Bridging Brown County

10/13/2026

We kicked off our program last month with a fantastic session in Sleepy Eye!

Our morning began with a delicious breakfast from Schutz Family Foods sponsored by SouthPoint Financial Credit Union at the Sleepy Eye Golf Club, followed by a warm welcome from the Mayor of Sleepy Eye, JoAnn Schmidt. Kassandra Lopez our Leadership Program Educator, then led an excellent morning of leadership education. A huge thank you to Americana Community Bank for sponsoring our pizza and wings lunch at the Sleepy Eye Golf Club!

Our afternoon was packed with great community tours. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our afternoon hosts: Dyckman Free Library, Leka: to play, the City of Sleepy Eye Police Department, Mark Thomas Co., and Sleepy Eye Brewing Co.

Thank you to all our speakers and sponsors for supporting our mission of strengthening the Brown County community by bridging relationships of understanding and communication!

10/05/2026

🎳 STRIKE UP SOME FUN! 🦃

Registration is officially OPEN for Bridging Brown County's 2nd Annual Turkey Bowl!

Gather your team of five and get ready to roll on November 12th! Your participation is a powerful way to support our mission of "Strengthening the Brown County community by bridging relationships of understanding and communication."

EVENT DETAILS:
🗓️ When: Thursday, November 12, 2026
⏰ Time: 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM
📍 Where: Concordia Lanes, New Ulm, MN
💰 Cost: $30 per bowler
Registration includes two games of bowling and shoe rental.
⏳ Deadline: November 5, 2026

READY TO BOWL? Click the link below to sign up online, or scan the QR code on our flyer! Lanes are limited, so secure your spot today!
🔗 Register Here: https://forms.gle/1WkXYbvGCCKZqumj6

⭐️ Want to make an even bigger impact? Promote your business and support our mission by becoming a sponsor! Sponsorships start at $150!

Contact Karen Haala at 507.276.2063 or [email protected] for details!

10/01/2026

A huge thank you to the New Ulm Area Foundation for this generous grant supporting our 2026-27 Leadership Program! With our new cohort having just kicked off last week, community partnerships like this are essential to making these programs a success. We deeply appreciate the support from John, Kathy, and the entire New New Ulm Area Foundation team! 🤝

New Ulm Area Foundation recently presented a grant to Bridging Brown County for their 2026-27 Leadership Program.
Pictures are John Flemmer, Annette Olson and Karen Haala Bridging Brown County and Kathy Van Roekel and John Illikman NUAF.

09/01/2026

It's SEPTEMBER!

The countdown is on and the program is filling up fast, but we still have spots available!

Bridging Brown County’s Leadership Program officially kicks off on September 22nd, and you do not want to miss this incredible opportunity to grow!

If you are a current or emerging leader looking to level up your skills, expand your network, and truly understand the dynamics of Brown County, now is the time to apply!

Application Link: https://forms.gle/qmccUSoB1bfmtXwF6

🗓️ Program Highlights:

🌟Monthly Full-Day Sessions: Running September to May, featuring a perfect split of half-day leadership training and half-day community tours.

🌟Expert Guidance: Led by our fantastic Leadership Educator, Kassandra Lopez, MSN, RN.

🌟Explore behind the scenes at Brown County businesses, historical sites, and entertainment spots!

🌟All-Inclusive: All meals and course materials are completely covered!

08/25/2026

That’s a wrap on the 2026 Leadership Summer Sprint! 🎉

Our final session took place on Wednesday, August 5 in beautiful New Ulm, and it was the perfect way to close out an incredible summer of growth and connection.

Here is a quick look at how our cohort spent their final day together:

Morning Workshop: We kicked off the morning at the Brown County Law Enforcement Center. After handing out program certificates, our Leadership Educator, Rachael Evers, led a powerful session titled "The Energy YOU Bring," featuring an interactive "Energy & Power Board" workshop.

Behind-the-Scenes Tours: We got an exclusive, inside look during our Law Enforcement Center Tour lead by our own Brown County Sheriff's Office, Minnesota!

Later in the afternoon, we explored local history with a Pioneer Section Cemetery Tour, followed by a Downtown Walking Tour provided by the Brown County Historical Society MN!

Local Eats & Connections: We kept our energy up with delicious boxed lunches from Gutes Essen Deli & Catering and officially celebrated the end of the Sprint with a fantastic social hour Sweet Haven Tonics.

A massive thank you to all the emerging and established leaders who joined us this summer, and to the local New Ulm organizations that hosted us.

We loved seeing the connections made and the leadership skills built across Brown County!

07/21/2026

📢Applications Are Open!

We are officially accepting applications now for our upcoming 2026–2027 cohort! If you're ready to grow your network, develop your skills, and make a lasting impact in our county, we want you.

