Board Members
Hanna Erpestad
Hanna Erpestad serves currently as Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Lake Superior College. Prior to that, she was an English instructor at LSC for eight years. A native of Finland, Hanna also volunteers her services to individuals and non-profit organizations, serving as a translator, an interpreter, a language instructor, and a consultant.
Irina V. Haller, PHD
Irina moved to the United States from Russia in 1995. Together with her husband Edwin, she participated in medical and scientific exchanges between Petrozavodsk and Duluth since the early years of these programs. From the time of her first visit to the United States in 1991, she realized that despite differences, people in both countries have much in common; that much can be done through people-to-people communication. Since the late 90’s, Irina has been actively involved with the Duluth sister cities organization. She served as an interpreter, a host for international visitors, and was a member of Duluth’s official delegations to Petrozavodsk, Russia in 2003 and Ohara, Japan in 2005. Currently, Irina is a member of the Petrozavodsk, Russia and Isumi City/Ohara sister cities committees; she also participates in the Peace Bell Japanese Garden project.
Dr. Haller is a Senior Research Scientist at the Division of Education and Research at the Duluth Clinic, SMDC Health System and an Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School Duluth.
Bruce Hansen
A graduate of Augsburg College, St. Mary’s University, and The University of Minnesota, Bruce moved to Duluth following retirement from teaching in Minneapolis and from employment as a business agent with The Minneapolis Federation of Teachers. In Minneapolis, he participated in sister cities activities with its sister city, Uppsala, Sweden. Today, Bruce is part of the Vaxjo, Sweden sister cities committee. He also volunteers at The Tweed Museum of Art, The Duluth Superior Sailing Association, and his church.
Glenn Peterson
The current president of the Board of DSCI. Glenn is a retired music teacher from Duluth Public Schools. He grew up on farm in southwestern Minnesota and has always had an appreciation for gardening. He now owns and operates a local landscaping business. Glenn and his wife Erna have traveled extensively throughout the U.S. and the world since 1965. As their children were growing they planned summer trips and traveled as a family in all of the 48 contiguous states. (Since then Glenn and Erna have also traveled to Hawaii and Alaska.) Foreign travel has included trips to Europe, Scandinavia, Israel, Egypt, and China. Glenn has been an active member of Duluth Sister Cities since 1987. That year Växjö, Sweden became a Sister City of Duluth. Since Glenn’s father was born and grew up in that area of Sweden, this Sister City relationship holds a special interest. Other than Glenn’s family all of the other Peterson family live in Sweden. Glenn is also the current chair of the Duluth/Växjö Sister City Committee.
Kelly Ravenfeather
She has been involved with Duluth Sister Cities International since 1995 when her oldest son went to Ohara, Japan as a student delegate and she served as a chaperone. During that visit she made lifelong friends and has returned to visit them again in 2000 when her youngest son was a student delegate and in 2006 with her husband in the adult delegation. Currently she serves on the board of directors and as co-chair of the Ohara/Isumi committee. Kelly is a psychologist and marriage and family therapist in private practice. She is professionally committed to healthy families and believes the opportunity for the youth of our city to travel to our sister cities is a positive life changing experience.
Cherie Sawinski
Currently advises international and study abroad students at the University of Wisconsin-Superior. Her interest in intercultural education began when she was a young child and received the book Four Ways of Being Human from a Peace Corps returnee. As life evolved she became active in international Scouting exchanges, AFS Intercultural Programs and international adoption. She is a graduate of the University of Minnesota and St. Mary’s University of Minnesota. Cherie serves as Chair of the Duluth/Petrozavodsk Committee, Co-chaired the Open World Program in 2007, and is a member of the Cookbook Committee. She loves to host international dinners and is especially interested in developing regional collaborations to further citizen diplomacy.
Michelle Wiklund
A graduate of the College of St. Scholastica, she is employed as Vice President of Corporate Relations with Sansio, here in Duluth. Michelle is a member of the Vaxjo Sister City Committee. Past Board/Commission experience includes work in healthcare, higher education, private industry, and community involvement at the national, regional, and local levels. Michelle, husband Tim, and sons Jordan and Jared reside in Duluth.
Randal J. Zimmermann
Currently an education consultant living with his family in Duluth, Minnesota. He is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Comparative and International Development Education (CIDE) program in the Department of Educational Policy and Administration at the University of Minnesota. He also holds a Master's degree in International Administration from the School for International Training, Brattleboro, Vermont and a B.S. degree in Social Work from the University of Minnesota.
Prior to moving to Duluth, he served as associate director for the Center for Nations in Transition and research fellow at the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. Since 1991 he has managed several USAID-funded higher education development projects in Central and Eastern Europe and the Newly Independent States. From 1985 to 1991, Randal held executive and senior management positions with two international education associations in Washington, D.C. His research interests are in the institutional reform and development of higher education systems in the post-communist and transitional societies, building democratic and civil societies, and the management of international non-governmental organizations.
