Luminous by Perham Focus

A special publication of the Perham Focus

LUMINOUS Shining a light on bright, brilliant women of the Perham area

Passionate in Perham Erica Martin is one of six young women leading by example

Trisha Kawlewski Owner Second Chance Boutique

Erica Martin Director of Marketing for Goose Group

Emily Dreyer Community Ed and Administrative Services Coordinator

Amanda Schultz Owner Studio 60 Photographic Art

Cassie Anderson Pastor of Calvary Lutheran Church

Emma Otto Lakeside Tap manager

Perham Luminous Oct 2016.pdf

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LUMINOUS 2016

contents passionate women

TRISHA KAWLEWSKI

AMANDA SCHULTZ

ERICA MARTIN

REV. CASSIE ANDERSON

A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO THE PERHAM FOCUS, OCTOBER 27, 2016

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passionate women

Young and ambitious 20-year-old Trisha Kawlewski says business ownership is in her blood BY MARIE JOHNSON

Twenty-year-old Trisha Kawlewski is young and ambitious. The Perham grad opened Second Chance Boutique in the spring of 2015, and quickly moved into a bigger, Main Street space after outgrowing her original, smaller store. She said “business has been great; I couldn’t ask for it to be better.” She is pictured here inside the store, which features gently-used, high-quality clothing, shoes, home décor and other items.

For someone who’s only been out of high school for two years, Trisha Kawlewski has accomplished an awful lot. The 20-year-old entrepreneur is the youngest Main Street business owner in Perham. She opened her high-end used clothing and home décor store, Second Chance Boutique, in the spring of 2015, and its rapid growth and continued success are due to her hard work and dedication. “Business has been great,” she says.

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“I couldn’t ask for it to be better.” The 2014 Perham High School grad says business ownership runs in the family. And it’s a big family – Trisha has 10 brothers and sisters – so she has a lot of people she can go to for ideas and advice. Her mom, Barb Torgerson, is a business owner, as are a number of her siblings. “It’s in our blood to be entrepreneurs,” she says. “We kind of like to be our own bosses.” It was Trisha’s mom who inspired

and encouraged her to open Second Chance Boutique. After graduating high school, Trisha tried her hand at college, but quickly figured out that it wasn’t a good fit for her. She was looking for a next step when Barb approached her with the idea of opening her own business. Barb, who owned the Wagon Wheel in Richville for 20-some years, now owns a painting company (Wagon Wheel is still in the family, now owned by Trisha’s sister, Tanya).

I knew from day one that if it was going to work, I could make it work. I knew that if I put my time and energy into it, that it would be something that would benefit this town.” - Trisha Kawlewski, on her business, Second Chance Boutique

Trisha Kawlewski, outside her Main Street boutique in October 2016. She prides herself on the store’s clean, crisp look and feel. She hates the musty smell of some used-clothing stores, she said, so she makes sure Second Chance Boutique always smells fresh and pleasant.

Trisha Kawlewski, Barb Torgerson and Tory Kawlewski, outside of Second Chance Boutique just after the store first opened, in April 2015.

Trisha and Barb had seen shops in bigger cities that were similar to Second Chance Boutique, and thought the concept of affordable, high-quality clothing would attract customers in Perham. They started looking at potential shop spaces in February of 2015, Trisha says, settling on a small space on West Main Street. “My siblings and I are all a lot alike,” Trisha says. “We were all taught to go for our dreams, and that’s where this (business idea) came from. My mom helped me get the business started, but I knew from day one that if it was going to work, I could make it work. I knew that if I put my time and energy into it, that it would be something that would benefit this town.” The boutique opened that April, when Trisha was just 18 years old. As it turned out, Trisha did ‘make it work.’ The business outgrew its initial space within just a few months, and Trisha decided to move Second Chance Boutique to its current location at 120 East Main Street. The building is newly renovated and much larger than her previous space, she explains, giving the business room to breathe and allowing for future growth. The building is partly owned by Perham City Attorney Dennis Happel, a man who Trisha says was instrumental in her success with the boutique, especially after its relocation. Happel supported Trisha’s entrepreneurial efforts and agreed to remodel the building to

meet the needs of her business. “He was kind of like a mentor to me,” she says. “He always put so much faith in me and brought people into the store and told them how young I was, and how ambitious. He brought me to Rotary and introduced me to community leaders. I wouldn’t be here if he wouldn’t have been willing to invest the time and money into making this place the building that it is now.” Happel says he can’t take any credit for Trisha’s success, as she’s achieved that all on her own. “She’s mature way beyond her years,” he says. “She’s very hardworking, very focused, and does what she says she’s going to do, when she says she’s going to do it.” He says he’s been “a big fan” of Trisha’s since meeting her two years ago, and encouraged her business efforts because he was so impressed by her drive and demeanor. “I could tell she really had a passion for it,” he says. “She has an eye for design and for clothes and for fashion, and she’s a good business woman... I see her being in business for a long time, and being a real retail force for us in Perham.” It does seem as though she’s on that path. As of early October, Trisha says, “Business has been going great. I’ve had overwhelming support.” She’s purchased items from upwards of 700 people so far, who come from all over the lakes area to sell and buy their