🌟 A New Chapter in Leadership

As we prepare for an exciting new year, we want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Rachael Evers for her time as our Leadership Program Educator. We are incredibly grateful for the energy, wisdom, and passion she brought to our past cohorts!

As we pass the baton, we are thrilled to officially welcome Kassandra Lopez as our new educator! Bringing a wealth of knowledge with her extensive educational background in nurse leadership and administration, along with curriculum development and education, we cannot wait to see the high-level perspectives she will bring to the program and look forward to an incredible year of growth together.

Ready to join us? > Click the link below to apply, and keep an eye on our page for the official program details dropping soon!

🔗 Apply Here: https://forms.gle/UHMCSq6K99hTR2uGA

07/21/2026

What an incredible Summer Sprint it has been across Brown County! ☀️
Bridging Brown County Leadership Summer Sprint has had two amazing full-day sessions moving throughout the county, featuring 90-minute morning workshops and exclusive, behind-the-scenes tours of our local organizations.

June Session – Sleepy Eye! We kicked off the sprint at Brown County REA exploring workforce trends with a local executive panel! Tours included Thomas Co., Sleepy Eye Medical Center, Koozie Group, Christensen Farms, and the Sleepy Eye Brewing Co.

July Session – Springfield! Last week, we took the sprint to Springfield! After defining the "Future Leader Profile" and getting professional headshots, we spent the afternoon touring St. John's Circle of Care, Springfield Area Historical Society, and Schwanke Engines LLC. We even had an impromptu tour at 6 East!

The Final Sprint: Next Stop, New Ulm! The momentum hasn't stopped, and we are heading to New Ulm for our final session on Wednesday, August 5!

• This session is titled "The Energy YOU Bring".
• We will be exploring how leadership energy influences trust, engagement, and culture.
• Participants will create interactive "Energy & Power Boards" to visualize the intentional energy they want to carry into their work.

There is still time to join us in New Ulm for this final session! Registration for a single session is just $75.00.

👇 Click the link below to grab your spot and finish the summer strong with us!
https://forms.gle/2ii36yxCVkgnmHWdA

07/20/2026

🎓 Celebrating Our Graduates & Looking Ahead! ✨

As we prepare to launch our next 9-month Bridging Brown County Leadership program this fall, we can't help but look back and celebrate the incredible cohort that graduated this past May! 🌟

What an incredible journey it has been! Join us in congratulating the Bridging Brown County 2025–2026 cohort on their graduation! We are incredibly proud of the dedication, growth, and community spirit this group has shown throughout the year.

📸 Swipe/Watch below to see some highlights from our graduation day and celebrate our amazing graduates!

Thank you to Sweet Sisters/Meg’s Sweets & Treats, City of Hanska, Searles Bar & Grill, and Schell’s Brewery for having us and making a memorable and fun day!

As we celebrate this milestone, we are already looking ahead. We are officially accepting applications now for our upcoming 2026–2027 cohort! If you're ready to grow your network, develop your skills, and make a lasting impact in our county, we want you.

Click the link below to apply, and keep an eye on our page for the official program details dropping soon!

🔗 Apply Here: https://forms.gle/4TjKvmAK77i6cSob6

06/24/2026

Our April session took us back to the Sleepy Eye area for a fantastic day focused on "Developing Future Leaders"!

We started the morning with refreshments provided by Bridging Brown County at the Brown County REA, followed by a warm welcome and tour from Member Services Manager Laura Fischer. Our Leadership Program Educator, Rachael Evers, then led a highly engaging morning educational session.

For lunch, we headed over to Morgan, where Farmward Cooperative generously sponsored our meal and we heard from speakers Alex Busch and Dennis Schreier. The afternoon was packed with wonderful community tours, taking us to the Sleepy Eye Medical Center, Dyckman Free Library , and the Sleepy Eye Baseball Association. We wrapped up an excellent day with a tour and social hour at The Farmhaus.

Thank you to all our speakers, sponsors, and hosts for helping us strengthen the Brown County community by bridging relationships of understanding and communication!

06/19/2026

Each session and each community we are in deserves a shoutout! We are taking a moment to look back at another fantastic Bridging Brown County session in Springfield held back in March!

Here is a quick shoutout to the amazing people and businesses that made it happen:

⭐️Deb Beyer (Springfield Rotary President): For the warm morning welcome!
⭐️Rachael Evers For her insightful "From Booms to Zoomers: Mastering Multigenerational Teamwork" session.
⭐️Joel Pingeon : For generously sponsoring our lunch and hosting a tour of Joel Pingeon Trucking, Inc.

Our Afternoon Tour Hosts:
⭐️Springfield Physical Therapy
⭐️Springfield Public Schools
⭐️Springfield Public Library
⭐️Springfield Golf Course

We are so grateful for the community's continued support in strengthening Brown County!