Invitation: MARL Leadership Banquet-Marshall

Dear Friends of Agriculture and MARL,

You have been issued a challenge. When MARL Class VII met for the first time as a class, the Willmar community and MARL Alumni came together with great numbers to support the class and help them begin their MARL journey. The MN Turkey Growers Association sponsored a delicious, turkey meal that was enjoyed by one hundred and twenty-one people. The challenge is this, can the Marshall community and MARL Alumni meet or exceed the attendance numbers of the MARL Leadership Banquet in Willmar?

At the Willmar leadership banquet:
Joe and Kim Ludowese were the first to register electronically (within minutes of receiving the invitation).

MARL Alumnus Jim Molenaar showed great leadership by inviting local leaders and encouraging them to attend the banquet.
MARL Class VII Member Vince Robinson demonstrated early class leadership by inviting and having many guests at the banquet.

To summarize, we had a very enjoyable time, MARL Class VII met many great people including MARL Alumni and their experience was enriched because of it.

Take a moment right now to register for the MARL Leadership Banquet-Marshall by clicking on this link: https://securelb.imodules.com/s/1158/interior.aspx?sid=1158&gid=1&pgid=482&cid=1126. The social time begins at 6:00 PM with complimentary snacks and soft drinks (no alcohol this time) with the banquet following at 7:00 PM on Thursday, December 13, 2012 at the SMSU Conference Center-Upper Ballroom in Marshall.

Banquet Buffet Meal

Mixed Field Green Salad with French and Ranch Dressing
Prime Rib
Baked Cod Filet with Lemon Butter
Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
California Blend Vegetables
Dinner Rolls and Butter
Assorted Bars for Dessert

Keynote Speakers: Becky Bruns and Barb Frank-MARL Alumni teaming up to give you a great message about animal agriculture. You will not want to miss it.

This message is the official invitation, after you register please forward this message to others you would like to invite to help meet the challenge issued. Register here:
https://securelb.imodules.com/s/1158/interior.aspxsid=1158&gid=1&pgid=482&cid=1126

Sincerely,
Dan Hoffman
MARL Executive Director
www.MARL program.org




With 121 people in attendance at the MARL Leadership
Banquet-Willmar is was easy to find somone to visit with.

 

Catie Rasmussen working with MARL Class VII during

a Myers-Briggs Personality training session.

MARL Class VII at the Willmar Kick off session.

Invitation: MARL Leadership Banquet-Willmar

Dear MARL Friend,

You are cordially invited to the MARL Leadership Banquet at the Holiday Inn in Willmar, MN to be held on Wednesday, November 14, 2012. Social time begins at 6:00 PM with the banquet commencing promptly at 7:00 PM. The featured speakers are Minnesota Turkey Growers Association Executive Director and MARL Alumnus Steve Olson and The Jennie-O Turkey Store CEO Glenn Leitch.

Please note the new location at the Holiday Inn-Willmar located at 2100 East Highway 12 E . This is the Kick-Off/Orientation Session for MARL Class VII. You will want to join your MARL friends and alumni to welcome MARL Class VII to their new adventure and journey of leadership development. Plan to join in the fun to launch Class VII. Please forward this invitation to others and network to car pool. You are encouraged to invite a business leader, a friend, the person that nominated you for MARL, family member, MARL Funding Partner and/or a candidate for MARL Class VIII.

MARL Alumni and friends are asking about the availability of hotel rooms at the Willmar Holiday Inn for after the MARL Leadership Banquet on November 14. The front desk phone number at the Willmar Holiday Inn is 320-235-6060 and they do have rooms available at this time.

Meal count is now due, so please register at http://www.smsufoundation.org/MARLLeadership2012.

Sincerely,
Dan Hoffman
MARL Executive Director
www.MARLprogram.org
507-421-7167

New Meaning and Alumnus Article

The recent tragic events, the death of the US Ambassador and three others at the US Embassy in Libya give new meaning and reflections on the time MARL Class VI spent at the US Embassy in Rabat, Morocco. US Ambassador to Morocco, Sam Kaplan and his wife, Sylvia were wonderful hosts as we dined with them in their home and shared their vision for helping to foster good relations between the US and Morocco. Our sympathies and support reach out to those involved in these violent events. May our national leaders find ways to mend and build relationships in the days ahead.