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A picture of Trisha's family, taken on the day of her brother Jared's funeral, Aug. 12, 2013. They are all wearing Converse shoes in honor of Jared, since those were his favorite. Pictured, from left to right, are: Barb Torgerson, Tory Kawlewski, Trisha, a space for Jared, Jake Kawlewski, Jon Kawlewski, Joe Kawlewski, Tina Troje, Tara Skogen, TamiJo Hopwood, Tanya Sazama, Tracy Becker and Larry Kawlewski.

clothing, home décor and more. The store carries clothing for men, women and kids. Trisha makes all the final decisions on what to accept or not, and determines pricing for anything sold in the store. “I think probably one of the biggest struggles of my business is…coming up with the prices on my own,” she says. “People don’t always agree with me. Some people think it’s too high, others too low. But I do my research and charge what I think it’s worth, and what I would pay.” She says she still has a lot to learn, and she appreciates feedback from customers, good or bad – though good feedback is far more common for her than bad. One of the things about her store that people notice most, she says, is its pleasant smell. “A lot of people comment on how good it smells in the store,” she says. “I don't like the smell of used clothes, so I make sure it smells good in here.” She also gets praised for her selection and quality of clothes. “Sometimes people aren't even sure the clothes are used,” she says. “I’m very picky about what I buy in. I can't buy everything that comes through these doors. If I did, I'd need a building three times this size, so I really focus on highquality things that sell the best.” Whatever doesn’t sell is eventually donated to the Richville United Methodist Clothes Drive.

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‘I love having a big family’ Trisha, a Richville native, is the second youngest of 11 kids in her family. Because her mom, Barb Torgerson, owned the Wagon Wheel while Trisha was young, she was often recognized by people in the area as “one of the Wagon Wheel kids,” she says. She was often seen riding her bike around the store, or hanging out and playing inside it. “I absolutely love having a big family,” she says, adding that, “It’s almost like we have two separate families,” because of big age gaps between siblings. “There were five girls first, then two boys, then four girls,” Trisha explains. “Some people mistake my older sisters for my mom or aunts, and everyone mistakes my 18-year-old nieces and nephews for my siblings. Whenever people ask, we just say we’re cousins, because it’s too hard to explain.” Now that she’s feeling more established as a business owner, Trisha has started thinking about starting a family of her own. She’s been dating her boyfriend, Tyler Ament, of Sebeka, for the past three years, and as of this writing, they had just bought a new home. They were due to close on the purchase in December. Like Trisha, Tyler is an entrepreneur. He owns his own semi-truck and hauls livestock over the road. He’s gone most weekdays, Trisha says, but they see each other on weekends. His schedule

makes it easier for her to spend long hours at her shop during the week, but ultimately they’d both like to grow their businesses to the point where they can hire more help and have more time at home together. “We want to get all the hard (startup) work done before we start having kids,” Trisha says. She sees herself married, with kids, in the next five to 10 years, while still focusing on her business as well as Tyler’s. “I want this to be a family business,” she says of Second Chance Boutique. “I want people to understand that in three to four years I'll probably have little kids running around. That's how I grew up at the Wagon Wheel -- we lived at that store; our house was attached and there were always kids running around and biking around the store. And that's the kind of business I want.” While the shop takes up most of Trisha’s time these days, she tries to give herself breaks so she can have some fun with family and friends. In the summers, she does a lot of camping, she says, and she loves to shop for deals with her mom. Between those shopping trips and the clothing that gets brought into her own store, she admits, “My closet has tripled in size. I’m always bringing home ‘treasures.’” “I work a lot,” she says, “but I’m working at something that I love, so I’m lucky.”

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passionate women

Amanda Schultz’s Studio 60 Photographic Art, is upstairs over her friend’s business, Harmonious Designs in downtown Perham. Schultz has been working out of her home for the past decade. She is slowly transitioning to the new location

Camera In Hand

Studio 60 reflects owner Amanda Schultz’s style BY DEBBIE IRMEN With no real thought of where her love for photography could take her, a young Amanda Schultz took pictures of nature scenes, dogs and her Barbie dolls. “I always had a camera in hand,” Schultz, 37, said. “It didn’t occur to me that people didn’t take pictures.” Now with studio space located upstairs over Harmonious Designs in the former bakery building in downtown Perham, the 1997 PHS grad, feels like she has joined the adult world. Schultz was a self-proclaimed music nerd while attending high school, and did “all the band stuff,” too, performing in jazz, musical orchestra, the pep band,

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concert band and the marching band. She loved band and has fond memories of the trips to Texas and Disney with her fellow musicians. She also served as the yearbook editor in her senior year at PHS and admits it came naturally for her. She grew up in a blue collar family, and “knows everybody,” she said. So while she had a great childhood, there were no examples of how to run a business. Still, she knew that she would rather work “100 hours for myself, than 40 hours for someone else.” As much as she enjoyed her high school activities, it never occurred to her to take a photography class college

because she already knew how to do take pictures. “I took a pottery class because I didn’t know how to do pottery,” she said. “I already had a love for photography. I adore looking through old photographs and the camera lens.” Schultz said she has evolved from “crazy trying too hard with Photoshop” to make her photos even better. Now, every picture comes pretty much out of her camera as she sees it with few digital touchups. “I have a vision of how I want things right away now,” she said, “and that’s what comes out of my camera.” She thinks of herself as fiercely

