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.
Augustana Lutheran Church and Community Emergency Service (CES) share a long history of service in Minneapolis. Over 50 years ago, Augustana founded CES as one of the first downtown food shelves. Today, CES operates as its own organization but remains closely tied to Augustana, sharing space and a joint commitment to serving neighbors with dignity, compassion, and care.
One way this mission comes to life is through monthly Community Dinners, which bring neighbors together for a free meal and fellowship. Our Rotary Club will be volunteering at the Oct. 14th dinner!
Join your fellow Rotary Club of Edina members and guests for an evening of great conversation, stronger friendships and connections at our Fireside Chats. Fireside Chats are a casual and smaller gathering of like-minded Rotarians, spending an evening getting to know each other better outside of our weekly meetings. This is a great opportunity for new members to get to know other Rotarians.
Fireside chat with Tanwi Prigge: Thursday, October 22 @ 6:00 PM REGISTER HERE! Fireside chat with Kelley Burnett: Wednesday, October 28 @ 6:00 PM REGISTER HERE! Women in Rotary with Sandra Krebsbach: Thursday, November 12 @ 5:00 PM REGISTER HERE!
We look forward to seeing you! Are YOU interested in being a Fireside Chat Host? We are still looking for hosts! If you are interested, please reach out to Julie Westbrock at jwestbrock@trustpointinc.com.
Annual Diwali Celebration with Edina Asian American Alliance (EAAA) and 50th & France Friday, October 23, 2026, 6-8 p.m.! Join us for this free, family-friendly event.
This Festival of Lights celebration is free, family-friendly, and open to all who wish to come together as community for a weekend filled with music, dance, cultural activities, shopping, and food! Free parking is available in the North, Center, and South ramps.
Featured performances include: • Bhangra Thrills • Bharatanatyam – Nrityavidyala School of Dance • Dhol Tasha – Marathi Association of Minnesota (MAM) • Fazel Haris • Mira Babal • School of India for Languages and Culture (SILC) • South Asian Arts & Theater House (SAATH)
Edina Rotary Member, Hometown leader & Mrs. Minnesota International Feroza Mehta will serve as the first-time emcee!
ERC and EMRC are sponsoring this event and will have a table with Rotary Ambassadors to connect with festival goers and talk about Rotary Club! Find all details, including multiple discounts at 50th & France businesses during the festivalHERE!
On 10/24/26, World Polio Day, Rotary members across Region 36 – Zones 25 & 29 are coming together for something BIG — a bold, unified step toward a polio-free world. We are calling on 36,620 Rotarians and 964 Rotaractors across 11 states and 2 countries to take part in the World’s Largest Polio Walk — a powerful, visible demonstration of our commitment to ending polio forever. This is more than a walk. It’s a movement.
Every step taken helps raise awareness and support our collective goal of raising $1 million to end polio. Together, we are “This Close” to eradication—and this is our moment to push across the finish line.
As part of the project, Rotarians read the book Andy & Elmer’s Apple Dumpling Adventure to local students and discuss ethics with them. Andy & Elmer’s Apple Dumpling Adventure is the story of a young entrepreneur who starts an apple dumpling business. With the guidance of a mysterious voice conveying the Four-Way Test, he turns his venture into a wonderful success and makes friends along the way.
Volunteers are needed to read the book to classes and distribute copies of the book to students. Register above to volunteer. Plan to arrive at 11:45 pm to allow time for check-in and finding the classroom.
Join us at our Rotary Club of Edina booth for a spooktacular alternative to door-to-door trick-or-treating with a HalloBoo Trick-or-Treat Trail. Volunteers will hand out candy bars and treats at this indoor alternative to door-to-door trick-or-treating and answer any questions participants’ parents or guardians have about Rotary. (All participants will receive chocolate candy bars. Those 5 and older will receive a Rotary flashlight.) Volunteers should wear their Rotary T-shirt or a fun, not-too-scary Halloween costume. This is a low-stress, fun community service activity benefitting Edina’s youth.
We need ONE more volunteer for each shift (3:45 to 5:30 p.m. or 5:30 to 7:15 p.m.).
Edina Rotary Club will host Prospective Member Day Thursday, October 29th. All Rotarians are encouraged to bring a friend or colleague that is interested in learning more about Rotary and our club to the meeting. Lunch is on the club for all prospective members on October 29th! Please make sure your guests sign in at the guest table before the meeting.
The program speaker for the meeting is scheduled to be Melissa Caruso, GM of the MN Frost.
For more information, contact Membership Director—Recruitment Mike Martiny.
It is time for Edina Morningside Rotary ClubOnline Gertens Fundraiser! This group will receive 30% of all plant sales and 15%of all plant card sales. Proceeds will go toward Rotary International-End Polio Now.
For every 90 dollars spent, $30 goes towards Polio Plus, and then is matched 2:1, turning that $30 dollar donation into $90 toward polio eradication.
ORDER HERE. Enter Store 775 to access form and orders must be completed by 10 PM on Wednesday, October 29th.
Or point your phone camera at the QR code below and it will take you directly to our site!
Pick up your order Tuesday, December 1st, 8:00 to 9:00 AM at Edina Country Club.Thank you for your support!
Our weekly meeting during the second week of November will be held in collaboration with the Rotary Clubs of Area 3 for a special Veterans Day Luncheon. Registration is required for all Rotary Club of Edina members, veterans, and guests to ensure accurate catering counts and adequate seating.