The Duluth News Tribune published a wonderful article about MARL Alumnus Dave Chura. It is well written and depicts an alumnus who is living and demonstrating MARL leadership principles. Thank you and congratulations, Dave.You can view the article by clicking on the link below.

http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/242937/publisher_ID/36/

New Zealand-Detination for the 2013 MARL Alumni International Trip

Kia ora!

Pack your gummies, jandals, togs, and sunnies for a choice OE!

The 2013 MARL Alumni trip to New Zealand spends 10 days in New Zealand, with an optional extension to Australia!

The trip departs Minneapolis and arrives in Los Angeles, where we'll enjoy a city tour aboard a private charter bus - no sitting around in the airport all day for us! After the tour is done, we'll board our direct flight to Auckland, New Zealand.

Haere mai (Welcome)

Auckland is located in the northern part of the North Island. We will start our adventure with a city tour, including a trip to an extinct volcano. We'll also enjoy a harbor cruise to nearby Waiheke Island, where we will visit a leading vineyard for wine tasting and a tour. We make our way south, traveling through the "milk bowl of New Zealand" and visit a dairy farm with 800 cows. Next, we get to visit an organic orchard producing one of New Zealand's signature products: kiwifruit! We continue to Rotorua, a hotbed of geothermal activity and home to Maori culture. Here, we will participate in a traditional Maori supper and concert. We'll enjoy interactive presentations at the Agrodome, highlighting the sheep and wool industry. At Rainbow Springs, we'll have the chance to see the rare Kiwi bird. We'll visit a livestock farm for a traditional "kiwi" barbecue. Before departing for the South Island, we will spend time at a 1200-head deer farm (did you know New Zealand is the largest producer and exporter of farm-raised venison in the world?)

We fly to Christchurch on the South Island, where we'll see beautiful gardens and landscaping in the "Garden City". We will stop at a livestock ranch, and then try to spot marine animals during a harbor cruise. We'll visit with staff and professors at Lincoln University - only one of two agricultural universities in the country! We'll also tour the University's dairy farm. As we continue south, we will pass through beautiful scenery and hopefully get a view of the mountain ranges. We will learn about raising salmon, and visit vineyards, orchards, and livestock ranches. We will have a city tour of Queenstown and Arrowtown, a historic gold-mining town. Maybe some daredevils will take the plunge when we visit the birthplace of bungy-jumping! Before leaving New Zealand, we will relax with one last wine-tasting and farewell dinner.

When we leave New Zealand, we'll fly from Queenstown to Auckland, then directly to San Francisco, and then to Minneapolis. People opting for the Australia extension will fly from Queenstown to Sydney. The Australia portion will stay in the Sydney area, and participants will spend time in the Blue Mountains, visit a cattle ranch, and enjoy a Sydney Harbour cruise.

Not convinced yet? This will be a little more relaxed than the typical MARL trip. We've kept in mind that we'll have a mix of couples and individuals, so we've tried to include a variety of activities - a little something for everyone. We've planned free time for exploring, shopping, relaxing on the beach, or other on-your-own activities.

If you still aren't sure, check out YouTube - just type in "New Zealand" and you'll get plenty of results! Or look at these websites:

 

http://www.newzealand.com/us/

http://www.destination-nz.com/

http://www.tourism.net.nz/

And if you're still wondering what the heck the first few sentances mean, learn New Zealand slange here:

http://www.destination-nz.com/new-zealand-info/live-kiwi/learn-basic-kiwi-ese

COSTS

New Zealand: $5,100 / person

With Australia extension: $7,300 / person (subject to change until airfare is booked and number of people is known)

Keep in mind: $250 deposit per person is due September 1.

I am intentionally not listing the dates - please contact Kristie Swenson for more information: KristieSwenson@gmail.com



 

Smiles-MARL 2012 Farmfest Reunion, Social and Meal

Smiles were everywhere as MARL Alumni and Friends of MARL gathered at the Bruce and Ann Tiffany Home for the annual MARL Farmfest Reunion, Social and Meal on Wednesday, August 8. About 130 people were in attendance for the evening. MARL Alumni and Friends of MARL took turns packaging food for "Kids Against Hunger". By the end of the evening much fun, fellowship and charity had occurred. In fact all were delighted that 8,424 meals were packaged for the "Kids Against Hunger" project. In addition those in atendance donated several hundred dollars to the "Kids Against Hunger" project. Once again MARL people demonstrated their leadership and ability to make a difference.

Thank you to MARL hosts Bruce and Ann Tiffany and all who participated.

8,424 meals were packaged for "Kids Against Hunger"

Smiles added to the fun as participants took a break from the activities for dinner.

