LUMINOUS: Shining a light on bright, brilliant women of the Perham area

LUMINOUS

Shining a light on bright, brilliant women of the Perham area

A special publication of the Perham Focus

‘All the kids love’ Tiffany Schroeer ▲ School nurse Sue Seip keeps her cool during COVID ▲ Tamara Langen says, ‘Don’t forget to smile’ ▲ Susan TenEyck-Stafki ‘tirelessly advocates’ for early childhood education ▲ All this INSIDE

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Contents Susan TenEyck-Stafki: ‘A doer, through and through’ ....................... Page 6 Sue Seip: Playing a vital role in student health.................................... Page 10 Tiffany Schroeer: A friend to all at Empowering Kids........................ Page 14 Tamara Langen: ‘Love what you do, and have fun’............................. Page 18 PUBLISHER Melissa Swenson mswenson@dlnewspapers.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Dawn Duncan dawn@yellowbrightinc.com

MAGAZINE EDITOR Marie Johnson mtjohnson@dlnewspapers.com

Elizabeth Vierkant evierkant@perhamfocus.com

ADVERTISING Robin Stalley rstalley@dlnewspapers.com Julie Lake jlake@perhamfocus.com

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‘A DOER, THROUGH AND THROUGH’ M State early childhood program founder and director, Susan TenEyck-Stafki, is an innovative and tireless advocate for kids, families and educators

BY DAWN DUNCAN For Luminous

S

usan TenEyck-Stafki is a regional standout in the realm of early childhood education.

A local leader, anchor and visionary in the field, she has throughout her 30-year career continually sought ways to innovate, pivot and strategize for the benefit of kids, families and early childhood educators. Even as the industry has been battered by budget cuts, staffing shortages, high turnover, space restrictions and myriad other issues, she has remained firmly grounded in her mission to serve young children.

Well known across the region for her founding role and continuing directorship of M State’s early childhood program, TenEyck-Stafki is also the executive director of Children’s Corner in Fergus Falls and

recently launched an early childhood studies program with Perham High School, among many other leadership efforts.

“Susan is one of the hardestworking, committed child care center directors that I have had the privilege to know,” says Kay Heidrich, a colleague and friend who runs a child care center in Moorhead. “She is an ever-ready listening ear for those directors who are struggling, and offers compassion and support.

She is committed to teaching and practicing best practices in our field, has committed her life and all of her energy toward making sure that families and communities have quality child care options, and tirelessly advocates at the local and state level to improve services.”

With the pandemic shining a light on the importance of quality child care and the need for more government support for it, Heidrich adds that now is a critical time to be having conversations about early childhood education, and TenEyck-Stafki, “works to inform policymakers and tell the story of child care in our communities. She is a true professional in every sense of the word.”

TenEyck-Stafki’s passion for education goes far back: she was just six years old when she first told her mother that she wanted to be a teacher. And while most of her peers wavered on their plans over the years, she stayed committed and passionate, excited to one day be an educator.

Susan TenEyck-Stafki is a local pillar of early childhood education. She’s pictured above, at left, with her husband Shawn, who’s also an educator, and, at right, with members of the West Central Child Care Directors Association and Senator Kent Eken. All Photos Submitted By Susan TenEyck-Stafki / Luminous 6 | LUMINOUS 2021

Susan is one of the hardest-working, committed child care center directors that I have had the privilege to know.

—KAY HEIDRICH, A COLLEAGUE AND FRIEND

Her dream came true after she earned her bachelor of science degree in elementary education, with a concentration in early childhood, from Minnesota State University Moorhead in 1988. During those college years, she met and fell in love with Perham native Shawn Stafki, and the pair married in 1986 (he’s now a science teacher in Perham, and was the school district’s Teacher of the Year in 2013).

A few years later, the couple moved to the buttes of South Dakota, where she taught in a one-room school from 1989 to 1991.

That experience — working with 17 students in grades K-8 who comprised the school’s entire enrollment — helped her hone her organizational skills and allowed her to flex her strengths of tenacity, flexibility, and smarts. She handled lesson planning, teaching, lunch preparation, recess, and all the school’s activities at different times, splitting duties with one other teacher.

In 1991, she and Shawn moved back to Minnesota so she could take a position with M State as the director of the Wadena campus’s onsite child care center. Three years later, she began an early childhood certificate program at the college, and M State started teaching early childhood to people interested in opening their own in-home daycares or finding employment at existing early education centers.