DATE: Tuesday, November 10, 2026 TIME: Seating begins at 11:30 a.m. WHERE: Epicenter, Eden Prarie Schools' Valley View Campus, 11849 Valley View Rd, Eden Prairie, MN 55344 WHO: District 5950 Zone Area 3 Rotarians, Veterans and Guests
Rotary Club of Edina Pricing Information: Standard non-veteran Rotary Club of Edina members in attendance will be billed a $8 special meeting fee on their next quarterly bill to cover fees above our standard lunch cost. Members may bring one veteran guest at no additional cost. Non-veteran special event guest cost will be $35.00, billed to Rotary Club of Edina member's quarterly statement.
Rotary Club of Edina senior active members who are veterans will not pay for lunch and may invite one non-member veteran as their guest at no cost. RCE members who wish to invite more than one veteran guest will pay $35.00 per additional veteran or non-veteran invited. Senior Active non-veteran members will be billed $35.00 for meeting fees. Please contact Erica Allenberg with any question or concern.
Pre-registration is required. If you're registering yourself as a veteran and/or your veteran guests, in "Comments", please enter the veteran's branch of service, rank and conflict served, i.e. Army, Sgt. 1st Class, Korean War. See Rotary Club of Edina pricing information above.
Camp Enterprise is scheduled for November 5-7, 2026 at Camp Courage in Maple Lake, MN. The Rotary Clubs of Edina have administered this amazing leadership development program for high school juniors and seniors for almost 50 years. It is one of our signature programs each year. We support over 120 high school students, 16 college counselors, and numerous speakers and volunteers. Every year, we need 80 volunteers for a number of different roles to make Camp E a success. We already have volunteers signed up for some of our needs. Thank you to those of you who have already committed.
The most immediate needs include:
· 9 Mentors - If you are a fun Rotarian this is for you! The most important volunteer role at Camp E, working with a student team throughout the 2½-day program.
· 11 Venture Capitalists - If you have limited availability the Saturday morning, November 7th role may be right for you. This will entail judging student business presentations and making a mock $5 million investment.
· 5 Essay Readers - Another commitment of Saturday morning only. You will be assisting with scoring student essays for scholarships.
· Student Recruitment Volunteers - Cannot commit to the weekend??? How about helping connect with area schools over the next several weeks.
· Registration, bus loading, set-up, and takedown volunteers – This will be shorter time commitments for those who may not be able to participate for the full program.
Reach out to Michael Birdman (EMRC), Chairperson 2026 or Brent Lundell (ERC), Co-Chair 2026 with any questions. You can also contact us at camperotary@gmail.com or 763.442.9273.
Join us at "The Mezz" on Monday, November 9, 2026 from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. Lunds & Byerlys, 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 Dr. Rassacin Ly, D.C., a Chiropractic Doctor at Chiropractic Healing Arts Center. Registration is not required.
We are doing a winter clothing drive in conjunction with the Edina Country Club Thursday, November 19th. Bring your gently used or new coats, sweaters, sweatshirts, gloves/mittens, winter hats and blankets to ECC. These items will be donated to Involve MN who feeds over 5,000 meals each week to the local area unsheltered using a special van to visit encampments and other areas where they gather. Involve MN is a Minnesota based non-profit collaborating with community, business and government to provide for the unsheltered and vulnerable people in the Minneapolis and St. Paul area. Your friends and family are welcome to participate.
Questions? Please reach out to Ann Platt at 952-292-6043 / 952-837-1877 or Jack Kennefick or 612-220-4972. Thank you in advance for your participation.
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.
Wednesday, December 2nd, 2:15pm - 5:15pm: Sign up here!
Plated Half Sandwich & Cup of Soup: Smoked Turkey on Focaccia w/herb mayo, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato & Tomato Basil Soup
Family Style Cookies and Bars
NEXT MEETING
Oct. 22nd, Speaker: Rob Vischer, President of St. Thomas University
DEADLINE for newsletter story and event submission is Monday at 5 pm. RCE Administrator, Madeleine Isaacson, works part time and will respond to your inquiries as quickly as possible. Contact her at rotary.madeleine@gmail.com.
Augustana Lutheran Church and Community Emergency Service (CES) share a long history of service in Minneapolis. Over 50 years ago, Augustana founded CES as one of the first downtown food shelves. Today, CES operates as its own organization but remains closely tied to Augustana, sharing space and a joint commitment to serving neighbors with dignity, compassion, and care.
On 10/24/26, World Polio Day, Rotary members across Region 36 – Zones 25 & 29 are coming together for something BIG — a bold, unified step toward a polio-free world. We are calling on 36,620 Rotarians and 964 Rotaractors across 11 states and 2 countries to take part in the World’s Largest Polio Walk — a powerful, visible demonstration of our commitment to ending polio forever. This is more than a walk. It’s a movement.
Join us at our Rotary Club of Edina booth for a spooktacular alternative to door-to-door trick-or-treating with a HalloBoo Trick-or-Treat Trail. Volunteers will hand out candy bars and treats at this indoor alternative to door-to-door trick-or-treating and answer any questions participants’ parents or guardians have about Rotary. (All participants will receive chocolate candy bars. Those 5 and older will receive a Rotary flashlight.) Volunteers should wear their Rotary T-shirt or a fun, not-too-scary Halloween costume. This is a low-stress, fun community service activity benefitting Edina’s youth.
It is time for Edina Morningside Rotary Club Online Gertens Fundraiser! This group will receive 30% of all plant sales and 15% of all plant card sales. Proceeds will go toward Rotary International-End Polio Now.
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. 