More

AURI www.auri.org/ has invited Minnesota Ag and Rural Leadership (MARL) to join them in their exhibit tent at Farmfest on August 7, 8 and 9. MARL has graciously accepted their offer. Please make plans to visit the tent to say hi to our friends at AURI and gather at the MARL table to reminisce with MARL Alumni and others. We do need MARL Alumni to staff the table for a one hour shift and will have a sign up opportunity at the end of July.
Bruce and Ann Tiffany are planning to host MARL Friends and Alumni at their farm near Farmfest on August 8. Mark your calendars and look for more details soon.

Late breaking news...The November MARL Class VII kick off seminar and orientation will be held in Willmar.

MARL Class VI Representative to the MARL Board Kirby Hettver and MARL Executive Director Dan Hoffman met with the Minnesota Corn Growers Association's www.mncorn.org/ Producer Services Committee in Shakopee this week. Kirby and Dan thanked them for being generous funding partners and shared MARL happenings.

KSMQ "Farm Connections" is beginning a new season and will include an episode exploring MARL Class VI experiences in Morocco and another episode about The American Fondouk Donkey Hospital in Fez, Morocco.

The cooperative venture between MARL and Rural Leadership North Dakota still has room for you to participate. On Wednesday, June 27 join us from 11:00 AM until 5:00 PM at CHS in Inver Grove Heights for a tour, lunch and presentations about marketing, international trade and the CHS business. The next day Thursday, June 28 a second tour is set up at Cargill Corporate Headquarters in Wayzata beginning at 2:30 PM. This will be followed by a Mississippi river boat cruise and dinner. You can attend either tour or both and can add the river boat cruise and dinner. Call Cindy Weber at 507-389-6975 or e-mail her at weber168@umn.edu for more information and to RSVP.

CHS Headquarters - Inver Grove Heights, MN

Cargill Headquarters -Wayzata, MN

Team Players

MARL Class VI Alumni Rick Smith and Gail Donkers gave a very interesting presentation complete with pictures and personal stories regarding their MARL International Study Trip to Morocco to the SE Minnesota Ag Alliance on May 21. MARL Alumni Jim O'Connor and Carey Tweten, MARL Board of Director Jim Checkel, MARL Executive Director Dan Hoffman and past UM Extension educator and MARL presenter Madge Alberts were also in attendance. The group had some great questions.

Kristin Harner and her staff from the MN Farm Bureau were great hosts to the MARL Board of Directors for their May 23 board meeting at the MN Farm Bureau offices in Eagan. It was at this meeting that MARL Class VI Representatives Kirby Hettver and Jane Wilcox-Hardwick joined the board for the first time. Kirby and Jane each contributed to the meeting and were able to share their current and relevant MARL experiences with the board.

May 24 was the special day for recognizing the 2012 Siehl Prize for Excellence in Agriculture award recipients at the UM McNamara Alumni Center. MARL Board Chair, Sandy Ludeman was a recipient of the cherished prize in 2011. Ludeman stated that MARL has some very acomplished alumni that should be nominated for the Siehl Prize in the future. For more information go to:
www.cfans.umn.edu/siehlprize/

Kyle Petersen, Harmon Wilts, Jim Sieben, Kirby Hettver, Roger Imdieke, Stan Claussen, Dan Lippert and Dan Hoffman met at the MinnWest Technology Campus in Willmar on May 29. The purpose of the meeting was to assemble a plan of action for an educational and inspiring MARL Alumni function revolving aound tours, technology and collaboration in the Wilmar area. Mark September 7 and 8, 2012 on your calendars, because you will not want to miss this upcoming event.

MinnWest Technology Campus in Willmar    www.mnwesttechnology.com/purpose.php

Stan Claussen introduced Dan Hoffman to MARL funding partner United FCS personnel. On the return to Southern Minnesota, Hoffman met with staff at MARL funding partner Southwest Initiative Fund (SWIF)staff in Hutchinson.

Thanks to all for being great team players.

Catch Your Breath If You Can

Minnesota Agriculture and Rural Leadership (MARL) people have been very busy since the last MARL Now Blog was posted just after Class VI returned from their International Study Tour to Morocco.