The clean lines and white walls are a far cry from the original condition of the Amanda Schultz’s Studio 60 Photographic Art space in the upstairs of the former bakery in downtown Perham. She plans on taking time to find the right pieces to accessorize the space to reflect her personality and business.

loyal and intuitive about people, which helps her relate to their energy and in turn capture their personality in photographs. She also thinks of herself as evolutionary, both professionally and personally, as she has come to think differently about what she wants from her business, which she really has been doing all along. About 17 years ago, Schultz began randomly taking photos of her daughter, and other peoples’ children, but wasn’t thinking about her passion developing into a career, nor did she have a plan for the future. She credits an external force that “just knew I wasn’t ready yet,” for holding her back, she said. “There were no thoughts of where (photography) would go for me,” she said. But as she started doing more and more photo sittings, she found a need to rent studio space from friends, which began a slow turning of her thoughts in a new direction.

I thought ‘I could make this a business. Before that, who cared if I had $28 in business income in a year?” -Amanda Schultz “It gave me time to think about what I might want,” she said. Then, last year there was a considerable shift in her thinking. “I thought ‘I could make this a business,’” she said. “Before that, who cared if I had $28 in business income in a year?” As she has celebrated birthdays over the years, she added to a vision board

positioned prominently over her home office desk. It has helped her better define her goals, she said, but without a scheduled attached to the goals, it could take three to five years to see it develop. One of the vague goals on her board was to create a studio and move her office out of her home. In January, she started getting more serious about setting up a studio but she still hesitated. A business mentor and friend, Dennis Happel asked her what she was afraid of? Then a friend, Kelli Wegscheid, started talking about sharing a space. Schultz had just looked at a space she thought would be a good fit, and though she wanted it, something held her back from making the commitment, she said, until Wegscheid called. “Not half an hour later, Kelli called and asked ‘what would you do if I could get you the loft you wanted?” Schultz recalled. When Schultz looked at it, she got

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This room (Left) has been renovated for office space and client consulting, but it needed work when Amanda Schultz first looked at it, though she immediately saw the possibilities to convert it to a photography studio The stairs shown (Above) were removed to create a room for props and storage for Amanda Schultz’s Studio 60 business. For now, Schultz continues to work out of her home office, but she is anticipating the move to her new downtown location

goosebumps and made the commitment to create Studio 60. From the moment she saw it, with its junk and bakery smell, she knew the space was right with no reservations, “and I said ‘let’s do it,’” she said. She saw the potential in the space immediately, both as a studio and a place she could work from. The rooms were laid out as she would have wanted, with space for her office and a customer consulting area, a dressing room, props and storage space, a bathroom and of course, a well-lit room to shoot photos – the studio. She and family and friends spent some time in one room taking out steps that previously had led to the roof, refinishing wood floors, and applying paint to create the clean lines and white space that has become a place where Schultz can invite people in and take care of all the little things for them. She was particularly pleased to see a well-preserved brick wall when the lathe was removed. The bricks cleaned up well, she said, leaving a natural photographic backdrop for photographs. There remains a fine layer of dust on the stairs leading up to the studio and most of the rooms are in various stages of completion because Schultz is still transitioning from her home office to the studio. And she doesn’t want to put just anything into her dream space, she said. She wants to take the time to find the right pieces of furniture and accessories to create the right atmosphere for the studio. But even incomplete, the space is perfect. “It fits me,” she said.

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passionate women

An entrepreneurial spirit Erica Martin, one of the key people behind Nest, likes to branch out into new and creative endeavors BY MARIE JOHNSON

Erica Martin is the Director of Marketing for Goose Group, and has been a leading force be-hind the new Nest coffee and retail shop on the south side of Perham. The New York Mills grad said she has an entrepreneurial spirit, and she’s happy to be back in the area, working and raising a family.

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Meet a key player behind Nest, one of Perham’s most anticipated and talked about new businesses of the year – Erica Martin. Erica’s been working for Goose Group, which owns Nest, since the summer of 2015, first in a casual, part-time capacity, and now as the company’s full-time Director of Marketing. Working closely with a team of people including owner Doug Huebsch and Laura Bjerke, Goose Gang’s chief strategy officer, Erica has provided crucial input on everything from the look of the store to the selection of products offered inside. “Erica has been a huge part of the Nest project,” says Bjerke. “She’s a great team player who brings a lot of skill to the table. I think she brings a great perspective to all aspects of our retail stores.” Erica, a New York Mills High School graduate, handles all the marketing for Nest and two other Goose Group affiliates – Goose Gang and Napa Auto Parts. The company is a good fit for her, she says, because it, like her, is always trying to evolve, grow and think about the next big thing. “They really give you the freedom to come up with some different ideas and try some new things,” Erica says of the people at Goose Group. “Some people like to stay put and do the same thing. I’m the opposite – I like newness, and doing different things.” That drive to be constantly learning and growing is what makes Erica so comfortable wearing multiple hats on the job, and it’s why her career history is peppered with creative side projects and start-up businesses. An artistic person who’s not one to be content with just one creative outlet, Erica taught herself how to be a photographer while working in marketing for Target Corp. in Minneapolis, then started her own photography business, Erica Martin Photography, on the side. After eight years at Target, and while still working as a photographer, she left the big box retail chain to start her own picture frame company, Urban Lane Frames. “I'm very entrepreneurial,” she says. “I like to start businesses. It's kind of a hobby of mine.” For Urban Lane Frames, Erica designed stylized picture frames, of various shapes and colors, which were created with a CNC router (Computer Numerical Control router) that her husband built. She started the business out of their garage, though it quickly outgrew that space. “I would sell the frames to photographers, and within six months we were shipping to every state,” she says.

they’re awake, I’m doing something with them.” Usually, that means playing cars and trucks with the boys, taking bike rides through state parks, riding the family golf cart around their property or walking the dog. She and Ben recently built a new home in the woods outside of town, she says, and it’s big enough to allow her to entertain friends and family, which is one of her favorite things to do.