The program was so successful that it was relocated to the larger Detroit

Lakes campus 10 years ago. TenEyckStafki has developed each phase and rendition of the program, reworking it several times over the years to keep it evolving to meet current needs and cover relevant topics surrounding education. She still serves as program director and lead instructor, and the program today, she says, has moved from an 18-credit certificate to a two-year degree and then two-year pathway that can be applied to a four-year degree. She considers that evolution to be one of her biggest achievements at M State.

Now active on the Detroit Lakes campus, TenEyck-Stafki serves as the Shared Governance President and before that was the State Vice President for the Minnesota State College Faculty Union.

TenEyck-Stafki and her husband, Shawn, on vacation in Hawaii for their 30-year wedding anniversary.

M State serves more than 8,000 students in credit courses each year in more than 80 career and liberal arts programs online and at its campuses in Detroit Lakes, Fergus Falls, Moorhead and Wadena. The college also provides workforce development services and other responsive training programs in the communities it serves.

“I have always had a passion,” TenEyck-Stafki says, “not only for education and children, but for creating and advancing programs.”

For the past 15 years, she has served as the executive director of Children’s Corner in Fergus Falls, which offers programs for children ages birth to five years old. She is also president of the Region 5 Directors’ Association, which meets with child care directors monthly and advocates for state support for early childhood programs throughout Minnesota.

For her, education is a year-round job, and she says that’s true for all educators.

“The idea that teachers have summers off is a misconception,” she says. “Educators work throughout the year, even when not in the classroom, to develop, present, and secure programs.”

One of her most recent endeavors has been launching a new program with Perham High School, working with the school district’s K-12 coordinator to bring a career and technical education program into the curriculum. She teaches at the high school on Monday mornings to students interested in pursuing elementary education and early childhood studies.

“We have to find the people who truly love teaching and are intrinsically wired to be successful with children,” she says of finding the next generation of early childhood teachers. “We have to constantly reach out and identify those who showcase the right skills and stay ahead of the needs of education every day.”

LUMINOUS 2021 | 7

TenEyck-Stafki, at a wedding with her family.

Teachers need to have stamina, passion, organization, creativity, compassion, and high energy. I think bringing these to the table is what matters; it is what we have to have to make a strong impact on our communities.

—SUSAN TENEYCK-STAFKI

TenEyck-Stafki and her husband, Shawn, pose with Goofy during a trip to Walt Disney World.

“There are shortages in childcare staffing and that means we never rest on our laurels,” she adds. “The way we solve the issues we’re facing in shortages is to bring the program to them. This is how we inspire them…

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school to decide – before they get to college — if this career is a good fit, and to understand the importance of child development.”

According to TenEyck-Stafki, 90% of a child’s brain development occurs by age 5; 75% is by age 3, so, “Creating

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The Shakopee, Minnesota native professes a craving for getting things done, and has an innate sense of career direction that guides her like a compass.

“Teachers need to have stamina, passion, organization, creativity, compassion, and high energy,” she says. “I think bringing these to the table is what matters; it is what we have to have to make a strong impact on our communities… I’m a doer, through and through. I’ve never lost my determination.”

She credits her strong foundation of family for giving her the platform to hone her strengths, noting that her mother stressed the importance of the family unit while raising six children.

“My mother was a go-getter,” she says. “So strong, still to this day at age 84.”

A family woman herself, TenEyck-Stafki raised four children with Shawn, whom she calls, “my biggest supporter and cheerleader.” The couple has lived on Marion Lake in Perham for the past 21 years. They love to get out on the pontoon together, and to take cruises and vacations in warm places like Las Vegas and Orlando. Their children — Alyssa, Shawn, Samuel and Seth — are grown up and building successful careers and lives of their own. ▲

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CRITICAL CAREGIVER

Rising to the challenges of COVID with calm and common sense, school nurse Sue Seip plays a vital role in the health of Perham students and staff

BY ELIZABETH VIERKANT For Luminous

A

t the age of 17, Sue Seip lost sight in one of her eyes due to an unusual parasitic infection. She needed strong medicines, and ended up spending nine days in the hospital to be treated.

