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Statewide Leadership Programs


Mike Liepold
Statewide Programs
Mike Liepold

Extension Regional Office, Mankato
1961 Premier Dr Ste 148
Mankato, MN 56001

Email: mliepold@umn.edu
Phone: 507-389-6741
Fax: 507-389-6787
Counties Served:
All Minnesota counties

Special Projects:

  • Lead Educator, Minnesota Agricultural and Rural Leaders U-Lead program
  • Lead Educator, U-Lead Advisory Academy (for Extension advisors and staff)

Education:

  • B.S., Ag Education, South Dakota State University
  • M.S., Education, University of Minnesota (emphasis on marketing educational programs and social marketing)
Work Experience:
Mike is program leader for two statewide adult leadership programs for Extension.  The Minnesota Agricultural and Rural Leadership (MARL) program is a two-year statewide cohort leadership program offered since 2000 through a partnership with the University of Minnesota and Southwest Minnesota State University.  Mike also leads the U-Lead Advisory Academy which gathers advisors and staff of the University of Minnesota to hone leadership skills and to know more about Extension and the University. Mike also coaches and facilitates planning processes for state, county and city staff and elected officials. His education has focused on the evaluation and marketing of educational program, and has studied ways to assist groups in resolving conflicts.

Affiliations, Honors and Community Service:

  • Member: National Association of Community Economic Development Professionals, Community Development Association, Minnesota Association of Extension Educators
  • Trainer: Pew Foundation’s LeadershipPLENTY Program

Catherine Rasmussen
South Central Minnesota
Catherine Rasmussen

Extension Regional Office, Hutchinson
1390 Hwy 15 South, Suite 201
Hutchinson, MN 55350

Email: rasmu035@umn.edu
Phone: 320-234-0437
Fax: 320-234-0444
Counties Served:
Blue Earth, Brown, Faribault, Kandiyohi, Martin, McLeod, Meeker, Nicollet, Renville, Sibley, Waseca
Special Projects:
Lead educator, McLeod For Tomorrow U-Lead program
Lead educator, AMC South Central U-Lead Cohort program
Education:
B.S., English and Speech, Minnesota State University, Mankato
M.S., Continuing Studies, curriculum and instruction emphasis
Work Experience:
 Catherine brings experience in teaching secondary education along with extensive training and consulting experience in leadership development and organizational effectiveness. She has worked with elected officials, state and federal agencies, non-profit organizations, and community groups. Specialty areas include visioning and strategic planning, community leadership development, and effective group facilitation. Her passion for helping groups and communities work more effectively together resulted in the development of a countywide leadership program that has received statewide recognition.

Affiliations, Honors and Community Service:

  • Award: Minnesota Association of Extension Educators Early Career Award, National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals Individual Excellence Award in 2007
  • Member: Minnesota Association of Extension Professionals, National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals; Community Development Society; International Association of Facilitators; Association of Leadership Educators
  • Trainer: Implications Wheel Facilitator, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), LeadershipPlenty, Emotional Quotient Inventory, Intercultural Conflict Style Inventory, and other educational instruments.

Mary Laeger-Hagemeister
Southeast Minnesota
Mary Laeger-Hagemeister

Extension Regional Office, Albert Lea
2360 Crossroads Blvd,
Albert Lea, MN 56007

Email: laege001@umn.edu
Phone: 507-379-3523
Fax: 507-379-3529
Counties Served:
Dodge, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Houston, LeSueur, Mower, Olmsted, Rice, Steele, Wabasha, Waseca, Winona
Special Projects:
  • U-Connect Program Team
  • LCE Multi-Cultural Task Force
  • Social Capital Tool Kit Development

Education:

  • B.A., Family and Consumer Science
  • M.Ed.: Individual and Family Development
  • Ph.D. (All But Dissertation): Work, Community and Family Education
    Focus:  Social Capital and Immigration
Work Experience:
 Mary has an array of experience working with families and community leaders from diverse backgrounds in Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. Much of Mary's work experience is combined with her passion for guiding people as they improve the quality of the lives of individuals, families and community. Her work focuses on Leadership and Civic Engagement. She was one of the authors of the University of Minnesota's Facilitation Resource, Committees that Work Curriculum, and is a co-author on a chapter titled “Facilitating Multi-Cultural Groups” forthcoming in the book Working with Difficult Groups, published by International Facilitation Associations.  
Affiliations, Honors and Community Service:
  • Awards:  NEED LIST
  • Member: National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals; Community Development Society, Minnesota Association of Extension Educators, Extension Faculty Consultation Committee and on the University Council of Academic and Professional Administrators.