Erica with her family, husband, Ben, and sons, Grant and Will, when Will was still just a baby (he’s now 3 years old).

She later sold the frame business; Erica Martin Photography is still in operation, on a very part-time basis due to her full-time work schedule and family life. Erica has a degree in marketing from St. Cloud State University. She also has her associate of arts degree in advertising. She has worked with companies large and small, in many roles including graphic designer, project manager, marketing director, print buyer, CEO, advertising manager and more. “Every role I have had created who I am today,” she says. Who she is today is not only a career woman and entrepreneur, but also a wife and mother. She and her husband, Ben Martin, a fellow New York Mills grad, were married in 2005, and they now have two sons. Erica and Ben didn’t know each other very well in school, she says, but they reconnected later in life at a Halloween party in New York Mills and hit it off. A few years after getting married, they had their first child, Grant. And a few years after that, they had Will, who’s now 3.

The boys were a motivating factor behind Ben and Erica’s decision to move out of the Twin Cities area and back to New York Mills. Erica said she went to a kindergarten open house in the suburb where their boys would have gone to school, and there were a whopping 1,000 kids there. That marked a turning point for her. “We wanted to move back because of the ease of life here,” she says. “It’s where we grew up, and where we wanted to raise our kids.” Ben found a job as a software developer for United Healthcare, which allows him to work remotely, and that opened the door to the family’s relocation. Erica tried being a stay-at-homemom here for a while, but eventually got “stir crazy,” she says. So she approached Goose Group about doing some occasional graphic design work. That turned into a part-time job offer, which grew into her current full-time role. Outside of work, Erica says she’s pretty much guaranteed to be hanging out with her husband and kids: “If

Building the Nest Plans for Nest were in the works for more than a year, Erica says. The people of Goose Group knew that more space was needed for its popular coffee shop, which had been operating for the past two decades out of a small area in the Wild Goose building. They also wanted more room for retail. Erica, along with Bjerke and Huebsch, researched retail stores around the state. Erica says it was her role to pay particular attention to customer flow and how customers interact with product. The team found a building style and look that they liked, and partnered with Sarah Carlson, of Theisen Design Studios in New York Mills, to bring their vision into reality. They decided that the building would house two separate areas – the coffee shop would be on one side, and a retail space for kitchen goods would be on the other. “The trend right now is that health, being home, cooking with the family, are all popular and growing,” says Erica. “Especially in rural areas like this, people are always looking to try new things at home.” The store will sell cookware, bakeware, kitchen gadgets, gourmet food, dishes and stemware, high-quality knives and more, with a focus on Minnesota-made products. There will also be a Minnesota stationary section -- a personal love of Erica’s. “We’re trying to have ‘better, best’ options in order to meet different price

I’m very entrepreneurial. I like to start businesses. It’s kind of a hobby of mine.” -Erica Martin

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points,” Erica explains of the retail selection. “Our philosophy is to have quality that matches the price points of unique buyers. We spent a lot of time researching products and lines to make sure we could offer high-quality products at reasonable prices.” On the coffee shop side, Erica says, “the focus will be on coffee, as it has been at Wild Goose for the past 19 years.” They shop will offer some light foods for people to snack on as they drink their coffees, she explains, but Nest isn't trying to compete with food vendors in town. The coffee counter and it's adjoining space is designed with a sleek, modern look that compliments the exterior of the building, and features quaint seating areas as well as reservable meeting rooms. Another room offers a table and toys for kids, with barn-style doors that parents can close so they can relax and chat while the kids play. “We are trying to focus on creating this as a destination,” says Erica. “Because there really isn’t anything like this...anywhere else between St. Cloud and Fargo.” At the time of this writing, Nest was slated to open in late October. After the coffee shop moves to the new building,

A recent photo of the Martin boys, Grant and Will.

the old coffee shop area inside Wild Goose will be remodeled, and Wild Goose will become a gift shop. Working in the Perham area has been enjoyable for Erica, who appreciates that businesses look out for each other and there’s “a good sense of community.” “It’s fun to see this town grow, espe-

cially when we can be a part of it,” she says of herself and the Goose Group team. “Goose Group plays a big part in the success of growing Perham. Nest will be another great addition to this thriving area. We hope to attract new visitors and grow our reach to more people in the community.”