+MARL was represented at the Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU) Ag Outlook Seminar in Marshall.
+The MARL Study Tour to Morocco was featured on a live radio show in Marshall.
+Thirty-Two members of MARL Class VI graduated in Chaska.
+The MARL Alumni Auction was great fun and very successful.
+The MARL Alumni Breakfast was well attended and the 2013 MARL Alumni International Trip destination was announced...New Zealand.
+The MARL office moved to a new facility provided by SMSU.
+Applicants for MARL Class VII were interviewed at five different sites around the State of Minnesota.
+Thirty participants for MARL Class VII were selected and later announced.
+MARL was represented at the Minnesota State FFA Convention.
+The Marshall Rotary Sunrise Club was given a presentation about MARL's mission and Class VI.
+Planning and announcement of the August 20, 2012 MARL Golf Tournament in North Mankato took place.
+Many presentations regarding the MARL mission and the MARL International Study Tour to Morocco have been given around the state of Minnesota by MARL Alumni and the Executive Director.
+A tour of two large Minnesota agriculture businesses and a river boat cruise with North Dakota leaders and MARL will soon be announced.

Catch your breath and check the MARL Now Blog again very soon to check out the new items.

Morocco Welcomes MARL Class VI

MARL Class VI had a wonderful experience on their International Study Tour to Morocco. The sights, sounds, smells, tastes, events, places and people of Morocco all combined to give MARL Class VI a world class, unforgettable trip of a lifetime. Every day was packed with tours, meeting new people, speakers, trying new foods and learning about a new culture. We were welcomed, treated well and invited back by our Moroccan friends. You can follow the journey of Class VI in Morocco by going to Facebook and typing MARL Morocco in the search box. Once there you will find pictures and comments from class members.

I have prepared a PowerPoint presentation for MARL Class VI members to use to deliver presentations to your group or organization. Each class member was given the assignment to give a presentation to three different groups. MARL Class VI class members have their bios and contact information listed at www.MARLprogram.org under Current MARL Class. Please contact them directly to set up a presentation time. E-mail me at Dan.Hoffman@SMSU.edu if you need help finding the right person to present to your group.

Hotel reservations for graduation need to be made before March 9 for special pricing. Contact information for Oak Ridge Hotel, RSVP for graduation and meal choices are on the home page at www.MARLprogram.org.

MARL Class VI member Jim Sieben and UM representative Dick Senese look on as MARL Executive Director Dan Hoffman presents a gift to US Ambassador to Morocco Sam Kaplan and his wife Sylvia. The Ambassador and his wife invited MARL Class VI to their home for dinner.

 

Lara Durben presents a friendship pin to Ambassador Sam Kaplan.

 Bulk spices for sale.

 

 Jane Wilcox-Hardwick with an orange tree behind her a a bunch of dates hanging down in front of her.

 

Loom operator in a Medina weaving cloth. 

 

Beautiful fabrics from the loom.

Lara Durben, Staci Bohlen-Martin and Tom Walsh model products of the Moroccan weavers.

MARL Class VI is having a very good international experience in Morocco. I believe the best way to follow their experiences will be to log on to Facebook and then proceed to MARL Morocco. Did you know that Morocco was the first country in the world to acknowledge the United States as a country after our Revolutionary War with Britian?

Alumni Trip/Graduation/Nominations/Morocco

Thanks to all who responded to the survey to decide where the MARL Alumni Trip will be in 2013. Jim Checkel will announce the destination at the MARL Alumni Breakfast on March 24. Attendance at breakfast should be great as we hope to add 32 MARL Class VI members to the elite membership of MARL Alumni upon their graduation on March 23.

Invitations to MARL Class VI graduation should arrive by e-mail to you this weekend. Some will be mailed out next week if we can not locate your e-mail address. Please do not be stressed or offended if you do not recieve an official inviation to graduation. All are welcome and we do not mean to leave anyone off the list. Please be patient as we work to update files at MARL. The graduation invitation and instructions for selecting your menu choice and payment procedures will be posted at www.MARLprogram.org this weekend and should be returned on-line.

We have received over 240 MARL Class VII nominations and the number is still growing. Application packets have been mailed. Please check with the people you nominated to make certain they received the packet and to answer their questions about MARL. Applications are due on or before March 31, 2012, are available at www.MARLprogram.org and are to be submitted on-line.

MARL Class VI is on a count down to departure time this Sunday for their international study tour in Morocco. Follow their experiences on Facebook at MARL Morroco https://www.facebook.com/groups/224239781000477/ daily entries will also be posted here at the MARL Now Blog. The international study tour is a very important part of the MARL experience and Class VI will represent us well.