Tobias Spanier
Southwest Minnesota
Tobias Spanier

Extension Regional Office, Marshall
1424 East College Dr. Suite 100
Marshall, MN 56258

Email: spani001@umn.edu
Phone: 507-337-2815
Fax: 507- 337-2802
Counties Served:
Chippewa, Cottonwood, Jackson, Lac Qui Parle, Lincoln, Lyon, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, Redwood, Rock, Yellow Medicine

Education:

  • B.A., Political Science & Public Administration, Saint Mary’s University
  • M.A., Education, Towson State University, Baltimore, MD

Special Projects:

  • Lead Educator, Association of Minnesota Counties Leadership Program
  • Lead Educator, Multicultural Integrative Community Leadership Programs, SW Minnesota
  • Facilitator:  Social Capital Community Toolkit Design
Work Experience:

Toby has spent the last 20 years working to make improvements in communities through educational experiences. Toby's professional educational experiences include the United States Peace Corps, non-profit organizations, public schools in Minnesota and Maryland, the Maryknoll Mission Association in South America, and Extension. In Extension, Toby has contributed to the Community Youth Development Program Area by provided youth development research, education and strategic advice to individuals and organizations. Currently, Toby's work focuses on Leadership and Civic Engagement in communities, specializing in group facilitation, teambuilding and leadership for multicultural audiences.

Affiliations, Honors and Community Service:

  • Trainer: Dimensions of Leadership Profile, Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode, Parker Team-Player Survey and the Pew Foundation's LeadershipPLENTY curriculum

Maxine Norman
Central Minnesota
Maxine Norman

Extension Regional Office, Brainerd
708 Maple Street
Brainerd, MN 56401

Email: norma035@umn.edu
Phone: 218-828-2333
Fax: 218-828-2424
Counties Served:
Benton, Cass, Crow Wing, Hubbard, Morrison, Stearns, Todd, Wadena
Special Projects:
Lead Educator, Connecting Rural Communities, Sebeka and Menagha

Education:

  • B.S. Home Economics Education, North Dakota State University
  • Masters’ Degree, NDSU
Work Experience:
Maxine’s career has focused on education in various settings, including parenting education, consumer education, teaching methods, public health education and Extension education. Most recently, she was with the Minnesota State Health Department working in Cardiovascular Health and Tobacco Prevention and Control. Maxine also has done consulting for Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Prevention for Central CAPT, Hazelden Foundation and the Minnesota Prevention Resource Center.

Affiliations, Honors and Community Service:

  • Awards:  North Dakota Association of Family and Consumer Sciences Leader Award, (1995); Phi Upsilon Omicron – Beta Chapter, Community Service Award, 1984. Awards for Connecting Rural Communities Program: Economic Development Association of Minnesota--Most Creative Use of Technology 2008); Rural Telecom Congress – Most Practical Program (2008); Blandin Broadband Marketing and Application Award (2008).
  • Service:  Volunteer Missions, OMS International


Lisa Hinz
East Central Minnesota and East Metro
Lisa Hinz

Extension Regional Office, Farmington
Dakota County Extension & Conservation Center
4100 220th St W Ste 100
Farmington, MN 55024

Email: hinzx001@umn.edu
Phone: 651-480-7734
Fax: 651-480-7797
Counties Served:
Chisago, Dakota, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, Pine, Ramsey, Washington

Special Projects:

  • Lead Educator, Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts Leadership Institute U-Lead program
  • Lead Educator, Step Up! A Community Leadership Program Serving Isanti County

Education:

  • M.P.A., University of Minnesota Humphrey Institute, Community Development
  • B.A.  Psychology and Sociology, St. Lawrence University, Canton, NY
Work Experience:
Lisa's work over the past 20+ years focuses on helping groups and communities work more effectively together. Specialty areas include leadership development including facilitation and handling conflict; using diversity to build strengths; public participation strategies; and community economic development. Prior to her work in Extension, Lisa worked on organizational research and development and in nonprofit administration. Her research work contributed to the book Sustaining Innovation: Creating Nonprofit and Government Organizations that Innovate Naturally (1998) by Paul Light.