As it turned out, the unfortunate ordeal was also an unexpected turn of fortune. It opened Seip’s eyes, ironically speaking, to the wonders of good nursing care and sparked in her a passion for the profession, inspiring a career that ended up lasting a lifetime. ”I had the most wonderful nurse those nine days,” Seip recalls. “Having someone so good to me made me want to go into nursing.”

After graduating from high school, the Wadena native studied nursing in Fargo and Bemidji and then returned to her hometown to start a career as a nurse. She found work in public

health at first, and enjoyed that, she says, but it wasn’t until about 20 years ago that she fulfilled her true calling and became a school nurse. She served

An animal-lover, Seip smiles next to her beloved dog.

Submitted Photo / Sue Seip / Luminous

in that role in Wadena for several years and then, in 2008, became the school nurse for Perham Public Schools.

In the 13 years since then, Seip has become a familiar and friendly face in the district’s health office, caring for staff and students who aren’t feeling well and helping to manage medications for kids with chronic conditions. It keeps her busy, even in non-COVID times, as she visits all three schools most days — elementary, middle and high school.

COVID, of course, has been a gamechanger. When that hit, Seip was faced with a whole new set of challenges.

She suddenly had to wear several new hats to ensure the safety of staff and students, and her workload heavily increased. It became her job to keep close tabs on local COVID case numbers, communicate any significant developments to other leaders within

Sue Seip has been the school nurse for Perham Public Schools since 2008. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed her role dramatically, but her colleagues say she’s risen to the challenge with professionalism and a positive attitude.

Elizabeth Vierkant / Luminous

10 | LUMINOUS 2021

the school district, and serve as the district’s public contact for all things pandemic-related.

Her colleagues say she’s risen to these challenges with poise, professionalism, and a positive attitude. Her hard work earned her the title of 2020-2021 Member of the Year by the Perham Education Association.

“She’s not the kind to boast, but it was well-deserving — she earned it,” says Mitch Anderson, the district superintendent. “She’s done an incredible job. What stands out is that she has never come to me about any complaints. She’s taken (the pandemic) head-on and accepted the challenges with a real commonsense approach.”

Seip says her previous experience in public health has been useful in her dealings with COVID as a school nurse. Her primary goal since the pandemic hit has been to keep everybody informed about changing guidelines and case numbers, in a timely fashion. She meets regularly with the Minnesota Department of Health and Otter Tail County Public Health to get relevant and accurate information, and then shares that information with students, family and staff.

Seip files reports and paperwork and reviews school breakfast menus in her office in late October 2021. Elizabeth Vierkant / Luminous

When there’s a COVID exposure in the school, and when quarantines are needed, Seip takes the lead on communications, reaching out to the affected families to share information and instructions. She’s the one who calculates exposure dates and figures out who’s been exposed to the virus.

She also files all the necessary reports and paperwork, and manages the district’s COVID testing supplies.

Meanwhile, she’s been giving extra help and monitoring to higherrisk students with chronic health

conditions — such as diabetes and asthma — during the pandemic.

Through it all, she’s taken a nononsense approach and has kept her cool, Anderson says: “A lot of people try to make it through a whole day or week without having a difficult conversation, but she’s often calling people to give bad news before she’s even had a cup of coffee.”

“It gets a bit overwhelming at times,” Seip admits, but she tries to be optimistic. “We’re doing our best to keep everyone as healthy as possible.

She’s done an incredible job.

She’s taken (the pandemic) head-on and accepted the challenges with a real common-sense approach.

Seip and her husband, Nathan, enjoy traveling together.

—MITCH ANDERSON, PERHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT

Submitted Photo / Sue Seip / Luminous

LUMINOUS 2021 | 11

We’re doing our best to keep everyone as healthy as possible. Staff, students and families have been very supportive… Even though (the pandemic) has been awful, there are good things to come out of it.

—SUE SEIP

Staff, students and families have been very supportive. There are people who get frustrated, and I understand. It’s been different times for all of us.”

“I just try to look at that positive bright side even though (things are tough),” she adds. “Even though (the pandemic) has been awful, there are good things to come out of it.”

Seip sees herself as a glass-half-full

~ Christie, Co-Owner

kind of person. Despite the struggles she experiences on the job, she finds plenty of joy in-between the lines.

