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September 10 Speaker: Holly Callen, Bravo Zulu House

Holly Callen is a member of the Eden Prairie Noon Rotary Club. A Rotarian since 1991, Holly was 5950 District Governor in 2001-02. She has also served in various capacities at the Zone and International level including Co-Chair of the 2011 Zone Institute, Zone Training Leader for Foundation Chairs and District Governor Nominees, and RI Promotion Committee Member for four Rotary International Conventions.

In addition, from 2017-2020, Holly served on the Fund Development Committee of The Rotary Foundation reporting directly to the TRF Board of Trustees. On the committee, she was responsible for Donor Recognition. In this capacity, she helped create the Legacy Society for donors bequeathing at least $1,000,000 in their estate plan.

Founder and President of Callen & Associates Financial Services, Inc., an investment firm specializing in retirement and charitable planning, Holly retired at the end of 2007. Additionally, Holly was the Director of Development and Fundraising for Women's Athletics at the University of Minnesota from 1991-1996. Holly now spends her time volunteering for Bravo Zulu House, an all-veteran sober housing organization for veterans suffering from addiction and PTSD. She also serves on the Board of Directors and as chair of the Marketing Committee of Stablish Foundation, a small community foundation helping donors to create their charitable legacy.

Wednesday, September 9, Rotary Happy Hour

Join us at "The Mezz" on Wednesday, September 9, 2026 from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. Lunds & Byerlys is located at 7171 France Ave, Edina

This gathering is a casual, vocational and business network opportunity centered on featuring an Edina Noon or Edina Morningside Rotary member's career story. Guests are welcome. Personal food and beverage choices are available to order and purchase. Featured speaker is Mark Hogstrom, Certified Exit Planning Advisor with Business Owner Succession Strategies (BOSS) and Partner at DSB Rock Island Wealth Management, LLC. Registration is not required. *Please not the change to the day of week because of the holiday on Monday.

Edina Car Show 2026, Sunday, Sept 20th, 50th & France

We need volunteers for this year's Car Show! Sign up today, HERE!

Mark your Calendars! The Rotary Club of Edina, with support from the 50th & France Business & Professional Association and Explore Edina, will host the eighth-annual Edina Car Show 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 20 in downtown Edina. Watch the web and Barker for further event details and volunteer opportunities. Sponsorship proceeds go local community non-profits via the Edina Rotary Foundation with $133,500 raised since 2019.

2026 Rotary Foundation Gala- Purchase Tickets Today!

The 2026 theme for the Edina Rotary Foundation annual fundraising gala is "Service is FUNdamental". This event will take place on Thursday, September 24 at Church of St. Patrick Edina. Event tickets are available and can be purchased HERE. Join us for an evening of great food from D'Amico's, a cash bar, live entertainment with Free and Easy band, meaningful connections, and generous giving. Together, we'll celebrate the joy of service while investing in programs that strengthen our community. Ample seating is available!

Proposed for Membership - Carol Chen

Carol Chen
Classification: Marketing
Sponsor: Jean Morrison

Carol Chen is Director of Marketing Automation Technology at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, where she leads marketing automation strategy, governance, and adoption. She specializes in Salesforce Marketing Cloud architecture, CRM integration with Salesforce Education Data Architecture (EDA), user enablement, and scalable operating models for communications. Her work includes building training pathways, governance frameworks, and enterprise communication systems that reduce dependency on tribal knowledge and support sustainable adoption. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, golf, fitness, healthy living, and arts and cultural events.

The Rotary Club of Edina’s Membership Committee recently approved the following applicant. Written objections to the applications below must be submitted before Midnight, Tuesday, September 8, 2026, to Rotary Club of Edina, PO Box 24481, Edina, MN 55424 or emailed to administrator@EdinaRotary.org.

Proposed for Membership - Meriwether Felt

Meriwether Felt
Classification: Architecture
Sponsor: Catherine Gump

Meriwether Felt is the principal of Meriwether Inc., an architecture firm based in Minneapolis that designs custom residences, additions, remodels, and restoration, focusing on sustainable design. Her work has been published in House & Garden, Midwest Home, Minneapolis-St. Paul Magazine, and Better Homes & Gardens. She is currently a member of the Planning Commission for City of Edina. Meriwether is a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) as well as MN Greenstar.

Proposed for Membership - Ellen Kennedy

Ellen Kennedy
Classification: Human Rights
Sponsor: Josh Sprague

Ellen Kennedy is the Founder and Executive Director of World Without Genocide. She advocates for human rights at the local, national, and global levels through legislation; presentations and courses at faith institutions, public organizations, and universities in Minnesota and nationally; and publications of articles, books, and other materials. She is also a representative to the United Nations Department of Global Communications. She is currently on the Board of Directors of the League of Women Voters-Edina, and co-chairs a social justice committee, and is on a social justice committee at Mount Zion Temple, a Reform Jewish congregation in St. Paul. Ellen was a member of Edina Noon Rotary Club from 2002-2011, and served as president, 2009-2010.