MARL Alumni Make It Happen

Monday was a productive day for MARL as Director of UM Extension Bev Durgen and I met in St. Paul. We discussed ways to continue to use a cooperative model to utilize the strengths of both the UM and SMSU to deliver quality ag and rural leadership programs through MARL. UM Chief Development Officer Matt Musel introduced me to his team and offered helpful ideas.

MARL Alumnus Ruth Meirick set up a MARL display at MN Farm Bureau's Young Farmers and Ranchers Conference last week in Rochester. Ruth reports that MARL Alumni staffed the display and answered questions about MARL and their MARL experiences. Some of the MARL Class VI participants, after completing their MARL Windom Leadership session, drove to Rochester and also helped staff the display. Thanks Ruth for sharing about MARL and engaging MARL Alumni.

Jim Checkel is leading the MARL Alumni Trip Committee and is actively seeking your input on where the MARL Alumni should travel to for the 2013 MARL Alumni Trip. Jim and the MARL Board of Directors have narrowed the choices down to New Zealand and Ireland. You should have received an e-mail from me this past weekend with a Survey Monkey attached. Please take a moment to complete the survey (it is due by Saturday, February 11). If you did not receive the e-mail it is possible that we do not have your correct e-mail address. If that is the case please e-mail me at Dan.Hoffman@SMSU.edu with an updated address.

Thursday provided a great opportunity to represent you and MARL in front of the MN FFA Foundation when they were at the SMSU campus in Marshall for their foundation board meeting. I was able to thank them for their financial contribution to MARL and mentioned I was would be visiting with their Executive Director Val Aarsvold very soon about future collaborative projects between the MN FFA Foundation and MARL.

Last Friday MARL Class VII application packets were mailed to all nominees on file at that time. Thank you for submitting those 225 nominations. This week I have received several more nominations and packets have been mailed to these nominees also. While nominations are welcome at any time please submit them to me by February 15th to allow the nominees time to submit a quality application and get their letters of reference returned before the March 31st application deadline. Applications are located at www.MARLprogram.org and are to be submitted on-line. Check with your nominees to make certain they have received a MARL Class VII application packet and answer any questions they might have about MARL.

In a testament to the importance and quality of the MARL program, MN Pork Producers Association (MPPA) Executive Director David Preisler commented to the MARL Board of Directors that five (5) past MPPA Presidents have graduated from the MARL program.

Progressive Week for MARL

Monday morning January 23rd MARL Program Director Mike Liepold and MARL Executive Director Dan Hoffman joined MARL Class VI member Elizabeth Tanner at a fund raising breakfast with several MARL Alumni and our friends from the MN Corn Growers Association and MN Soybean Growers Association at the Ag Expo in Mankato.

Breakfast was followed by many MARL Alumni stopping by the MARL booth at the Ag Expo to visit and share conversation with others. Several nominations were received for MARL CLass VII.

The MARL Board of Directors met at the MN Pork Producers office in Mankato for their regular meeing on Tuesday, January 24th. MN Pork Producers Executive Director David Priesler greeted and welcomed MARL.

Wednesday through Thursday MARL Class VI was in Windom for their Leadership Seminar with training on diversity, rural development and preparation for their international study tour to Morocco. Tours to JBS (formerly Swift), Red Rock Water Treatment facilities, Jeffers Wind Farm, and New Visons Cooperative added another dimension to the learning experience.

The Leadership Banquet-Windom was well attended and enjoyed by all as Masters of Ceremonies and MARL Alumni Shane Hastings and Dominic Jones lead us through an enjoyable evening. Former Farm Business Management Instructor Cliff Vrieze spoke of his experiences teaching shrimp farmers about financial analysis and good business practices. USDA official Colleen Landkamer spoke to the group about rural develpoment. Once again our experience was enhanced because many MARL were involved and attended the banquet.

Thank you to all who made it a great week.

MARL on the Move

This past week, MARL was well represented at the 2012 Minnesota Pork Congress held at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Many MARL alumni gathered to share information with attendees, visit with other MARL alumni, look at photos and reminisce about their MARL experiences. MARL’s friends at the Minnesota Pork Producers Association (http://www.mnpork.com/) continue to be great financial supporters of MARL and the Minnesota pork industry has benefited from pork producers, board members and others growing and learning through the MARL experience. Written nominations for MARL Class VII were received at the show. During a legislative update, it was rewarding to have MARL alumnus Paul Torkelson (Minnesota House of Representatives) as one of the speakers. It was gratifying to watch and listen as the majority of questions asked in this session came from MARL alumni in the audience; in addition, these questions were well thought out and insightful.