One of the biggest sources of joy for her is watching students grow older and more independent from year to year. She’s been with the Perham district for long enough now that she’s known this year’s seniors since they were in kindergarten.

“Watching all of the kids grow up is fun,” she says. “You get to see someone who’s shy and quiet in their early years become a great leader.

(Oftentimes when you) work with young kids with chronic health issues, they’re dependent on you. As they get older, you get to see them become more and more independent. You get to see kids be able to manage their own health conditions and advocate for themselves.”

At 56 years old, Seip says she’s very comfortable in her career, and has found “a place to stay” in the Perham school district. She enjoys working with students and families every day, and after 13 years, “I feel like I’ve gotten to know people well — coworkers, families, administrators and the community.”

“I just really like working with students and families,” she says.

“Once I got into (school nursing), I really enjoyed it.” ▲

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‘ALL THE KIDS LOVE TIFFANY’ Kindness, compassion, and a constant smile make Empowering Kids Director Tiffany Schroeer a friend to all

BY REBECCA MITCHELL For Luminous

T

iffany Schroeer carries her compassion and love for people, fun sense of humor, and ‘kid whisperer’ talent with her everywhere she goes, injecting those qualities into everything she does. With her bright smile and listening ear, she wins people over and forms quick connections with them. Children, especially, are drawn to her — and that’s a really valuable trait in her line of work.

Schroeer is the director of Empowering Kids, a nonprofit program in Perham that provides

services, support and resources to kids with autism or other social challenges. She works with children who are on the autism spectrum or have other emotional or behavioral disorders, like ADHD (attentiondeficit / hyperactivity disorder).

“Tiffany’s a favorite,” says Christi Stoll, the general manager at Empowering Kids. “All the kids love Tiffany.”

Empowering Kids was founded

by Perham woman Kim Nelson and her husband, Kenny, in 2017, and is the only nonprofit autism

Tiffany Schroeer has been the Director of Empowering Kids in Perham since 2018.

Rebecca Mitchell / Luminous

14 | LUMINOUS 2021

program between Moorhead and Minneapolis. It offers developmental and behavioral intervention services, mental health services, social skills programming, transitional and independent living services for young adults, and more.

Designed to be a safe space for learning and fun, the relatively new program already has a solid reputation for being high-quality and affordable. The families who utilize it, praise it.

As the director, Schroeer plays a leading role in almost everything

that happens at Empowering Kids.

She oversees therapy sessions and group learning activities with kids, like sensory gym, art projects, and computer lab time. She works with young adult clients to help them find their strengths and train for jobs. She organizes sensory-friendly community events, and meets with local business owners to show them how their shops can be more sensory-friendly.

As of this writing, she was gearing up for Empowering Kids’ big move into The Hub building, and she was planning for the fall 2022 opening of the program’s new Inclusive Montessori Preschool.

Schroeer’s an integral part of all the program’s endeavors, but where she really shines, according to those who know her best, is in her relationships with clients and their families. Her interactions spark hope, happiness and purpose.

“She’s fun and she connects with people, and especially people with disabilities,” Stoll says. “She finds good qualities in people, and she can create a bond very quickly... Tiffany is very, very bright. She is very funny.”

“She’s wonderful at listening,” adds Kim Nelson.

Schroeer gives her co-workers some credit for that, saying a couple of them have, “really instilled in me that sense of listening to the client, and that self-advocacy goal, starting when they’re little kids, of being able to say, ‘I have autism.’”

“When you can explain it and talk about it,” she adds, “then it’s not scary, and it’s not weird or different or wrong.”

Schroeer has lifelong, first-hand experience in the world of special education, and she discovered her calling for the career at an early age.

Her sister, Lori, she says, was a big inspiration behind that: About 30 years ago, Lori was the first special education student in Perham to be “mainstreamed.” That means she

Schroeer, far right, with other members of the team from Empowering Kids.

They are, left to right: Heidi Solberg, Kj Henschel, Revel Weber, Christi Stoll and Chelsey Hendrickx. Submitted Photo / Tiffany Schroeer / Luminous

She finds really good qualities in people and she can create a bond very quickly.

—CHRISTI STOLL, SCHROEER’S CO-WORKER

was taught in a general education classroom rather than in a separate special education classroom.

Mainstreaming was developed to include students with disabilities in traditional classrooms so they could have the same social and academic opportunities as other students.

