Derek and Kelly Riepe, of Perham, are East Otter Tail County’s representatives in this year’s Red River Valley Emerging Leadership Program. Alumni of the program nominated the Riepes because of their involvement in the community.
Derek works as a full-time diesel mechanic for Perham Truck Service, and Kelly is a Registered Nurse at Lakewood Health Systems in Staples. The couple lives on a hobby farm, where they raise several head of cattle. Those cattle are processed at the local locker plant and sold as beef to local residents. Derek also works with his father and brother raising crops.
Together, Derek and Kelly market small square straw bales to the local co-op which, in turn, sells to local consumers. They have two children, Kacie and Logan, and are members of St. Henry’s Catholic Church, the Boys and Girls Club and the Lake Area Co-op.
Derek and Kelly have taken part in educational sessions since November 2014. They are building skills for leadership and networking with other rural leaders from 16 counties in the region. Extension educators Jody Horntvedt, Lisa Hinz and Brian Fredrickson are instructors for the sessions, which focus on personal leadership styles, communication, community leadership, legislative issues, creating a shared vision, dealing with conflict and facilitating effective meetings.
According to Horntvedt, “this program acts on the understanding that effective leadership can be learned, and that leaders grow into positions of leadership when they are motivated by a sense of responsibility for themselves and their communities.”
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This is the 31st year the Emerging Leadership Program has brought together individuals from across the region for training workshops. More than 1,000 leaders in northwest and west central Minnesota are alumni of the program, which was developed in 1985 to enhance the King Agassiz Program of the Red River Valley Winter Shows.
University of Minnesota Extension is the primary sponsor of the Emerging Leadership Program. Additional financial support comes from the Red River Valley Development Association, and from a variety of other sources including ag producer groups, electric cooperatives, community businesses, financial institutions and individuals in counties throughout northwest and west central Minnesota. The Emerging Leadership Program is a regional fund of the Northwest Minnesota Foundation.
The Riepes will be honored at the Emerging Leadership Program’s annual recognition banquet on Saturday, March 28 in Crookston, Minn. Family and friends are invited to the event. Tickets can be ordered from the Extension Regional Office in Crookston by calling 218-281-8696 or 1-888-241-0781.