MARL was represented at the Minnesota Agriculture Education Leadership Council (http://www.maelc.state.mn.us/) meeting in St. Cloud on Friday, Jan. 20, where I was able to meet with ag industry leaders and educators on developing a “Blueprint for Ag Education” in Minnesota.  

On Monday, Jan. 23, you are invited to stop by the MARL booth at the Ag Expo in Mankato to say hello to your friends at MARL. On Tuesday, Jan. 24, the MARL Board of Directors meeting will be held. MARL Class VI meets in Windom this week, Wednesday-Friday, Jan. 25-27. The MARL Leadership Banquet in Windom will be held Wednesday, Jan. 25, from 7-9 p.m. at the Windom Community Center.

Dan

Minnesota Pork Board Executive Director Dave Preisler welcomes
Dan Hoffman and MARL to the 2012 Minnesota Pork Congress.

MARL alumni Tim Waibel and Gary Lager welcome visitors and
answer questions at the MARL Booth at the 2012 Minnesota Pork Congress.

Alumni in Action and Week 2 Update

MARL is so fortunate to have active and engaged alumni. This fact was very evident and helpful this week when I gave a leadership and MARL presentation to the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association (MTGA) at their headquarters in Buffalo, MN. The presentation went well because of the help of MARL alumni Steve Olson, MTGA Executive Director, and John Zimmerman, MTGA Board of Directors member, along with MARL Class VI Participant Lara Durben, MTGA Communications and Program Director. MARL alumnus Doug Huebsch is also an MTGA Board member. A big thank you to MTGA for the opportunity to share MARL experiences with them and for their financial support. Check out more on MTGA at www.minnesotaturkey.com.

More alumni action is happening as MARL alumni Jim Checkel, Mary Peichel and Cam Fanfulik, along with MARL Class VI participant Jim O’Connor are working diligently to pull together the best MARL alumni auction ever. When contacted, I hope you will do your part to help with this important and fun MARL fundraiser to be held after the MARL Class VI Graduation on Friday, March 23. Thanks to everyone helping with this event.

Week 2 proved to be another busy week at MARL. In addition to finalizing current class activities, we are working on preparing for Class VII. Nominations have been coming in at a rapid rate thanks to MARL alumni, Class VI participants and others. Class VII nominees will receive an official letter from me in the next two weeks informing them of their nomination and asking them to apply. The application form will be available online soon for Class VII applicants to submit electronically.

KSMQ public television in Austin, MN, welcomed new Chief Executive Officer Eric Olson on Thursday and I met with him on his first day of work. Our conversation focused on cooperative efforts to continue to use the KSMQ “Farm Connections” television program to inform and educate about agriculture. It is my goal for MARL participants to share their wealth of ag experience with the KSMQ audiences when possible. This is great media training for MARL participants and the TV audience is rewarded with interesting stories from people with vast amounts of agricultural expertise. Find out more about “Farm Connections” at http://www.ksmq.org/programs/connections/farm/ and view episodes on You Tube at http://www.youtube.com/ksmq.

I attended a very productive meeting with Mike Liepold and Dick Senese of the University of Minnesota (U of M) Extension and Bill Mulso of Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU) at the U of M Extension Office in Mankato. Our purpose was to collaborate on how to best use the strengths and resources of the U of M and SMSU to bring the most value to MARL and its participants. This will be an ongoing conversation as it is with all good partnerships.

Finally, don’t forget to get more information on and RSVP for the MARL Leadership Banquet in Windom on January 25 from last week’s blog post. Please RVSP by January 17 if you plan to attend.

Dan

Hello from MARL!

Hello from MARL! On Tuesday, January 3rd I officially joined MARL as the Executive Director. The opportunities and the work to be done are both huge. What MARL is and becomes is dependent on you and your involvement.  I hope you decide to follow MARL's events, people and news on this blog which is linked to MARL's website.

You have an opportunity to join MARL Class VI, MARL Alumni, donors and other leaders at the MARL Leadership Banquet in Windom at the Windom Community Center on Wednesday, January 25th from 7:00 to 9:00 PM. The cost for the meal is $25.00 and you can pay at the registration table that night when you arrive. I do need to know if you plan on attending so that enough food will be prepared. We are planning for a very interesting evening and you will want to be there.

Please mark your calendar and RSVP here

Thank you,
Dan Hoffman
MARL Executive Director
507-421-7167