Return Raffle Ticket Stub/Unsold Tickets by Sept. 17

All Service is Fundamental Gala raffle tickets SOLD or UNSOLD must be returned by Thursday, September 17 to Madeleine Isaacson. Please return completed raffle tickets and payment to Madeleine Isaacson or send to Edina Rotary Foundation, PO Box 24481, Edina MN 55424 by Sept 17. Per state and city permit guidelines, all tickets and stubs must be accounted for before the drawing on Sept 24.

Each member is encouraged to sell the raffle tickets to friends and family. This helps to spread the word about Rotary and the great organizations the funds support throughout our local community such as:
Thanksgiving Baskets to Edina school students in need
Camp Enterprise
Way to Grow
Bridging
My Very Own Bed

We have exciting prizes this year!
• First Prize: $1,000
• Second Prize: $250
• Third Prizes: $100 (there are four third-place winners!)

Tickets may be purchased with cash, check, or ACH withdrawal. State law prohibits credit cards to be used to purchase raffle tickets. Deadline to turn in raffle tickets is Thursday, Sept 17.

Oct. 7 - VEAP Service Opportunity

Sign up today to help Volunteers Enlisted to Assist People (VEAP) serve the hungry in our community! Volunteers welcome participants to the VEAP pantry, explain the process and respond to participant questions, keep the shopping area clean and tidy, sort through food donations, stock shelves, load groceries into vehicles and overall help VEAP promote a positive shopping experience for participants. VEAP staff explain the process before every volunteer shift in the pantry. Register HERE Busy on October 7th? Future dates are available HERE!

Paul Harris Fellows Recognized

At the August 13, 2026, Rotary meeting, five members became Paul Harris Fellows in recognition of their contributions to The Rotary Foundation (TRF). The pins were presented by Rotary Foundation Director Bob Scott to Ram Gada, Wei Huang, Feroza Mehta, James Olcott and Tanwi Prigge. Congratulations to our new Paul Harris Fellow honorees

ERC Mailbag is Overflowing with Thanks

Many Thanks from Edina High School Scholarship Recipients!

For more gratitude, click on Read More.

International Grant Update: Revolved NGO, Zimbabwe

This update was provided by Savanna Wilson of Revolved, a non-government organization working throughout the world. Revolved exists to strengthen promising work in overlooked places. They invest in community leaders around the world who are quietly making a difference and offer the support that unlocks their full potential.

Thanks to the generosity of the Rotary Club of Edina, Chisizya Hospital in rural Zimbabwe is now a little brighter and better equipped to serve its community. This August, the Club’s support helped install solar lighting around the hospital, improving safety and access, particularly during nighttime emergencies. Rotary Edina also provided a comprehensive toolkit for Knowledge, the man who takes care of maintenance at the hospital, giving the local team the ability to make repairs and care for the facility long into the future. For a small rural hospital serving thousands of people, these practical improvements make an enormous difference. Knowledge couldn’t have been prouder of his new tools, and the Chisizya community is incredibly grateful. Thank you, Rotary Club of Edina, for making this possible.

A huge thank you from all of us, and from the Chisizya community, for your generosity and support.

Many thanks,
Savanna

Edina Rotary Foundation Now Accepting Applications for Grant Money

The Edina Rotary Foundation is accepting applications from non-profit organizations in Edina and its contiguous communities for grants to be used for capital purchases. Applications are due Oct. 31.

Each year, the Rotary Club of Edina raises money at the Edina Car Show and a fall fundraiser to support its projects and award grants. Each year, about $100,000 is raised for the Club’s service projects and local and international grants. Grant applications are available online or by contacting Director Corey Falls, 612-309-8112 or cfalls@mytech.com. Completed applications should be completed online or emailed to Falls. Please click "Read More" for grant details.

As your 72nd President of the Rotary Club of Edina, I am honored and excited to begin this journey with each of you. Rotary brings together leaders, professionals, and community servants with a shared desire to make a difference. It is where friendships are formed, ideas are exchanged, and service becomes a catalyst for meaningful change. This year, Rotary International calls us to Create Lasting Impact, a message that reflects who we are as a club and what we strive to accomplish together.

I am especially excited about the year ahead. We have assembled an outstanding slate of speakers who will challenge our thinking, inspire our leadership, and broaden our understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing our communities and our world. Beyond our weekly meetings, Rotary offers the opportunity to build meaningful friendships, strengthen professional relationships, and work side by side in service to others.

Whether we are supporting local youth, addressing food insecurity, advancing international projects, combating human trafficking, or helping eradicate polio, our collective efforts demonstrate the extraordinary impact that occurs when people come together with purpose and a servant's heart.

My hope for this year is that every member finds a deeper connection to Rotary, develops new friendships, grows as a leader, and discovers meaningful opportunities to serve. Together, we will continue building on the remarkable legacy of the Rotary Club of Edina while creating lasting impact in our community and beyond.

Thank you for the privilege of serving as your President. I look forward to a year of friendship, service, leadership, and impact. Together, we will Create Lasting Impact.

Gerry Norton
2026–2027 President