Affiliations, Honors and Community Service:

  • Member: International Association of Facilitators, Community Development Society, National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals, Minnesota Association of Extension Educators
  • Trainer/Consultant: Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, the Intercultural Conflict Style Inventory, the Pew Foundation’s LeadershipPLENTY curriculum and other educational instruments
  • Awards: Excellence in Teamwork, National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals; Outstanding Community Partnership Award, Minnesota Literacy Council; Excellence in Community Programming, Excellence in Research award, Minnesota Community and Natural Resources Association; Team Award, Minnesota Association of Extension Educators.

Kim Boyce
West and South Metro
Kim Boyce

U of MN Extension Service
462 Coffey Hall, 1420 Eckles Avenue
Saint Paul, MN 55108

Email: boyce003@umn.edu
Phone: 612-624-7781
Fax: 612-625-1955
Counties Served:
Anoka, Carver, Hennepin, Scott, Sherburne, Stearns, Wright
Special Projects:
  • Lead Educator, Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts U-Lead Program
  • Lead Co-Facilitator, Association of Minnesota Counties: County Futures Project

Education:

  • BA in Psychology, Concordia College, Moorhead MN
  • MA, Education, University of Iowa
  • Additional graduate level coursework in human and organization development
Work Experience:
Kim serves as a primary designer of leadership programs for the Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation District (MASWCD), a program that has involved over 200 SWCD supervisors and staff. He has also done extensive work with Association Of Minnesota Counties leadership programs.  Kim is a frequent facilitator of strategic thinking sessions for groups, including county boards, community organizations, and Citizen's Juries conducted by the Jefferson Center. Kim is certified as a Drug Counselor, as an administrator of the Myers Briggs Type Indicator, the Intercultural Conflict Style Inventory, the BarOn Emotional Quotient Inventory, and the Implications-Wheel Strategic Explorations Tool.  He is also experienced in administration of numerous leadership inventories and instruments, including the Dimensions of Leadership Profile, Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument, and the Parker Team-Player Survey. 
Affiliations, Honors and Community Service:
  • Awards:  Dean and Director's Award for Distinguished Extension Faculty, 2005; Early Career Awards from Extension organizations; Distinguished Program Service Award, Metropolitan Minneapolis YMCA, 1984
  • Member:  Minnesota Association of Extension Educators (Past President); International Association of Facilitators, Association of Leadership Educators; National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals.
  • Service: In the 2004 Kim was elected as chair of the Hennepin County Conservation District.

Rachel Hefte
Hennepin County
Rachel Hefte

U of MN Extension, Hennepin County
479 Prairie Center Dr, Ste 2
Eden Prairie, MN 55344

Email: hefte003@umn.edu
Phone: 612-596-2110
Fax: 952-828-7280
Counties Served:
Hennepin
Education:
  • B.A., Liberal Arts, Luther College, Decorah, Iowa
  • M.A., Education, Hamline University, focusing on leadership and curriculum development, St. Paul, MN
  • Teaching Certificate, University of Minnesota, College of Education
Work Experience:
Rachel has been a facilitator, trainer, researcher, writer and community program specialist. Most recently, she worked with Draw Forth Consulting as a trainer to public organizations and community groups. She has taught social studies and citizenship in high school and young adult settings and, as violence prevention coordinator in Anoka County, she developed and coordinated citizen-led violence prevention efforts.
Affiliations, Honors and Community Service:
Award: Fullbright Scholar to Namibia, 1995
Member
Minnesota Facilitators Network, National Association of Community Development Economic Professionals, Hamline University Adjunct Faculty

Barb Radke
Northeast Minnesota
Barbara Radke

UMD Center for Economic Development
11 E Superior Street
Duluth, MN 55802-2019

Email: radke008@umn.edu
Phone: 218-726-6476
Fax: 218-726-6338
Counties Served:
Aitkin, Carlton, Cook, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake, St. Louis Special Projects:
Special Projects:
U-Connect Program Team

Education:

  • B.S., Family Life and Child Development, Mankato State University
  • J.D., Hamline University School of Law
Work Experience:
Prior to joining Extension, Barb was a practicing attorney and administrative law judge, with specialized training in mediation. In 2003, Barb coordinated a regional survey to identify leadership education needs of women in Greater Minnesota. In Barb’s career with Extension, her work has included coordination of regional survey efforts, design and implementation of community initiatives on poverty, facilitation of processes to support sustainable growth in communities, and facilitative design and delivery of leadership programs for the conservation and environmental sector.
Affiliations, Honors and Community Service:
  • Member: Minnesota Association of Extension Educators; The National Academy of Community Development Extension Professionals; The Community Development Society; The Community Leadership Association.
  • Qualified Trainer:  LeadershipPlenty, Intercultural Developmental Inventory, Implications Wheel; Everyday Democracy

