Events

At the Eden Prairie Schools new Valley View location (the old SuperValu headquarters).  Time to be announced at a later date.

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.

Celebrate friendship, connection, and a little fun at our Women in Rotary gathering! 

Join us for a relaxed evening at the home of Sandra Krebsbach, filled with great conversation, laughter, and camaraderie as we celebrate the incredible women of our club. Enjoy light bites, drinks, and meaningful connection in a warm, welcoming setting. Thank you Sandra for hosting!

When: Thursday, November 12, 5:00-7:00 pm

Where: Sandra Krebsbach's Home, 1230 Culligan Lane, Mendota Heights

David Schultz is Distinguished University Professor in the Departments of Political Science, Environmental Studies, and Legal Studies at Hamline University. He is also an adjunct professor of Law at the University of Minnesota and at the University of St. Thomas, and an affiliate faculty member at the Lithuanian Military Academy in Vilnius, Lithuania. A four-time Fulbright scholar who has taught extensively in Europe and Asia, and the winner of the Leslie A. Whittington national award for excellence in public affairs teaching, David is the author of more than 45 books and 200+ articles on various aspects of American politics, election law, and the media and politics, and he is regularly interviewed and quoted in the local, national, and international media on these subjects including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, the Economist, and National Public Radio. His most recent books are Constitutional Precedent in US Supreme Court Reasoning (2022), Handbook of Election Law (2022), and Presidential Swing States (2022). Prior to teaching, Professor Schultz served as a city director of planning, zoning and code enforcement, and as a housing and economic planner for a community action agency. David is on the ACS Minnesota Advisory Board and is former executive director of Common Cause Minnesota and a former vice-president for the Minnesota and South Texas chapters of the American Civil Liberties Union. He is licensed to practice law in Minnesota and before the US Supreme Court.

The Common Table

A Thanksgiving Celebration of Gratitude, Friendship & Service

Dear Rotary Friends,

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to gather, celebrate friendships, and reflect on the many blessings in our lives.

Please join us for The Common Table, a special evening of food, fellowship, laughter, and gratitude as we celebrate the spirit of Rotary and the friendships that bring us together.

We will also raise a toast to our dear fellow Rotarian Dr. Dash, celebrating his birthday and honoring his generous spirit of philanthropy and service to our community.

Saturday, November 21, 2026
5:00 PM onwards
At the Prigge Home, Medina

Come hungry, bring your stories, and enjoy an evening of friendship and celebration!

Belong. Connect. Serve.

Hosted by Tanwi Prigge
Rotary Club of Edina — Outreach & Inclusion

Register above or RSVP to Tanwi directly at tanwimp@gmail.com or 763.291.2722

ONLINE REGISTRATION FOR LUNCH AND/OR BASKET ASSEMBLY - DELIVERY IS OPEN HERE THROUGH NOVEMBER 20.

ANNUAL THANKSGIVING BASKET DELIVERY- TEAMS NEEDED -

SIGN UP BY Friday, November 20

On Wednesday, November 25th members of the Rotary Club of Edina, along with members of the Edina Morningside Rotary Club, will pack baskets and deliver Thanksgiving meals to families in need throughout the Twin Cities region. A roasted turkey, stuffing, cranberries, potatoes and gravy along with vegetables, oranges, even a delicious pie, make their way to area homes via active Rotarians and their families. With warm knit mittens and hats to help with the coming winter, these Thanksgiving Baskets bring some brightness and joy into the holiday season.

PLAN and REGISTER FOR THE 2026 EVENT

DAY OF EVENT DETAILS:

• WHAT: Thanksgiving Basket Preparation and Delivery (85 baskets total - 2 to 3 baskets per team).
• WHERE: Assembly at the Edina Country Club; home delivery throughout Twin Cities Area
• WHEN: Wednesday, November 25th
• TIME: Doors and lunch open at 11:30 a.m. Basket and assembly is Noon to 1:30 or until last basket is out the door.
• WHO: Members and families of the Rotary Club of Edina and the Edina Morningside Rotary Club
• LUNCH COST: Guests of members is $27 per adult and $12 per child 12 and under.

85 Baskets total to be delivered by up to 20 teams from Edina Rotary and 9 teams from Edina Morningside.

DETAILS:

Buffet style soup and sandwich lunch begins at 11:30 a.m. with a short meeting during food service. Afterwards, we'll assemble the Thanksgiving baskets for area families in need. Volunteers are being requested for the basket assembly and deliveries. We are asking all Rotarians and guests who plan to attend to register by Friday, November 20 so we can plan for the luncheon and basket assembly/delivery. Please make sure to register all your guest names.and note in the comments when you register if you are signing up to assemble and deliver baskets or you and your guests are just joining us for lunch. Please let us know if you have a preference for who you would like to join you in delivering baskets. You can also contact Tom Cook or Mary Hustad with questions or special requests. 

There is no Noon meeting on Thanksgiving, Nov. 26, so this counts as the official Rotary meeting for that week. Rotarians with regular memberships do not have to pay for lunch at the door. EMRC members, senior active or honorary members will be billed and guests will be charged to the Rotary member $27 for adults, $12 for children under 12. 

Join us for this wonderful event that allows you to give back to those in need during the holidays, and spend time with your fellow Rotarians, family and friends! We'll see you there!

BASKET CONTENTS

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. 

For more information, contact Jennifer Bennerotte, 612-201-3467 or jbennerotte@EdinaRotary.org. 

Rick Kupchella is a serial entrepreneur and business owner with a collection of companies in new media – focused on digital innovation, content marketing, consumer news distribution and network building. He started his career in radio and television… working in New York, Washington, DC, Michigan & Kentucky – before serving more than 20 years as an anchor and investigative reporter with the NBC television affiliate in Minneapolis. 