Schroeer watched and followed along as her family and the school district created more spaces of inclusivity for Lori, who has Down Syndrome, and she was inspired by what she saw.

“My mom spoke so highly of the special ed teachers,” she recalls. “I just thought, how cool to impact a life so positively. And if somebody has

Schroeer says her sister Lori, left, is an inspiration behind her career.

Submitted Photo / Tiffany Schroeer / Luminous

LUMINOUS 2021 | 15

made a difference for my sister, maybe I can make a difference for somebody else’s sister, or brother, or child.”

One of Lori’s teachers, in particular, made a strong impression on Schroeer — her elementary school special education teacher, Rick Heimer. He had a great connection with the family, and helped develop a successful learning plan for Lori.

Watching how he interacted with all of them, and seeing the positive difference he made in Lori’s life and all their lives, gave Schroeer a definitive goal for her own future: “I hoped someday I could be somebody else’s Rick Heimer.”

She began paving that path for herself by enrolling in the elementary education program at Minnesota State University in Moorhead. She got her bachelor’s degree, and then returned for her master’s degree in special education, with an emphasis in autism spectrum disorder. She became fascinated by the human brain — how neurotypical and neurodiverse brains are the same and different — and got licensed in developmental cognitive delays, emotional behavioral disorders, and learning disabilities. She went on to teach special education in public schools, including Sebeka schools,

She’s wonderful at listening.

—EMPOWERING KIDS CO-FOUNDER KIM NELSON

and then her path turned toward Empowering Kids.

Schroeer’s mix of academic and personal experience in special education, including her expertise in autism, made her the “absolute perfect” person for the director job, Stoll says: “She understands how services for people with disabilities, they’re so hard to find in rural communities. And because she knows Lori and loves Lori...she will do just about anything to help people have a better life.”

“To find somebody who is that dedicated is really, really hard, so we are incredibly fortunate that she came to Empowering Kids,” adds Stoll. “She has dedicated herself 500%.”

Schroeer will say she wears many different hats in her director role, and that those hats change often.

But no matter what she’s tackling at the moment, her goal is always that, “when people talk about...or think about Empowering Kids, they smile.”

Schroeer aims for the program to provide, “that sense of purpose and that warmth and that connection,” she says, “because that’s what people want and that’s what people need, is that sense of belonging and safety.”

She’s willing to have uncomfortable conversations, check important emails at 2 a.m., and offer a shoulder to cry on. She’s all about creating a space of openness and vulnerability, not only for clients but for staff, as well.

She says the Empowering Kids team is, “the coolest pack of misfits,” who aren’t afraid to ask tough questions, talk through problems, and dive into solutions.

Community support is a vital piece of Empowering Kids’ success, too, she adds, and the program is fortunate to have plenty of that.

Schroeer smiles with one of her young clients for a first day of school photo.

Submitted Photo / Tiffany Schroeer / Luminous

16 | LUMINOUS 2021

Positive community response, “fuels the fire to keep going.” People are asking, “What can I do? How can I help?,” Schroeer says, and that community spirit is just what Empowering Kids needs.

“I would have never, ever, ever in my wildest dreams imagined that it would be where it is today,” she says of how the program has grown. “I tell people about Empowering Kids and the programs that we’re building and our dreams for the future, and it just sounds so surreal.”

Schroeer is currently working on a master’s degree in social work to become a licensed clinical social worker, which will enable her to provide even more mental health services.

That pursuit is taking up much of her free time these days, but when she does have time to spare, Schroeer likes to spend it singing, dancing, sleeping, doing puzzles or, most of all, hanging out with family.

My goal is that when people talk about...

Empowering Kids, they smile.

—TIFFANY SCHROEER

Tiffany Schroeer, on the far left, with her siblings (clockwise from her): Jordan, Brian, Kayla and Lori.

Submitted Photo / Tiffany Schroeer / Luminous

Her four siblings, Jordan, Brian, Lori and Kayla, and their parents, Kurt and Donna, are close-knit, she says, and they all live near each other. For fun, they have a blue school bus that they ride around on.

“Something that we love to do together is to get on the bus and go sing karaoke at random places,” she says. “We also like to take the bus... and go bowling, like everybody hops in and there we go.”