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A call to serve

Cassie Anderson offers God’s comforting lessons to Calvary parishioners BY DEBBIE IRMEN When the Rev. Cassie Anderson told her family and friends that she was going to be a pastor, no one was surprised, even though it wasn’t on anyone’s radar, including Anderson’s. It wasn’t until her senior year in college when she knew she was going to be a pastor. “I thought I’d be a youth pastor, or in some other leadership position,” she said, “So I studied religion.” While in college, she thought she knew her career path would lead her to work with youth, but she realized in her senior year that she was drawn to the communion experience. “It was important to my faith life,” she said,” But you have to be an ordained pastor to give communion. So I said

e can have an W idea of how a plan should go,” she said, “but it showed me how a different plan can be a blessing. It was a great experience.” -Cassie Anderson

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The Rev. Cassie Anderson serves the approximately 1,500-member congregation of Calvary Lutheran Church in Perham. She was called to serve the church in late 2014

I guess I’m going to become a pastor.” Anderson had a good childhood, she said, growing up on a dairy farm in Cannon Falls, in southern Minnesota, with an older brother and a younger sister. The family lived just a quarter mile from her grandparents. She attended the same church her father grew up in, so attending church was a family affair. Prior to her high school graduation in 2003, Anderson was involved in everything, she said, playing tennis from seventh grade through her senior year. She was also involved in choir and band – she played the saxophone – and played in the jazz band and was a speech participant, serving as speech captain. She also was president of the student council in her senior year and was secretary of the Southeast Regional Student Council. And she was active in her church where she was involved in the church youth group. “Church was always a big part of my life,” she said. She attended Augustana College in Sioux Falls, S.D., graduating in 2007, then went on to Luther Seminary in St. Paul, where she received her Masters of Divinity in 2011. As part of the degree, students are required to do an internship, Anderson said. She landed in Porterville, Calif., at Trinity Lutheran Church. Though it wasn’t on her list of preferences, it was similar to

Cassie Anderson, center, pictured with her Sunday school class at Spring Garden Lutheran Church in 1989. This is the church her father grew up in, too.

her background. The community was very similar to her Midwest roots – it was a dairy community comprised of Lutherans with Midwest roots. The community had grown significantly and the church had benefitted from that growth. When a donor offered a financial gift, the church had to choose between a sound system or hiring an intern. What she learned from the intern experience, she said, was how God’s plans can be so different from her own. “We can have an idea of how a plan should go,” she said, “but it showed me how a different plan can be a blessing. It was a great experience.” Her first call was to Trinity Lutheran Church in Sparta, Wis., where she served for three years. Then almost two years ago, she answered the call for an associate pastor at Calvary Lutheran Church in Perham. She worked with retired pastor, the Rev. Phil Holtan, for most of her time at the local church. Anderson always knew that she wanted to have church in her life in some capacity, she said, and it just made sense with her personality type as a dreamer and a big-picture thinker to be a pastor.

A couple who worked with youth at her childhood church, Nick and Cindy Fisher-Broin, also encouraged her by gently pointing out her gifts, she said. Among those strengths was curiosity. “I asked a lot of questions about faith and the scriptures,” Anderson said, “(Nick and Cindy) encouraged questions. They saw I had a deep engagement with the Bible and my faith.” Another gift is her ability to read between the lines, and sense people’s emotions, she said. “I could read situations and people really well, even as a teenager,” Anderson said. “Even when people didn’t express verbal emotions.” Another gift as a pastor. In her role at Calvary, she is responsible for a good order, which ensures a smooth communion experience and worship service, and that the service cares for and nurtures parishioners, as well as for the faith of the church membership outside of the worship time. She says among the many roles of pastors, is the one that learns and knows the lessons of God, and helps convey those messages to people. She helps people seek God, she said. “When people feel betrayed, I can

walk beside them in their grief and offer them hope and comfort,” Anderson said. “I can offer that comfort from the word of God.” Her favorite verse, Exodus 3:5, comes from the story of Moses. God talks to Moses through a burning bush, telling him to take off his shoes as he is standing on holy ground. “What I love about that verse,” Anderson said, “is that it wasn’t that the ground had changed, but Moses’ thinking had changed into an awareness of what was holy. That’s how I see the call to be a pastor and to help people.” She hopes to help people see that they are standing on holy ground in their everyday lives, whether in relationships or finances or how they spend their time, and bring that change in awareness of what is God’s way. One way to help bring that change about is through sermons. Lutheran pastors follow a four-year Lectionary, which covers the old Testament, the Christmas story and other basic stories of the Bible, through set readings. In preparation of her Sunday message, Anderson sits down at the beginning of the week and thinks of the parishioners and asks herself what hope

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hen people feel betrayed, I can W walk beside them in their grief and offer them hope and comfort,” Anderson said. “I can offer that comfort from the word of God.” -Cassie Anderson and encouragement do they need. “Preaching is always contextual,” she said. “The more deeply you know the people, the more the sermon can speak to them.” Though the sermon message is broad, it will speak differently to different people, she said. If one word could describe Anderson, she said it was hopeful because it fits with many of the things she thinks about. “It’s part of being a pastor,” she said. “We are with people during the tough times and we can give them the hope of God. The importance of maintaining hope helps when times are hard, it shows people there is still a greater plan and redemption that can happen.”

A young Cassie Anderson was confirmed in 2000, at Spring Garden Lutheran Church in Cannon Falls. She knew she would always have the church in her life.

