Retired: Judge-Fifth Judicial District, Rock County

Tim Connell is retired Judge of the Fifth Judicial District, Rock County, Luverne, Minn. He was appointed by then Gov. Rudy Perpich and served from June 30, 1987, until his retirement in 2011. Tim is a graduate of Luverne High School, St John's University and William Mitchell College of Law.

Tim served as Rock County Attorney and was in private practice for 11 years before being appointed Judge. He is a past president of the Minnesota District Judges Association and remains a member of that group, as well as the Minnesota State Bar Association.

Tim has been very active in his community and served on many boards. He is currently on the Luverne Initiatives for Tomorrow (LIFT) board and serves on the board of Southwest Minnesota Regional Legal Services.

Tim resides in Luverne with his wife, Connie. They have three adult children.

President: Minnesota West Community and Technical College

Terry Gaalswyk, Worthington, is president of Minnesota West Community and Technical College, with campuses in Canby, Granite Falls, Jackson, Pipestone and Worthington and centers in Luverne, Marshall and Redwood Falls. Dr. Gaalswyk has over 20 years of service in higher education including appointments as a mathematics instructor, division chair, associate dean of instruction, dean of instruction and executive vice president. He has served at Southeast Technical Institute, South Dakota State University, Western Iowa Tech Community College, Iowa State University and most recently at Western Nebraska Community College. He is equally proud of his vocational background, having worked alongside his parents building custom countertops and cabinets in a family-owned business in Sibley, Iowa.

Consultant for Community and Economic Development in southwest Minnesota and in Minneapolis

Christie provides community and economic development consulting services to small cities and Minneapolis neighborhood organizations. Her previous work experience includes serving as economic development coordinator for the City of Norwood Young America and the St. Cloud Area Economic Development Partnership, economic development association director for the City of Hutchinson and executive director of the Longfellow Community Council, a nonprofit neighborhood organization in Minneapolis. Her board and volunteer service includes past president of the Economic Development Association of Minnesota, Hutchinson Planning Commission, co-head coach of the Hutchinson Girls Track and Field Team, Children’s Grief Connection and Historic Hutchinson. Christie also served three terms on Southwest Initiative Foundation’s Loan Advisory Committee.

Retired: Elementary Principal

Patricia Loehr-Dols makes her home in Willmar and is a retired elementary school principal. Most recently, Patricia served as principal at Roosevelt Elementary School in Willmar where she was responsible for 900 diverse students and 100 staff. She has also served as Elementary Principal for the communities of Appleton and Milan. Patricia has a longstanding commitment to rural communities and education. She is active with SWIF’s Willmar Early Childhood Initiative and the Willmar area Children's Cabinet. She also serves as co-chair for Empower “Women United in Philanthropy,” which focuses on early childhood education with a mobile preschool. In 2001, Patricia was named a Business and Professional Women – Woman of the Year. She is a co-founder of the area lakes Studio Hop art event and past coordinator of Wonder Camp, a math and science camp for girls. She has provided leadership in various music, literacy, art and environmental initiatives for the region.

Retired President: First Security Bank

Janet Lundebrek is the retired Benson Branch President of the First Security Bank of Sleepy Eye. She worked extensively in the field of agriculture at a county, state and national level. She was a founding member of the Chippewa Valley Ethanol Plant Board and has been an executive officer of the company since. Jan has served on many civic boards including the Salvation Army, Benson Hospital Foundation and Benson Area Community Foundation. Jan has been active in the Renewable Fuels Association, ACE and Farmers Union. She also served on the MNREM leadership board that sponsored the WIRED Energy Grants. In addition, she served as past president of the Benson Area Chamber of Commerce and as community development chair for several years. Jan has a long history with Southwest Initiative Foundation, including participating in the Project LEAD women’s program and volunteering on the loan advisory committee.