Jody Horntvedt
Northwest Minnesota
Jody Horntvedt

Extension Regional Office, Roseau
1307 3rd St NE STE 102
Roseau, MN 56751

Email: hornt001@umn.edu
Phone: 218-463-0296
Fax: 218-463-0297
Counties Served:
Beltrami, Clearwater, Kittson, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Norman, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake, Roseau
Special Projects:
  • Red River Valley Emerging Leadership Program
  • Social Capital Theoretical Framework 

Education:

  • B.S., University of Wisconsin-Stout, Home Economics Education
  • Masters of Education, University of Minnesota, Human Resource Development
Work Experience:
 Jody's work focuses on enhancing the leadership and collaboration skills of community board and council members. Her passion for work is in the area of civic connections which works with communities on public participation, community visioning, consensus building, and assessing social capital.  Jody has focused a great deal of her work on social capital research, working to develop community assessment processes and educational materials.  She has served as a Project Team Facilitator to develop flood damage reduction projects that enhance the natural resources of the watershed districts in the Red River Basic. Since 1994 she has coordinated the Red River Valley Emerging Leadership Program for local leaders from a 21 county area of NW Minnesota. Her work has also included management of the Horizons Program, a program of the Northwest Area Foundation focused on building the capacity of community leaders to address issues of poverty.

Affiliations, Honors and Community Service:

  • Qualified Trainer: Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), LeadershipPLENTY (Pew Foundation for Civic Engagement), Study Circles (Everyday Democracy)
  • Service:  NW MN Foundation Board of Directors, NW MN Women’s Fund Advisory Committee
  • Member: MAEE (Minnesota Association of Extension Educators), MCNRA (Minnesota Community and Natural Resource Association), NACDEP (National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals), ESP (Epsilon Sigma Pi), CDS (Community Development Society), and IAF (International Association of Facilitators).
  • Honors: NACDEP Educational Technology National Award (2008), NACDEP Educational Package (2008), ESP Mid-Career Award (2007), MCNRA Excellence in Research (2004, 2006, 2007), MCNRA Excellence in Programming (2008, 2007), NACDEP Excellence in Teamwork (2007), MN Rural Futures “Futures Award” (2001), ESP Early Career Award (1999), MAEE Multi-Cluster Team Award (1997), and MAEE Early Career Award 1994)

Cindy Bigger
West Central Minnesota
Cindy Bigger

Extension Regional Office, Fergus Falls
220 W. Washington Ave.
Fergus Falls, MN 56537

Email: cbigger@umn.edu
Phone: 218-998-5787
Fax: 218-998-5798
Counties Served:
Becker, Big Stone, Clay, Douglas Grant, Otter Tail, Pope, Stevens, Swift, Traverse, Wilkin
Special Projects:
Red River Valley Emerging Leaders U-Lead, Mini-Horizons Project Leader (Northwest Area Foundation)

Education:

  • Associate of Applied Science, University of MN – Crookston
  • Bachelor of Science, North Dakota State University
  • Home Economics Education
  • Masters of Education, University of Minnesota
  • Public Policy Fellow, Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs
Work Experience:
Cindy's work focuses on leadership programs for adults and organizations. She is a trained facilitator for the Myers Briggs Type and has been a consultant for various organizations including the YMCA of New York City, Merck Pharmaceutical, GlaxoSmithKline, the Restless Leg Syndrome Foundation, the Joint Council of Extension Professionals, the American Dairy Association of Minnesota, Iowa's Maternal and Child Health Program, and 15 Extension Services across the country.
Affiliations, Honors and Community Service:
Ms. Bigger is North Central Regional Representative for the National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals. She is also a 19-year member of Epsilon Sigma Phi - Pi Chapter. She has served on the University of Minnesota - Crookston Alumni Board of Directors, the Center for Small Towns Advisory Committee, and the Board of Commissioners for the Alexandria Housing and Redevelopment Authority.
Other:
Ms. Bigger’s Extension work includes educating legislators about extension programs and educating the public on how to build relationships with decision-makers.

 

  
 
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