During his time in news, he was recognized with more than a dozen Emmys and several other honors, including Best of Show at the New York International Film Festival. In the last few years Kupchella’s founded or partnered with three different startups… collectively raising more than 15-million in venture capital, creating more than 100 jobs and seeing the successful sale of two companies… including the local news platform BringMeTheNews – which sold to the Pohlad group in 2015… and a peer-to-peer education company known as Sophia, which sold to Capella Education Company in 2012. 

He’s a former President of the Minnesota Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and immediate past-Chairman of Smile Network International – a Minnesota-based humanitarian organization that’s repaired cleft lips and palates on more than 25-hundred children in Central & South America, Asia and Africa. 

Rick also wrote two children’s books in honor of his daughters… including “Girls Can” – written in cooperation for former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Conner, Olympic Great Jackie Joyner Kersee and America’s first woman in space, Dr. Sally Ride. 

Alison Rempel Brown envisions museums as agents of change that make science a tool for justice, accessible to all.

Under Brown’s leadership, the Science Museum of Minnesota implemented a new strategic plan focused on the evolving role of museums in society – as centers of knowledge, places of curiosity, and sources of preparation for a science-driven world. It positions the museum as a place for meaningful conversations about critical topics like race, mental health, and climate change.

Brown was listed on the 2026 TCB 100. She has also been named one of the Minneapolis–St. Paul Business Journal’s People to Watch and received its Women in Business Award.

Before her work in Minnesota, Brown served as Chief of Staff at the California Academy of Sciences, where she leveraged her expertise to drive institutional growth and enhance visitor experiences.Brown is a board member for the American Alliance of Museums and the Minnesota Private College Consortium. She received her MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Pomona College, with an emphasis in mathematics.

Born in Richfield, MN, he is a prominent spokesperson for the understanding and preservation of the Arctic and has led some of the most significant feats in the field of dogsled expeditions; such as the first confirmed dogsled journey to the North Pole (without re-supply) in 1986, the 1,600-mile south–north traverse of Greenland - the longest unsupported dogsled expedition in history at that time in 1988, the historic 3,741-mile International Trans-Antarctic Expedition - the first dogsled traverse of Antarctica (1989–90), and the International Arctic Project - the first and only dogsled traverse of the Arctic Ocean from Russia to Ellesmere Island in Canada during 1995.

Steger has been invited to testify before Congress on polar and environmental issues based on his first-hand experience in the Polar Regions and environmental expertise.

Steger co-founded the Center for Global Environmental Education at Hamline University in 1991 following the successful International Trans-Antarctic Expedition which reached 15 million students worldwide. In 1993, he founded the World School for Adventure Learning at the University of St. Thomas. In 2006, due to his growing concern about climate change, he established the Will Steger Foundation (now Climate Generation) to educate and empower people to engage in solutions to climate change. In 2014, he launched the Steger Wilderness Center, his final phase of his larger mission to keep the planet sustainable for future generations.

Chanhassen Dinner Theatres selected its new president and artistic director, following the death of longtime leader Michael Brindisi in February.

Tamara Kangas Erickson has been with the theater for more than 20 years, serving as vice president for the past 15 and directing or choreographing over 50 productions alongside Brindisi. Erickson served as resident choreographer on Brindisi’s artistic team.

Erickson first performed at CDT as a child in “The Sound of Music” and returned as a performer and choreographer after college. Her directing credits include “The Musical of Musicals: The Musical” and “Respect: The Musical Journey of Women.”

Chanhassen Dinner Theatres is the nation’s largest professional dinner theatre, employing more than 300 artists and staff.

Tom is a member of the Edina Morning Club and Sam is a member of the Edina Noon Club.

Chiefs Hodges and Milburn will share about current challenges in policing as well as how cities are cooperating to address them.

Both have extensive backgrounds in law enforcement and are considered experts in their field as well as outstanding leaders in their job and community.

Jeff Howison is Senior Research Analyst in the Minnesota State Demographic Center. After receiving his doctorate in sociology in 2010 from the State University of New York at Binghamton, Jeff was assistant professor of sociology at Yeditepe University in Istanbul, Turkey, where he lived and worked for six years. In 2016, Jeff became the lead demographer in the state government of Ohio, where he worked primarily on state and local population projections. Jeff joined the Minnesota State Demographic Center in October of 2023, and his work will further the office’s mission to foster public access to and understanding of demographic data and population trends. When he’s not working, Jeff enjoys playing chess, cooking, and the outdoors.

Shelly is the President of the Edina Chamber of Commerce and Explore Edina.

Jeff Davidman is the Vice President – State and Local Government Affairs at Delta Air Lines. In this position, Jeff oversees the team that represents Delta before state and local units of government across the United States.

During Jeff’s tenure representing Delta, he has assisted with securing the necessary government support for the successful merger of Northwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines. He led Delta’s state and local government affairs efforts in securing State support and resources from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania which helped enable Delta to be the first airline in the world to purchase an oil refinery and to produce its own jet fuel. Jeff has also successfully led the efforts to pass legislation in multiple states that has provided more scheduling flexibility for Delta employees.  

Prior to his tenure at Delta, Jeff was an associate at the Minneapolis Law Firm Best and Flanagan, LLP as well as a Director of Government Affairs at Northwest Airlines. Before moving to the private sector, Jeff worked for nearly a decade in Minnesota Government, including as a Senior Policy Advisor to Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty.

Jeff is a graduate of Miami University and William Mitchell College of Law. He was named a “40 Under 40” by the Minneapolis Business Journal in 2013.