President/CEO: Avera Health

Mary Maertens is the regional president/CEO of Avera Health in Marshall and Tyler and a voting board member of both Avera Marshall and Avera Tyler. Mary provided leadership during the sale of the medical center in 2008, re-positioning the organization as an integrated system. Mary has extensive leadership and healthcare experience in rural Minnesota. She has recruited 58 physicians and mid-level practitioners to the community. She also redesigned the foundation structure to improve Avera Health’s philanthropic activities in the Marshall area.  Mary serves on the Minnesota Hospital Association Board of Directors as the Chair Elect and Minnesota Hospital Association Executive Committee. Mary is active with other community organizations including United Way and her church, and is past board chair of the Marshall Area Chamber of Commerce

Attorney: Nelson Oyen Torvik, P.L.L.P

Janice Nelson, Montevideo, is an attorney with the firm of Nelson Oyen Torvik, P.L.L.P. in Montevideo where she concentrates on real estate, estate planning, elder law and probate, as well as serving as the Montevideo city attorney. She is a past president of the real property council of the Minnesota State Bar Association and a member of the Title Standards Committee. Janice graduated from Augsburg College, Minneapolis, worked in banking and later graduated from the University of Minnesota Law School. She returned to practice law in her hometown of Montevideo.

Tribal Planner, Upper Sioux Community

Teresa Peterson, Utuhu Cistinna Win, serves as the Tribal Planner for the Upper Sioux Indian Community near Granite Falls, Minnesota and adjunct faculty in the Indigenous Nations and Dakota Studies for Southwest Minnesota State University. Prior, she worked as the Tribal Planner for the Lower Sioux Indian Community. She is a founder of Dakota Wicohan, a Native nonprofit whose work is in Dakota language and life ways revitalization. She earned her doctorate in Education from the U of M Duluth, a M.S. in Educational Leadership from Southwest Minnesota State University and B.A. in Human Services from the U of M Morris. Teresa is a 2011 Bush Leadership Fellow and was recently selected as a Native Nation Rebuilder through the Native Governance Center. She is an alumnus and board member of both the Americans for Indian Opportunity Ambassador and Blandin Indian Reservation Leadership

President/CEO: Custom Products of Litchfield

Randy Reinke is President/CEO of Custom Products of Litchfield, a sheet metal and tubing fabricator specializing in the design, testing and manufacture of cab enclosures and rollover protection for off-highway vehicles. Randy joined the family business in 1979. In addition to his leadership at Custom Products, Randy serves on the board of directors of the Farm Equipment Manufacturers Association, Trifac Workers’ Compensation Fund, Aggregate Security Insurance Group and committees of Grow Minnesota! and the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. Randy previously served as a charter board member of the Litchfield Area Community Foundation, one of SWIF’s 26 community foundation affiliates.  He is a graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn.

President: Thurston Genetics

Robert L. Thurston of Spicer has worked in agriculture -- specifically the seed corn industry -- his entire adult life. He founded Thurston Inc. in 1980 and Thurston Genetics in 1994, both recognized as leading corn brokerage production services and genetic licensing nationally and internationally.  Rob holds leadership positions in other organizations including Ridgewater College Advisory Council, Torgerson Properties Inc., Postsecondary Agriculture Students Organization, American Seed Trade Association, Independent Professional Seedsman Association, Minnesota Corn Growers Association and other state and national agriculture organizations and committees.

Semi-retired: Veterinarian

Mark Titus is a veterinarian living in Jackson. He is currently employed by Newport Laboratories in Worthington as Senior Manager, Regulatory Affairs and Technical Support. Prior to his career in the animal health industry, he worked as a practicing veterinarian in Jackson. Mark received his undergraduate college education at Morningside College, Sioux City, Iowa, and his DVM and MS degrees from the University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minn. He is a past director of the Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association and past president of the Association of Veterinary Biologics Companies. Mark is a lifelong resident of southwest Minnesota and has served his community as a member and officer of the Jackson and Jackson County Central (JCC) school boards, JCC Education Foundation and Jackson Community Foundation.