At Northwest Technical College, learning is shaped by real stories and real careers. This spring, students will hear directly from alumni and community leaders during the college’s 60th anniversary Speaker Series.
As part of the celebration marking 60 years of technical education at NTC, the Speaker Series brings professionals from business and the trades to campus to share their career paths, lessons learned and advice for today’s students. Sessions are held on the third Tuesday of each month from 12-1 p.m. in the NTC Commons and are open to all students, faculty and staff.
The series begins Jan. 27 with Christie Turn and Howard Howie Zetah.
Turn, a 1994 NTC graduate, serves as chief operating officer at Paul Bunyan Communications. She began her career in customer service and has spent more than 30 years serving cooperative members, most recently stepping into her executive role following leadership transitions.
Zetah, owner and president of Zetah Construction Inc., attended NTC from 1978 to 1980 in the carpentry program. He has led his family-owned business for more than three decades and is a founding member and former chair of the NTC Foundation.
The Feb. 24 session will feature Elizabeth Lisa Johnson, vice president of operations at Sanford Health of Bemidji. Johnson will share insights from her professional experience and reflect on the role technical education plays in building meaningful careers.
The series concludes on March 24 with Dr. Kari Josefson, who will share her experience in health care leadership. Josefson has provided care to American Indian women at the Red Lake Indian Health Service Clinic since 2014 and has worked closely with tribal, government and private partners to improve prenatal care coordination, group prenatal classes and telehealth services. She currently serves as acting deputy clinical director for Red Lake IHS.
The Speaker Series invites attendees to listen, ask questions and connect with speakers while celebrating six decades of workforce impact at Northwest Technical College.