Stevenson Selected For Bush Foundation Change Network
August 23, 2018
WATERTOWN – Lake Area Technical College Business Partner Specialist, Julie Stevenson of Watertown along with 19 other South Dakotans have been selected to join the second South Dakota Change Network cohort. From welcoming new populations in the rural community of Mina to assisting promising Native American artists in Vermillion, the 20 participants are driven to improve the places they live and work.
The Change Network provides South Dakotans, North Dakotans, and the region’s 12 Native nations with a supportive learning environment to lead change within their organizations and communities in a more equitable and inclusive manner. Stevenson will spend the next year working one-on-one with a mentor and jointly in group discussions while attending online learning sessions and three in-person assembles.
Stevenson began her career at Lake Area Technical College in July 2015 as the Foundation Director and then moved into the role of Business Partner Specialist this past year. In her role, Julie works side by side with industry partners through various workforce development strategies. Julie has worked in collegiate and health care marketing/public relations and Foundation Director roles in Minnesota and South Dakota for more than 25 years. She has taught Political Science courses at a collegiate level for the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system for 16 years both on campus and online. Julie has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Minnesota, a MS degree in Education from Southwest Minnesota State University and in Political Science from Fort Hays State University in Kansas.
“We are excited to engage a diverse group of South Dakotans who span multiple backgrounds, professions, ways of thinking, points of view, and ages,” remarked Kari O’Neill, Community Vitality Field Specialist with SDSU Extension. “One of Change Network’s greatest strengths is the cohort’s ability to learn from and assist each other thanks to their breadth of expertise.”
Begun in 2017, Change Network is made possible through the collaboration of 3E Productions, Bush Foundation, CommonSense Consulting@Work, MillerHale Associates, NAS, SDSU Extension, and Strengthen ND. Participation in the Change Network is generously funded by the Bush Foundation and includes access to a $5,000 grant to implement a pilot project or support a related ongoing community project.
Change Network South Dakota Participants
Golnesa Asheghali | Rapid City
Caitlin Bordeaux | Saint Francis
Keith Braveheart | Vermillion
Casey Burrus | Herrick
Naomi Even-Aberle | Rapid City
Bea Fischer | Aberdeen
Amber Hansen | Vermillion
Heidi Hepola | Aberdeen
Betta Jay | Flandreau
Julie Johnson | Mina
Pam Lange | Belle Fourche
Leslie Larson-Cutshaw | Clear Lake
Sandra Kern Mollman | Vermillion
Tamie Nickelson | Frederick
Emily Firman Pieper | Flandreau
Jay Pond | Rapid City
Paul Schipper | Sioux Falls
Julie Stevenson | Watertown
Cary Thrall | Lead
Erica Weston | Oglala