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passionate women

‘Extreme go-getter’ Emily Dreyer breathes new life into Perham’s Community Ed program BY MARIE JOHNSON

Emily Dreyer has been instrumental in dusting off Perham-Dent School District’s Community Education offerings over the past year, helping to turn what was a bare-bones program into a lively and diverse community asset.

It’s a good thing Emily Dreyer likes to be busy, because she’s had a whirlwind year. Last fall, the Perham grad and former Associate Director of the Perham Area Chamber of Commerce started a big new gig as Perham-Dent School District’s Community Education and Administrative Services Coordinator -- a role she’s taken on wholeheartedly, transforming the previously bare-bones Community Ed program into a burgeoning and lively community asset. Meanwhile, she and her mother have continued to run their side business -- or “creative endeavor,” as Emily describes it -- called Birch Barn, repurposing old wood into decorative, custommade signs.

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I ’m a work in progress.” -Emily Dreyer She’s also continued her leadership role with the 549 Family Foundation, a nonprofit that provides financial support for programs, activities and facilities at Perham public schools. Emily is a board member for the foundation, and she provides professional expertise on public relations matters such as social media communications and membership generation.

Oh, and, if that all wasn’t enough, she also got married. In July, she went from being Emily Rutten to Emily Dreyer after a casual backyard wedding ceremony with her sweetheart, Michael Dreyer, at their home in rural Ottertail. Michael is busy, too, as he’s currently starting a new business for himself. Emily is helping with that whenever and however she can. It all makes for a pretty packed schedule, but Emily says she doesn’t mind it; she’s up for the challenge. “I’m working basically five part-time jobs, and it gets to be a little much sometimes,” she admits in her characteristically open and honest style, adding that, “Time management is so crucial, and I’m terrible at it. But I’m a

work in progress.” Those who work most closely with Emily say she’s much more than that. “She’s an extreme go-getter,” says Erin Anderson, Perham-Dent’s activities director. “I like to tell people she gets stuff done. She’s one of those people who has the unique ability to be a visionary and also has the follow-through. Her work ethic is really, really good.” Erin’s office is right next door to Emily’s, and he’s witnessed that work ethic time and time again. In her dual roles for the school district, Emily handles a wide range of administrative duties, especially for the activities department. She schedules workers for sporting events, takes care of some bussing, supervises events, oversees registration for activities, and more. But her real ‘baby’ right now is the Community Ed program. Before Emily took over the reins of the program about a year ago, there wasn’t much to it. Past budget cuts had reduced Community Ed to its most es-

sential elements, namely the annual community musical and driver’s ed. There had been a few attempts in recent years to bring more classes back, but nothing ever really took off. Enter Emily. Within a few months, there were more than 15 new local class offerings through Perham’s Community Ed, plus many more available as online courses through Ed2Go.com. Local classes included workforce education workshops, early childhood and youth after-school activities, student enrichment opportunities, adult continued learning courses, and more. “It seemed like we just added water, and instantly we had a Community Ed program again,” said Erin. “It’s amazing how quickly Emily got it off the ground, and I think it’s just going to keep growing… Expectations have been exceeded in regards to attendance and involvement.” One of the first things Emily did when she took the program on was create a Community Education Advisory

Dreyer’s entrepreneurial drive and creativity are displayed in Birch Barn, a business endeavor she began with her mom, Peggy Rutten. She makes custom orders of signs made from reclaimed wood. It’s currently something she does “on the side,” she said, but one of her goals for the near future is to do more with the business.

he’s an extreme goS getter. She’s one of those people who has the unique ability to be a visionary and also has the followthrough.” -Erin Anderson Council, a group of Perham area residents, from both within and outside of the school district, to provide input and ideas into the planning, implementation and evaluation of Community Ed programming. It was important to Emily to get a cross-section of the community involved in the leadership of Community Ed. “Emily is the backbone of the new Community Ed program,” says Jill Shipman, who’s on the advisory council. “Her creativity, enthusiasm and intelligence has been a huge asset!” According to Erin, Emily’s also been an asset to the school district from a community relations standpoint. A 2009 Perham High School graduate, Emily has “Jacket Pride,” Erin says, which helps make her “a great advocate” for the schools and community. She also “does a tremendous job with working with students and their families.” In addition, Emily has “brought some real tech-savvy to the position,” Erin adds, helping to improve the school district website’s functionality and design. She worked with Arvig and the district’s tech team to create a sleek new website for Community Ed, and also helped revamp individual school sites to make them all share a similar look and to compliment each other, like a big happy “family of websites,” Erin explains. ‘I love the Perham community’ Born and raised in Perham by her parents, Chris and Peggy Rutten, Emily left town for a few years after graduation to attend the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, where she studied marketing and entrepreneurial management. After college, she returned home to be near her family, and to get back to