She sees herself sticking around Perham for the long haul. It’s where her heart is, she says: “It’s where my family is, and where my family is, is home.” ▲

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‘LOVE WHAT YOU DO, AND HAVE FUN Bremer Bank’s Tamara Langen injects a sense of humor into everything she does — and she does a lot for Perham

BY DAWN DUNCAN For Luminous

“T

he Lord led us to Perham, where we didn’t know a soul.”

These words, spoken by Perham resident and community leader Tamara Langen, may seem hard to believe given how wellknown and connected she is in the community today. But the Hallock,

Minnesota native and her husband, James, had no prior ties to Perham when they chose to live here. The couple had been living in the big city of Minneapolis for 10 years when James finished chiropractic school.

Ready for a slower pace and a smaller town, they found Perham — and have called it home ever since.

With her roots deep in farm country, Langen grew up hauling water, flushing the toilet only once a day, and being the last of four to bathe in the family tub. Those humble beginnings taught her about work ethic at a very young age.

“You start out by putting on your boots as soon as you can walk and you go gather eggs from the chicken coop,” she recalls of growing up on a farm. “Next, you help in the garden, feed the animals, work on 4-H projects, sew, quilt with the ladies at the church, and babysit for everyone you know.”

When she got a little older, she started using the three-wheeler to check crops and moisture levels of the grain, would fetch tools to fix equipment, and made meals to deliver to the farm workers. She watered the garden, hoed weeds in the beet field,

Tamara is an incredible leader and strong, savvy business person

Langen with her granddaughter, Morgan, in front of the mural in downtown Perham.

Submitted Photo / Tamara Langen / Luminous

18 | LUMINOUS 2021

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drove trucks, plowed, raked hay, and drove around on the “sno-cat” — the affectionate term Minnesotans use in reference to snowmobiles. (Just like all residents say “the lake” to refer to any of the thousands of lakes in the state, all snowmobiles fall under “sno-cat,” Langen laughs).

Her sense of humor and authenticity shine through as she jokingly talks about her youth and her Minnesota mannerisms. Those mannerisms show up in her daily interactions — with clients at work, friends, and strangers. She was raised to help everyone around her, always lend a hand, and to pray. At her country church, she was taught to pray for rain, workers, patience, wisdom, healing, and anyone who needed support.

“Always take Jesus with you wherever you go,” she says.

Langen is a longstanding employee of Bremer Bank, and works in the Perham branch. She is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Carlson School Of Business, where she earned a degree in marketing. She laughs when thinking back to that experience, saying, “I wondered if a small town girl like me could survive there, when the Intro to Psych class would have more people in it than my entire hometown!”

She had not even been to the city before college, but her foundation of faith and love of family gave her strength and fortitude. She was eager to grow, take risks, and do her best to achieve. She did that then, and has continued to do so since.

Soon after college graduation, Langen married James, whom she describes as the love of her life.

While he continued pursuing his chiropractic degrees and began his first years in practice, she worked a variety of jobs around the metro area, including at a salon, Menards, Allianz Insurance Company, Dayton’s, Corporate Graphics International, and

Langen and some of the Bremer Bank crew, dressed up for Perham’s Crazy Days.

Submitted Photo / Tamara Langen / Luminous

Cornerstone Wellness Center.

For a number of years, the couple lived the fast-paced life that city dwelling offers, but then, they felt it was time to focus on starting a family, and they wanted to do that in a small town.

“When we got to Perham, knowing no one here, we went to the local bank to see if they would consider helping us start a chiropractic business,” Langen recalls. “Not only did they

Langen and her husband of 30 years, James.

Submitted Photo / Tamara Langen / Luminous

give us a loan, but they offered me an opportunity to put my marketing degree to use!”

Her love of the Perham community started to unfold as she met more people in the area. She worked with the Chamber of Commerce and had the opportunity to help others discover, as she did, that Perham is an exceptional town.

“Perham is a great place to live, work, play, and shop,” she says.

To show her appreciation for the community, she uses her strengths and talents to give back and make a positive difference. Her list of volunteer efforts is extensive and includes packing more than 800,000 meals for Feed My Starving Children, raising money for Rotary, assisting with the design of the new Perham High School, helping with communications for an expansion project at her church, and also working “elbow to elbow” with business owners and the Perham Events Committee to come up with fun events in town. Most recently, she has been hard at work on Perham’s Sesquicentennial celebrations.

