Community Leaders, “In the News…”

SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA – Congratulations are in order for three regional leaders who have been recognized in January for their accomplishments.

Tim Penny, President and CEO of Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF), has announced his retirement. Penny has led the organization for nearly two decades.

SMIF, a donor-supported foundation, invests for economic growth in a 20-county region of south central and southeastern Minnesota. It is one of six Initiative Foundations in the state, each an independent entity that is built to respond to specific needs and opportunities in its region. The foundations serve their respective regions with unique grants, business loans, programs and donor services. 

Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) President and CEO Tim Penny welcomed attendees to the 2024 Sprout reception held in Caledonia. SMIF’s annual Sprout events are an opportunity for local communities to learn about its programs. (SMIF photo)

Under Penny’s stewardship, SMIF has become a valued community partner to some 175 communities and one Native nation, advancing economic growth, early childhood development, and community revitalization across southern Minnesota – and currently administers 32 Community Foundations, including several in the Root River Valley region, which make grants to benefit the future of their local communities.

Penny represented Minnesota’s First Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1982–1994, and prior to that was a Minnesota State Senator.

Tim Penny’s retirement celebration will be held in Owatonna in April. 

To learn more about SMIF, read Root River Current’s stories about SMIF’s Paint the Town grant program; the SMIF-sponsored annual FEAST! Local Foods Festival that celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2023; and how SMIF supports communities – like Preston – in furthering cultural and economic development projects.

Colleen Foehrenbacher, Executive Director of Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center, near Lanesboro, has been recognized nationally by the Association of Nature Center Administrators (ANCA) – she was honored earlier this month as recipient of the Outstanding New Leader Award, presented to emerging leaders who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and commitment within the early years of their tenure. 

Foehrenbacher’s innovative vision and dedication to expanding access to transformative outdoor education have made her an instrumental force in shaping Eagle Bluff and the broader environmental education community.

The Outstanding New Leader Award award was presented in front of an audience of over 70 industry leaders at the ANCA Outdoor School Summit held in North East, Maryland, recognizing her exceptional leadership and significant contributions to the field of outdoor education. ANCA’s membership includes more than 350 organizations across North America and beyond, making this award highly competitive and a testament to Foehrenbacher’s remarkable accomplishments.

 “It’s an absolute honor to receive this award,” Foehrenbacher said. “The passion, knowledge, and drive of everyone in this industry continually inspires me to be better, and I’m grateful to be part of a community that pushes me to grow.”

Colleen Foehrenbacher (left) receives the Outstanding New Leader Award from Jen Levy, Executive Director of the Association of Nature Center Administrators. (submitted photo)

Foehrenbacher has been executive director of Eagle Bluff since 2020, following the retirement of its founding director, Joe Deden, in 2018.

“Imagine succeeding the founder of an organization and stepping into leadership during a global pandemic. It is a monumental task,” said Peter Smerud, Executive Director of northeast Minnesota’s Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center. “Colleen has handled these challenges with exceptional resilience, elevating the work at Eagle Bluff and shaping the future of the entire outdoor education sector.” 

Eagle Bluff provides hands-on, outdoor education programs for learners of all ages, ranging from Outdoor School for school-age children, to a variety of summer camps, to adult education opportunities.

For more information, visit the Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center’s website or read these stories published by Root River Current: Eagle Bluff Champions ‘Outdoor School for All’ Bill; Eagle Bluff’s Nature Preschool; this story about Eagle Bluff’s role in a project to shift a portion of the Root River back to its original bed; and Forest Bathing: Meditations on Sound and Movement, an artist-in-residence program that took place at Eagle Bluff.

Joe Grodahl is the new Executive Director at Giants of the Earth Heritage Center in Spring Grove. Previously, Grodahl worked at Norway House, Minneapolis, as its Coordinator of Events.

Grodahl has assimilated into the culture of the Norwegian Ridge area around Spring Grove without missing a beat. He speaks fluent Norwegian, is a veteran traveler to Norge, and well-acquainted with the areas where Norwegian Ridge Immigrants once lived before coming to America. A singer, he is president of the Norwegian Singers Association of America and recently connected with the Luren Singers of Decorah.

The Board of Directors welcomes Grodahl’s leadership of an organization that has done well for the last fourteen years as an all-volunteer group. In announcing Grodahl’s arrival, the Center stated that “everything we have been doing will become more efficient, and the promise of moving beyond our status quo to the next level is exhilarating.”

To learn more about Giants of the Earth, read Root River Current’s Giants of the Earth Heritage Center: An Entry to Cultural Exploration.