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the town she loves. projects on the plate in “I love the Perham comPerham-Dent, Emily says munity,” she says. “It’s it’s an exciting time to be the only thing I know. working for the district. I like that everyone’s She thinks the new high very family-oriented and school, in particular, will community-minded… “spur some interesting Everyone’s very genuine. changes,” and she appreciAnd it’s amazing to see ates that she’s gotten to how generous people can offer some input into what be with their time and talwill eventually become her ents. And, you can’t beat new office. the lakes!” ‘Big picture thinker’ For awhile, she worked At home, Emily likes to in sales at Scheels in hang out with her husband, Fargo, N.D., and then as Michael, and their Brittany a travel coordinator for Spaniel, Mootsie. They live Essentia Health, while job in a house in Ottertail that hunting for something Michael purchased from more permanent. After his grandparents shortly about a year of hoping before he and Emily started and searching, her parents dating -- a family farm alerted her to a job openwhere generations of the ing at the Perham Area Dreyer family have grown Chamber of Commerce. up, and where Emily and She didn’t hesitate to apMichael plan to raise their ply. children, as well. “I was destined to get Their home is near a Emily Dreyer (formerly Rutten), with her husband Michael and their Brittany Spaniel, Mootsie. The two were wed this past July at their that job; it was a perfect lake and they like to spend home in Ottertail. Emily, who was born and raised in Perham and fit,” she says. “It got me a lot of their time on the back into the community. still has many relatives in the area, said family is very important to water in the summers. her. I made connections and Emily also likes to play learned about the different volleyball, experiment in resources here. That’s all helped me do school district. Again, she knew right the kitchen (she says her mom -- who’s this job (at the school district) better.” away that she wanted the job. She went a great cook -- is her inspiration), paint After about a year at the Chamber, through the interview process, and was and decorate signs for her Birch Barn Emily learned of the opening at the hired. customers, and spend as much time as A year into it, she says, “This has possible with family. She has three sibbeen a really good fit for all of my interlings: Isaac, who’s still in the area and ests. I have a passion for my work and works at Kit Masters; Maria, a freshman what I’m doing… I’m glad I’m in a posiat North Dakota State University; and tion where I can make a difference.” Sam, an accountant in San Diego. She likes that her efforts benefit chilEmily describes her husband, who dren, she says, and “it’s always fun to also grew up in the Perham area, as “a see people learning, getting excited that keeper.” they’re trying something new. I also like “I had a crush on him since eighth how things are changing, with the adgrade,” she divulges with a smile. “I was dition of more technology all the time, younger than him, but I saw him and -Jill Shipman and the changes in the district.” was like, ‘Dibs on that guy!’ Ten years With all the school construction later, we were married.”

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explains: “It would be cost effective and cooperative” to partner with them to get the word out about “all the great things that are going on in Perham, all the time.” Beyond that, “the sky’s really the limit” when it comes to long-term life plans, she says. She might decide to “focus on my career more” or she might “stay home with a bunch of babies.” “I never really thought that I would be where I am right now,” she admits, “so it’s hard to imagine what possibilities are out there for the future.“

What is Community Education?

Dreyer began working as the Community Education/Administrative Services Coordinator for the Perham-Dent School District in October 2015.

Although her crush started a decade ago, it wasn’t until recently, in June of 2014, that the pair got together. They share some mutual friends, and started bumping into each other around town, she says. Eventually they swapped phone numbers, and then went out on a real date, and the rest is history. Looking back on the past year or so, and then looking ahead to what might come next, Emily says she’s not exactly sure what the future will hold for her. Her immediate goal for herself, she laughs, is simply “to survive” -- to continue to balance her responsibilities at work and at home, and hopefully keep having some fun in the process. She knows she wants to continue to take Community Ed to the next level. For one thing, she’d like to keep growing and expanding the program, offering a larger number of courses on a more diverse array of subjects.

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“The more, the merrier,” is her philosophy when it comes to course offerings. People will approach her with ideas for a class, or wanting to teach a class, she says, and “I’ll accept just about anything, to gauge community interest. I’m one of those people who always wants to keep learning, so it’s fun to see what people are interested in and then run with it. There are no hard and fast rules about (a proposed course) having to fall within any parameters -- any learning experience will do.” A “big picture thinker,” as her coworker Erin Anderson describes her, Emily would also like to start marketing Community Ed’s programming alongside other educational offerings in Perham. Other nonprofit organizations in town, such as the Perham Area Community Center and Perham Health, provide free educational opportunities to local residents all the time, Emily

Community Education offers learning and social development opportunities for individuals and groups in local communities around the world, using a range of formal and informal methods. A common defining feature is that programs and activities are developed with input from community members and Community Ed participants. The purpose of Community Ed is to develop the capacity of people of all ages and the communities they live in, to improve their quality of life. Perham Community Education offers adult programs, Early Childhood/Family Education classes and activities, preschool education, workforce education, youth development and enrichment opportunities, as well as the annual community musical. Local Community Ed programs are available for registration online at perhamcommunityeducation.com. Through that website, people may also access many more courses available online through Ed2Go.com. For more information, visit perhamcommunityeducation.com or contact Emily Dreyer at the local Community Ed office, at 218-3464503 or commed@perham.k12. mn.us. New class ideas are always welcome, and teachers willing to lead classes are always needed.

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passionate women

Passionate for Service Emma Otto fell in love with restaurant work at an early age BY DEBBIE IRMEN

Chef Josh Derhak, left, and Lakeside Tap manager Emma Otto look over the menu. Otto has a passion for the restaurant business, instilled in her by a professor and a business mentor.

