 

Tammy noted that both John and Matt are well known to the club as well as Duluthians with their “day jobs” Matt – President and CEO of the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce and John – Superintendent ISD #709, and both started their jobs around the same time, 2021 and 2020 respectively.

 

The program began with Matt leading off providing a history of industry and the economy in Duluth from West to East, our good fortune to have three institutes of higher education in Duluth, all serving a different audience and complementing each other, not competing, and setting the stage for the greater story of the Duluth Promise.

 

John explained just what the Duluth Promise is – a coalition of educational institutions and workforce partners committed to building a strong local workforce.  Simply put – career development.  They focus on creating clear pathway to employment in high-demand fields.  Partners in the project include: Duluth Public Schools, Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce, APEX, City of Duluth, Lake Superior College, University of Minnesota Duluth and the College of St. Scholastica.

 

The program addresses the challenges facing employers; a shrinking workforce in Duluth, a skills gap that exists between the skills taught in educational institutions and the skills that are required by employers and retention issues.  Too often graduates of our schools leave the area and we lose talent.

 

It was interesting to learn how this exciting program came to be, brought here by John who had experience with it in Green Bay, but learned about it from a visit to McAllen, Texas where 60% of students had earned associates degrees when they graduated from high school, impressive!  The program was a success in Green Bay, with the highest numbers of graduates holding associates degrees upon graduation in the state (which is Wisconsin, GO PACK!)  Now John has worked with the previously mentioned partners to launch the program in Duluth, which will benefit the region.

 

During the 2025 legislative session there was bipartisan support for a bill to get the program off the ground, while the ask was for $500,000, in a tough budget year they were very pleased to be funded at $50,000, a definite win.

 

There are three focus areas in the Duluth Promise:

Manufacturing

IT/Business Services

Health Care

All of which align with the workforce needs in Duluth.

 

There are many, many benefits of this program, for the students and for regional employers who are seeking a skilled workforce.  We look forward to learning more about the program as it develops.

 

Matt Baumgartner drew the winning 50/50 ticket, which was held by Past President Dean Casperson with a winning number of – 709, how’s that for fitting??

 

Rotarians enjoying fellowship and lunch