Brief Bio: Jane is an award-winning speaker and author. Her passion is to help you navigate from fear to joy, from tasks gone wrong to positive connections. Throughout a lifetime of research, she has collected the most effective practices and tools designed to educate, energize, and inspire you to build brilliance and create joy.

Speech Title: So.... You Think You Want to Grow Dahlias!

​Description:  

Neville is an Oklahoma farm boy at heart, and enjoys seeing open grasslands and well-tended farm fields.  He also enjoys growing dahlias, even though doing so involves much more labor than most flowers require.

With their abundance of flower colors, shapes and sizes, there is always a new variety of Dahlia to add to his collection.

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Learning Objectives: N/A​​

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Brief Bio: 

Neville grew up on a farm in Southeastern Oklahoma, helping his dad grow cotton and peanuts.

He attended Oklahoma State University, where he got his BS and MS in Agronomy (Crop Science)

He met Lynn at Washington State University, in grad school.

Their first seven years as newlyweds were in Maryville, MO, where he taught at NW Missouri State University.

They moved to MN in 1985, and he finished his PHD in Plant Breeding.

He and Lynn have five children, and twenty one grandchildren, so far.

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Speech Title: Changes​​

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Description:  ​

We are constantly surrounded by changes - in the seasons of life, the seasons of nature, the seasons of the directions in which we see ourselves going - willingly or not so willingly!

Chris is going to speak on some of these changes and how we can get through some of them that disguise themselves as peaceful whirlwinds!

Learning Objectives: ​​

Reflect

Refocus

Become Resilient

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​Brief Bio: Christine A Ciccone is a wife, mother, and grandmother, and lives in East Bethel, MN. She loves God, family, sewing, reading, baking, and being an Independent Distributor for Reliv International, a nutritional supplement company. She believes helping people is a journey of the heart. Public speaking is also now part of her journey.

Speech Title: Let's Get Thinking: The Power of Games and Logic Play Part I

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Description: Games and logic-based activities can be powerful tools for developing critical thinking in children and adults alike. By engaging in puzzles, strategy games, and logic challenges, one is able to learn how to analyze, strategize, evaluate options, and make reasoned decisions.  Gwen will provide participants with suggestions about games and activities to enhance problem solving, and boost creative/higher level thinking. You might even get a few ideas for Christmas gift giving!  This evening will be part I.  Join the zoom meeting for Part II on Thursday, November 14.

​​Learning Objectives: ​​​​

Discover games and activities that encourage and enhance critical thinking.

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Brief Bio:  : Gwen Briesemeister is a recovering educator of 41 years.   A majority of those years she spent working with gifted and talented students.  During that time Gwen became an expert at finding educational materials and activities to meet the needs of gifted learners that enhanced their creative problem solving strategies, logical reasoning and analytical thinking.

Speech Title: Another Speech... What to Say!?!  What to Say!?!​

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Description:  

This "chat" will touch on three different topics; two of them lightly, one of them with more depth.

The third topic will take a turn down a path we don't usually travel at our Power Talk events.

Lynn looks forward to having you join her.

She hopes you enjoy the side trip.

​Learning Objectives: N/A

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Brief Bio:  

Minnesota Native

U of MN: BS Wildlife Biology, BS Agronomy Washington State University: MS Agronomy/Seed Physiology

Married to Neville Wilson: Five children & Twenty one grandchildren

Life insurance & Securities license Member: North Branch Arts Group, North Branch Parks, Trails, Open Spaces Commission Interests: family, travel, music, books, Biblical studies

Speech Title:  Don't Be An NPC!
 

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Description:  

When you show up at an event or meeting does everyone know your name?

Do they know who you are?

If the answer is no, Then you are an NPC.

An NPC,  in Video Game Terms stands for "Non Player Character".

IE: a character that does not interact with The game player and is just background.

Other names include "cog in the wheel", "That guy or gal", etc. 

Learning Objectives:

• How to be noticed, and be noticed in a good way.

• How to be memorable.

• How to have people seek you out .

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​Brief Bio: Norm Johnson-Korbuly has a diverse background and life experiences. Norm's hobbies include Gardening, Improv/Standup Comedy, and Sports Cars. Norm and his wife, Lili Korbuly-Johnson, love speaking about their experiences in their journey to free themselves from their jobs.