Speakers

Leif Hagen grew up in Stevens Point and graduated from St. Olaf College in 1988 with a BA in German and French. His early career included teaching languages in Zug, Switzerland, and high school English in Gero, Japan. In 1992, he entered the financial services field as a financial planner with Lutheran Brotherhood, later joining LPL Financial in 2002. He now owns Achievement Financial in Eagan, Minnesota, offering financial planning and Medicare supplemental insurance services.

Leif has held multiple leadership roles within Rotary, including two terms as President of the Eagan Rotary Club and serving as the two-year charter president of the MN Pride Rotary Club. His Rotary involvement includes leading a GSE team to Bangalore, India, hosting GSE visitors from Finland and Brazil, serving as District Conference co-chair, Assistant Governor for Area 2, and currently serving on the District Foundation grant committee. He is a Paul Harris Society member, a Major Donor, and has attended Rotary International conventions in Birmingham, New Orleans, Bangkok, and Hamburg..

Leif lives in Eagan with his partner, Valdir Oliveira, and has three daughters — Kajsa, Svea, and Britta. He enjoys foreign languages, international travel, collecting art and attending art shows.

Robert K. Vischer became the 16th President of the University of St. Thomas on January 1, 2023, following a unanimous selection by the Board of Trustees. Prior to this role, he served as interim president beginning June 1, 2022, and dean of St. Thomas' School of Law from 2013 to 2022. Vischer joined the university in 2005 as an associate professor of law.

As president, Vischer has advanced the university's key priorities while reinforcing St. Thomas' commitment to its mission of whole-person formation and fostering what Pope Francis called a "culture of encounter." A central tenet of his leadership is helping the university community aspire to ensure every member of the St. Thomas community, without exception, has the unmistakable experience of feeling seen, known, and loved.

To build community and help faculty, staff, and students "lift their gaze," Vischer launched the Claritas Initiative, aiming to cultivate the transcendental values of truth, beauty, and goodness within the university community. This initiative encompasses a series of discussions, performances, and experiences designed to explore and nurture these values across campus

Vischer's academic background includes a Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude, from the University of New Orleans, and a Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Harvard Law School, where he served as an editor of the Harvard Law Review. Before entering academia, he practiced corporate litigation at Kirkland & Ellis in Chicago and clerked for three federal judges.

Vischer serves on the board of the Association for Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU). He serves on the executive committee of GREATER MSP and as a board member of the Minnesota Business Partnership and the Greater Twin Cities United Way. He is also a member of the Coalition for Transformational Education (CTE) and the Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration.

He will discuss how as artificial intelligence rapidly changes how we work, learn and communicate, higher education faces a fundamental question: What will students need from universities when technology can increasingly provide information and perform tasks once reserved for humans? University of St. Thomas President Rob Vischer will explore why the answer lies not in competing with AI, but in doubling down on what is distinctly human. Drawing on the Catholic tradition’s call to build a “culture of encounter,” he will discuss the growing importance of relationships, character, purpose and the ability to engage meaningfully across differences. In an age of accelerating technology and increasing isolation, Vischer will make the case that the future of higher education depends not only on preparing students for successful careers, but on preparing them to build meaningful lives and contribute to the flourishing of their communities.

Melissa Caruso is the general manager of the Minnesota Frost, a member of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). Caruso was named to this position in September 2024, a few months after the team won the inaugural Walter Cup championship.

She previously worked at the American Hockey League (AHL) for 15 years, most recently as the Vice President of Hockey Operations and Governance. In that role, Caruso was responsible for scheduling games for the 31 teams in the league, among other responsibilities.

She holds a degree in Sports Management from Springfield College in Massachusetts.  She is a Massachusetts native and now lives in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Dr. Archelle Georgiou is a physician who empowers people to make informed medical decisions. With over 16 years of experience as a TV health journalist, she's produced and aired more than 1000 segments that simplify complex healthcare information for viewers. Archelle has a weekly segment on KSTP-TV (ABC).

She is the author of Health Care Choices: 5 Steps to Getting the Medical Care You Want and Need and hosts a podcast, Speak Up For Your Health.

In her 30+ year career, Archelle has held leadership positions in managed care, investment banking, and medical device companies, including serving as Chief Medical Officer and senior executive at UnitedHealth Group, healthcare advisor for TripleTree, and Chief Health Officer at Starkey Hearing Technologies.

At the Eden Prairie Schools new Valley View location (the old SuperValu headquarters).  Time to be announced at a later date.

