Events

As president and CEO of the 2019 Minneapolis Final Four Local Organizing Committee, Kate Mortenson will play a key role in efforts to ensure the next huge sporting event headed for the Twin Cities is a big success. 

Paul Mooty is a born and raised Minnesotan. He received his BSB in Business from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota and his JD from the University of Minnesota Law School. Mooty's professional career includes working in the tax department of Arthur Andersen & Company and in the private practice of law focusing on closely held businesses. He also served as President and CEO of Custom Rock, a St. Paul based manufacturer and architectural concrete contractor. Paul is also actively involved with a number of business interests including serving on the Board of Directors.

He is a partner and serves as Chairman of Faribault Woolen Mill Company. Founded in 1865, the year Lincoln died and the Civil War ended, Faribault woolens are renowned for their comfort and quality. The Mill is one of the last fully integrated mills in the United States producing woolen goods from raw fiber to finished goods under one roof—a truly Made in America product.

Mooty has been involved in a number of community and civic organizations including serving as the President of the Rotary Club of Edina and as member of its Board of Directors and Foundation Board. He is currently a member of the Fairview Community Advisory Committee and the Edina Community Foundation Board of Directors.

Paul and his wife Jean live in Edina and have three children and two grandchildren.

J. Drake Hamilton is Fresh Energy’s science policy director. An expert in climate and energy policy at the state and national levels, her work has helped make Minnesota a leader in the clean energy economy. Her responsibilities include scientific analysis and policy development of clean energy solutions to global warming that will maximize economic opportunities. Hamilton represents Fresh Energy at global climate summits, and witnessed the historic 2015 Paris Agreement; she showcased Minnesota’s nation-leading deep carbon reductions at the 2017 Bonn Climate Summit.

Each year, J. Drake Hamilton gives more than 50 invited presentations on the economic and health benefits of clean energy to businesses and civic organizations. Her recent business audiences have included 3M, Target, Allina Health, and Medtronic. Her frequent media appearances include television, Minnesota Public Radio, and business press as well as the Washington Post and New York Times.

J. Drake Hamilton earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in physical geography from Dartmouth College and the University of Minnesota, with an emphasis on climatology and water resources, and was formerly assistant
professor at The George Washington University. She ranks among the top 12 climate communicators internationally. Minneapolis-St. Paul Magazine named Hamilton “one of Minnesota’s 100 influential people who make things happen.” She also grows organic peaches, pears, apples, and plums that have won blue ribbons at the Minnesota State Fair.

As Senior Vice President of Business Development and Marketing with mall of America, Jill Renslow oversees Mall communications, marketing, strategic alliances and partnerships, advertising, digital media, group sales, and theme park marketing. She is responsible for working with new and existing tenants to create unique experiences and drive sales and traffic. Working with various innovative partners, the goal is to develop and integrate emerging technologies into both Mall of America retail and entertainment environments. Renslow brings more than 20 years of valuable experience at Mall of America to her current role. 

Lori Syverson, Executive Director of the Edina Chamber Commerce, and our own Tim Murphy, past Rotary District 5950 Governor, are both members of the Edina Economic Development Committee. They will be sharing about their work, and what Edina looks like moving forward.

Matt Halley joined Cookie Cart as it’s Executive Director in 2004. Under his leadership Cookie Cart has grown from grass roots organization in North Minneapolis to one of the largest youth employment training program in the Twin Cities.

He holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Augsburg College. He has worked in a variety of direct service and leadership roles at Twin Cities youth-serving organizations. Prior to Cookie Cart, Halley had a 10 year career at YouthLink, where he began as a case manager for homeless teens and left as the Executive Director. His areas of expertise include crisis intervention, GLBTQ youth, “learn to earn” training and youth social enterprise.

In the early 1980s Sr. Jean Thuerauf recognized that North Minneapolis teenagers needed a safe and engaging place to spend their time. The streets offered them crime, violence and gang involvement. Sister Jean decided to invite them into her kitchen for help with schoolwork and to learn to bake cookies. From those humble beginnings Cookie Cart has grown into a leading Twin Cities youth development program that utilizes a social enterprise nonprofit bakery to engage teens in building meaningful work, life and leadership skills. 

The bakery serves as an incubator that provides teens from communities of color with a safe, nurturing place to learn hand-on job skills. Teens learn through doing, and Cookie Cart gives them a chance to experience sales, production, inventory, leadership and marketing through the bakery and classes. Supervisors are teachers, and teaching takes priority over cookie production. Mistakes are learning opportunities, and all lessons presented in the context of how to meet the expectations at traditional jobs. As a “earn while you learn” program teens earn a wage at Cookie Cart that has a positive economic benefit to families and the neighborhood.

In May 2017, Cookie Cart opened its second bakery on Payne Avenue in Saint Paul. It will employ 100 East Side teens annually.

Eric Dayton will be the program speaker at the Dec. 13 Rotary Club of Edina meeting. He will speak about “Identity & Entrepreneurship in the North.” The presentation will cover how the North has grown over the past five years from a knit hat into a movement.

Born and raised in Minneapolis, Eric graduated from Williams College with a degree in English and later received his MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He was a member of Arctic Transect 2004, a six-month, 2,000-mile dogsled expedition led by legendary polar explorer Will Steger.
 
In 2011, Eric and his brother, Andrew Dayton, co-founded Askov Finlayson, an outdoor clothing company inspired by year-round exploration with the mission to Keep The North Cold. The company measures its own carbon footprint and then gives away 110% of that amount annually to support leading-edge climate change solutions. Askov Finlayson has committed $1 million over the next five years to fund some of the world’s most innovative climate action organizations.
 
Eric and Andrew also own North First Hospitality, which includes The Bachelor Farmer, named one of Bon Appetit’s top 10 new restaurants, and Marvel Bar, a three-time James Beard semifinalist for Outstanding Bar Program in America.
 
Eric is the co-founder and board president of The Great Northern, an annual 10-day winter festival that celebrates Minnesota's signature season. He lives in Minneapolis with his wife and their two sons.

Terry Anderson and Gigi Hickey both joined the Lake Minnetonka DAR chapter within the last 10 years, after their retirements allowed them more time for genealogy and volunteer work. Anderson is currently Regent, and Hickey is Vice Regent.

Joining them in their presention will be Wendi Moffley, daughter of Edina Rotarian Joel Jennings and a recent transfer to the Lake Minnetonka DAR chapter.