LUMINOUS 2021 | 19

She likes to have fun while helping the community, and has been known to don costumes in hopes of making people smile. She was the one, for example, that convinced all the moms of players on her daughter’s volleyball team to dress up like members of the legendary rock band KISS to motivate the team to “ROCK the Section” championship!

“I have been blessed beyond measure to be able to work alongside so many amazing people in our community on projects,” she says.

This year marks 30 years of marriage for her and James, and the pair are parents to two grown daughters, Alexis and Serena, and grandparents to one granddaughter — with another on the way, due in March. James owns Langen Family Chiropractic in Perham, and Langen

Langen and her family in 2020.

Submitted Photo / Tamara Langen / Luminous

20 | LUMINOUS 2021

Discover your God-given gifts, use and share them as much as you can...and of course, work hard, stay connected to your community, and don’t forget to smile, to love what you do, and have fun!

—TAMARA LANGEN

helps him out around the office.

“I love every minute of raising my family here and being a part of this thriving business community,” she says. “I have been with Bremer Bank for the last six years, assisting the Branch Manager with commercial

loans and helping customers open accounts, use their online banking, and whatever else might come up — like being in charge of Friday Fun!” “Tamara is an incredible leader and strong, savvy business person,” remarks Tim Birkeland, the Market

Manager at the bank. “We are so lucky to have her as a part of our team, as she serves our customers and communities with remarkable integrity and expertise.”

“My teammates in Perham are truly like my second family and have been so supportive as I ventured into a new role within the One Bremer Team, which started in October,” Langen says.

“I would say to young women entering the workforce today: Discover your

God-given gifts, use and share them as much as you can (it’s so worth it because you will develop lifelong friendships), and of course, work hard, stay connected to your community, and don’t forget to smile, to love what you do, and have fun!” ▲

Langen, outside one of her favorite coffee shops, Nest, in Perham.

Submitted Photo / Tamara Langen / Luminous

Thank you all women who play an important part in our business, community and region!

Lakeland Mental Health Services

-Great American Think-Off -Fish House Festival -Puppet Pageant -The Longest Night Music Festival -Year-round performing arts series -Visual art displays in our historic gallery

Help today for a better tomorrow!

Visit our website for more information about the services offered.

lmhc.org • (218) 736-6987 300 West Main Street, Perham, MN 56573 After-hours Emergency/Crisis Services 1-800-223-4512

-Classes and workshops for all ages with a focus on lifelong learning -Arts Retreat - artist residency -Staff and visiting artists work regularly in local schools, senior centers, and more to enhance arts learning -Gift Shop featuring local art & unique gifts

Join us today!

For more information visit kulcher.org or (218)-385-3339

Gallery & Gift Shop Hours: Wednesday-Thursday 10am-7pm • Friday 10am-5pm • Saturday 10am-3pm

24 N Main Ave, New York Mills, MN

GOOD TIMES, GREAT FOOD, EXCELLENT SERVICE.

Thank You Ladies!

Lola Bachmann

Kaitlyn Geiser

Missy Bachmann

Tanya Schlosser

Jct. Hwy. 78 & 10, Perham • 218-346-6772 • Closed Tuesdays LUMINOUS 2021 | 21

NOW AVAILABLE: Online shopping delivery to Perham Central Market location for customer pickup on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

central market

www.thefreshplace.com

GROCERY SHOPPING Made EASY! SHOP FROM OUR WEBSITE OR DOWNLOAD THE “FRESHOP” APP

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ThankYou

TO ALL OUR STAFF MEMBERS

WE APPRECIATE ALL OF OUR STAFF FOR THEIR TIME AND DEDICATION TO PROVIDING THE BEST FOR ALL DURING THIS TIME.

WWW.PERHAMSCHOOLS.ORG PERHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS @PERHAMHIGH

ADVANCED SERVICES OFFERED LOCALLY!

Stay close to home to receive the following care: • Invisalign • Whitening • Dental Implants • Wisdom Teeth Removal • Children’s Dentistry • Sedation Dentistry • Root Canals and more!

Dr. Brandon Kvidt Dr. Heidi Reuter

Open: Monday - Friday

www.ReuterFamilyDentistry.com 929 Market Street Perham 218-346-0346

80 Juniper Ave Wadena 218-631-1487