Lakeside Tap manager Emma Otto was silhouetted in the glare of a window as she talked with a contractor about a problem related to construction of the event center expansion prior to a recent interview. Brow furrowed in concentration, she hung up and immediately flashed a big smile, ready to talk about her job – her passion – and what life experiences had brought her to Lakeside Tap at Perham’s golf course. A graduate of Perham High School, Otto attended Minnesota StateMoorhead and Alexandria Technical College where she focused on hospitality and tourism management and busi-

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ness. She worked at Arrowwood Resort in Alexandria and more locally, Fair Hills Resort prior to taking on management at Lakeside Tap. Her first job at Little Pine Zorbaz was her first introduction to a job she would make a career. And though her first job was washing dishes, she quickly moved onto the prep line and to server. She loved meeting people and getting to know them. “I fell in love with the food side of the business,” she said. “I loved serving them. Food opens up people, makes them relax.” She was four when she moved with

her family to Perham. Her dad worked at Land O’ Lakes and Otto practically grew up in the plant, knowing each of the truck drivers almost like friends. “I meet people (at Lakeside Tap) who remember me growing up,” Otto said, “And it’s fun to hear the stories that I don’t remember, but they remember me as a kid.” She graduated from Perham High School where she was involved in competitive swimming and was a member of the golf team. “I was really into sports,” she said. “I loved being around friends and loved being a part of the team.” People who knew her then said she

( : ALL SMILES : )

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Emma Otto clears plates from a table during a recent lunch hour at Lakeside Tap. Behind the wooden doors will be the newly expanded event center, which she is also working on with the Golf Course board.

was always talking. In fact, the joke at Lakeside is that Otto was always talking and could be heard down the fairway. As Otto has been told by club member Randy Mettfeldt, she would have shot so much better if she had quit talking. But it’s that gift for talking that Otto sees now as a strength in her career. “I got my people skills watching both my parents,” she said. “They were known in the community and were extremely hard working. I hear now about my parents in this job, how hard working they were, how respected they were, how personable. I guess the best thing is just to work hard and be nice. It always comes back to you.” Otto enjoys the connections she makes with people at Lakeside, where those connections are with club members, some of whom are snow birds. “It’s hard to say goodbye to them,” she said. “It gets emotional. In January I’m ready for June to come so I can see them all again. I lay awake worrying about some customers. We get close here.” She also likes the connections with

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I fell in love with the food side of the business,” she said. “I loved serving them. Food opens up people, makes them relax.” -Emma Otto staff, saying they are one big team. If anyone from the kitchen staff, to the servers, bartenders or event staff, has an issue, it comes back to all of us, Otto said, and it becomes a team problem to solve. She also enjoys drawing out the different strengths from each staff person. “Everyone has their niche,” she said.” It’s fun to watch them click, fun to watch the friendships grow.”

Though Otto has natural skills, two people helped her find the passion for the job. One was a professor at Alexandria Tech. He owned a chain of private restaurants and it was his passion for people that grabbed her, even from the first day she met him. A second strong influence in her career area was her former boss, the assistant manager at Arrowwood Resort. She is the person who gave me the passion on the event side to bring it back full circle,” Otto said. “She helped out wherever she was needed. If housekeeping needed help, she was right there to help out. Within the industry, I never met anyone who loved it more than her – and my professor. They gave me that passion.” A generally little-known fact about Otto is that she is deathly afraid of lakes. That is not to say she doesn’t like pools, boating and ice fishing, she said, the issue is water clarity. “There are fish and weeds and if I can’t see the bottom where my feet are, I don’t like it,,” she said. “I can get up to my waist now, but it has to be a clear lake.”

I get asked almost daily if I love my job. “And it’s absolutely yes. People say you should find your passion and it’s so true." -Emma Otto Lakeside Tap manager Emma Otto prints off a guest check during a recent lunch hour. A business mentor who helped out wherever needed inspired Otto to also do what is needed wherever she can help.

And it takes a couple-hour self-pep talk if she is going to go deeper than her waist. “If I’m in shallow water, it’s good, but if I have to go in the ‘deep end’ - I call

deep water that - no thank you.” Growing up, she was shy, she said, but at 30, she is starting to feel comfortable with her abilities and herself. “I get asked almost daily if I love my

job,” Otto said. “And it’s absolutely yes. People say you should find your passion and it’s so true. It’s great to be in love with your job. It makes life happier.”

A salute to

WOMEN

We proudly celebrate the achievements of working women. Throughout history and today, female professionals have contributed greatly to our country’s economic, civic and cultural development. Today, women number 66 million in our nation’s workforce and women-owned businesses account for 28 percent of all U.S. businesses.

These women are leading CEOs, presidents, vice presidents, accountants and managers in many of our nation’s leading corporations. Join us as we congratulate these business women for all their efforts and continue to promote equality for women in the workplace.

Perham • 346-1300 Perham • 346-1300 800-908-BANK (2265) • Bremer.com 1-800-908-BANK (2265) Member FDIC Bremer.com Member FDIC

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Pelican PelicanRapids, Rapids,MN MN (800) (800)552-7658 552-7658 www.lrec.coop www.lrec.coop Find FindususononFacebook Facebook&&YouTube YouTube

LUMINOUS 2016

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IN BUSINESS

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THANK YOU

to all of our staff members!

We appreciate your time & dedication to providing the best for all, so that all may be their best.

PERHAM-DENT Public Schools

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