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Open Positions

Renewing the Countryside is looking for one or more volunteers to help with some light office work for 5-10 hours per week. Tasks would include organizing files, updating databases, ordering supplies, and other office related projects.  We are looking for a highly organized individual with experience using Microsoft Office - specifically Word, Excel, and PowerPoint -  familiarity with Macs, and an interest in rural sustainability and local foods.

Contact Margaret at 612.871.1541 or margaret@rtcinfo.org with questions or to volunteer.

Staff

Jan Joannides
(612) 251-7304
jan@rtcinfo.org

alt Jan Joannides is the Executive Director and co-founder of Renewing the Countryside. For the past ten years, she has been an advocate and organizer for rural communities and citizens who are working to stimulate economic growth and enhance their communities through sustainable uses of their landscapes and resources. Prior to her work with Renewing the Countryside, Jan coordinated the Community Assistantship Program at the University of Minnesota and helped found and directed the Center for Integrated Natural Resources and Agricultural Management. Jan holds a master's degree in natural resources from the University of Minnesota. She lives in St. Paul, Minnesota with her husband Brett, daughter Olivia, and son Axel.

 
Christy James

(612) 963-0467
christy@rtcinfo.org

alt  Christy James is Director of Community Initiatives for Renewing the Countryside.  She has over 17 years of experience conducting workshops, trainings, and facilitating meetings and strategy sessions. Having previously worked with RTC on various projects, including sowing the seeds for and helping to launch Green Routes, Christy brings a depth of experience and enthusiasm for rural revitalization, entrepreneur development and microenterprise business issues to Renewing the Countryside.  Previously, she has worked with Minnesota Rural Partners, the Center for Rural Entrepreneurship, and as the interim director of the Alliance for Minnesota Microenterprise. Currently she serves on the rural committee of the Association for Enterprise Opportunity and is active in the Minnesota Facilitators Network.  In addition to her professional work, Christy is an active volunteer in her community and serves on the board of a high adventure camp that works with at risk youth. She has a passion for traveling off the beaten track and finding unique, quaint and quirky locations. Christy is a silent sports enthusiast and lives in St. Paul, MN with her husband Randy, three canoes and a kayak.

 

Lisa Kivirist and John Ivanko
info@ruralrenaissance.org 
www.ruralrenaissance.org
www.innserendipity.com

alt alt

Lisa and John are co-founders of the RuralRenaissance Network and co-authors of the book, "Rural Renaissance: Renewing the Quest for the Good Life" and numerous others. They live on their farm in Wisconsin, where they operate the nationally recognized Inn Serendipity, and grow organically for market and for themselves. Known for their contemporary approach to more sustainable living, the husband and wife duo share their farm with their son, two llamas, a flock of chickens, and millions of ladybugs.

 

Brett Olson
(651) 293-1172
brett@rtcinfo.org

alt Brett Olson is co-founder and the Creative Director for all of the publications and marketing projects of Renewing the Countryside. Along with fundraising, design and Green Routes, he also hosts Local Food Hero radio. He has been working as an art director and designer for fifteen years. Starting as a designer at a small design company in Minneapolis, he quickly opened his own firm and has designed many printed advertising and media campaigns for both non-profit and corporate clients. By the year 2000 much of his work was for the non-profit sector and in 2001 he focused most of his time on designing for Renewing the Countryside. As one of the founders, Brett has been involved in much of the planning and organizing and promotion of Renewing the Countryside since it's beginning. Brett lives with Jan and their two kids in St. Paul.
 

 Lindsay Rebhan
(612) 871-1541 , 866-378-0587
lindsay@rtcinfo.org

altLindsay is a Program Associate at Renewing the Countryside, where she works on local food projects, event coordination, and is co-host of Local Food Hero radio. Originally from Nebraska, she has a background in Environmental Studies and Justice and Peace Studies from the University of St. Thomas. Trips to Bangladesh and Cuba have deepened Lindsay's understanding of the value of strong local food systems. Prior to RTC, she spent a year farming on sustainable agricultural projects in Guatemala and 3 years working for a foreign exchange program. Lindsay is a certified Permaculture Designer and works part time for Ecological Gardens LLC, designing and implementing landscapes. Lindsay enjoys being a steward of the land, urban agriculture, cooking, camping, traveling and volunteering with the local Permaculture Collaborative. She lives in Brooklyn Park, MN with her husband Brandon. 

 

Margaret Schnieders
(612) 871-1541
margaret@rtcinfo.org

altMargaret works as a Program Associate for Renewing the Countryside, focusing on Green Routes and the coordination of the Healthy Local Foods exhibit at the State Fair’s EcoExperience. She has a background in theater arts as a stage manager and is working on an MBA at the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management where she is focusing on sustainability. Recently, she traveled to Costa Rica to study sustainable development where she enjoyed learning about sustainable food and tourism systems there.  She is interested in finding creative solutions for challenges in local food distribution in the Midwest.

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info@rtcinfo.org Phone: 1.866.378.0587 Fax: 1.866.597.1325