David Schultz is Distinguished University Professor in the Departments of Political Science, Environmental Studies, and Legal Studies at Hamline University. He is also an adjunct professor of Law at the University of Minnesota and at the University of St. Thomas, and an affiliate faculty member at the Lithuanian Military Academy in Vilnius, Lithuania. A four-time Fulbright scholar who has taught extensively in Europe and Asia, and the winner of the Leslie A. Whittington national award for excellence in public affairs teaching, David is the author of more than 45 books and 200+ articles on various aspects of American politics, election law, and the media and politics, and he is regularly interviewed and quoted in the local, national, and international media on these subjects including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, the Economist, and National Public Radio. His most recent books are Constitutional Precedent in US Supreme Court Reasoning (2022), Handbook of Election Law (2022), and Presidential Swing States (2022). Prior to teaching, Professor Schultz served as a city director of planning, zoning and code enforcement, and as a housing and economic planner for a community action agency. David is on the ACS Minnesota Advisory Board and is former executive director of Common Cause Minnesota and a former vice-president for the Minnesota and South Texas chapters of the American Civil Liberties Union. He is licensed to practice law in Minnesota and before the US Supreme Court.

Ron Cox, President, Midwest Workforce Strategies and Inventor of the Workforce Vector

Ron Cox applies the rigorous mathematics of aircraft design to solve complex labor market challenges. As the president of Midwest Workforce Strategies and inventor of the Workforce Vector framework, Ron moves organizations beyond guesswork, using data analytics to help executives and boards engineer lasting retention and recruitment solutions.​

Ron’s unique perspective is built on a dual career in engineering design and economic development. He began his career in aerodynamics, working on military aircraft and early testing for the Boeing 757 and 767. He transitioned to academia and leadership as the Director of the Iowa State University Center for Industrial Research and Service (CIRAS), where he managed a $9 million budget and led a team serving 1,500 companies annually. Under his leadership, clients reported an annual economic impact of over $600 million and the creation or retention of 5,000 jobs. 

His operational expertise runs deep, with previous administrative oversight of engineering, HR, finance, IT, and online education units.​University of Oklahoma students voted Ron "Teacher of the Year", and today he is a "Legend in Manufacturing" award winner and a sought-after keynote speaker. He delivers talks on workforce topics such as "The Workforce Hype Cycle," helping diverse industries, from manufacturing to healthcare, turn workforce shortages into competitive advantages.

Alison Rempel Brown envisions museums as agents of change that make science a tool for justice, accessible to all.

Under Brown’s leadership, the Science Museum of Minnesota implemented a new strategic plan focused on the evolving role of museums in society – as centers of knowledge, places of curiosity, and sources of preparation for a science-driven world. It positions the museum as a place for meaningful conversations about critical topics like race, mental health, and climate change.

Brown was listed on the 2026 TCB 100. She has also been named one of the Minneapolis–St. Paul Business Journal’s People to Watch and received its Women in Business Award.

Before her work in Minnesota, Brown served as Chief of Staff at the California Academy of Sciences, where she leveraged her expertise to drive institutional growth and enhance visitor experiences.Brown is a board member for the American Alliance of Museums and the Minnesota Private College Consortium. She received her MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Pomona College, with an emphasis in mathematics.

Chanhassen Dinner Theatres selected its new president and artistic director, following the death of longtime leader Michael Brindisi in February.

Tamara Kangas Erickson has been with the theater for more than 20 years, serving as vice president for the past 15 and directing or choreographing over 50 productions alongside Brindisi. Erickson served as resident choreographer on Brindisi’s artistic team.

Erickson first performed at CDT as a child in “The Sound of Music” and returned as a performer and choreographer after college. Her directing credits include “The Musical of Musicals: The Musical” and “Respect: The Musical Journey of Women.”

Chanhassen Dinner Theatres is the nation’s largest professional dinner theatre, employing more than 300 artists and staff.

Tom is a member of the Edina Morning Club and Sam is a member of the Edina Noon Club.

Jeff Howison is Senior Research Analyst in the Minnesota State Demographic Center. After receiving his doctorate in sociology in 2010 from the State University of New York at Binghamton, Jeff was assistant professor of sociology at Yeditepe University in Istanbul, Turkey, where he lived and worked for six years. In 2016, Jeff became the lead demographer in the state government of Ohio, where he worked primarily on state and local population projections. Jeff joined the Minnesota State Demographic Center in October of 2023, and his work will further the office’s mission to foster public access to and understanding of demographic data and population trends. When he’s not working, Jeff enjoys playing chess, cooking, and the outdoors.

Jeff Davidman is the Vice President – State and Local Government Affairs at Delta Air Lines. In this position, Jeff oversees the team that represents Delta before state and local units of government across the United States.

During Jeff’s tenure representing Delta, he has assisted with securing the necessary government support for the successful merger of Northwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines. He led Delta’s state and local government affairs efforts in securing State support and resources from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania which helped enable Delta to be the first airline in the world to purchase an oil refinery and to produce its own jet fuel. Jeff has also successfully led the efforts to pass legislation in multiple states that has provided more scheduling flexibility for Delta employees.  

Prior to his tenure at Delta, Jeff was an associate at the Minneapolis Law Firm Best and Flanagan, LLP as well as a Director of Government Affairs at Northwest Airlines. Before moving to the private sector, Jeff worked for nearly a decade in Minnesota Government, including as a Senior Policy Advisor to Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty.

Jeff is a graduate of Miami University and William Mitchell College of Law. He was named a “40 Under 40” by the Minneapolis Business Journal in 2013.