Duluth Sister Cities International

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. Hanna serves as Secretary for the Board of Directors of Duluth Sister Cities International.

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 serves as President of Duluth Sister Cities International, co-chair of the Duluth/Petrozavodsk Sister City Committee & Duluth/Isumi-shi Sister City 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. He also volunteers at The Tweed Museum of Art, The Duluth Superior Sailing Association, and his church.

Mary Hoffman
Mary Hoffman moved to Duluth with her husband and 5 children in 2000. She graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a B.S. and Michigan State University with an M.A. and EdSp. Previous jobs have included sign language interpreter, teacher of blind and deaf, and science and art teacher. Mary currently tutors students and is co-director of the Rural Schools Initiative in China where she visits several times a year.

The Hoffman-Skolasinski family has hosted several summer and year-long high school students from China, Korea, Japan, and South America. For the 2010-2011 school year, they are hosting a student from China. All of their children have been involved in the Isumi-shi Sister City Program or in semester overseas programs through the University of Minnesota Duluth or Michigan State University.

In her spare time, Mary teaches religious studies, enjoys being outdoors, and is a trainer for the Girl Scouts. She has taken Girl Scouts on several international trips. In 2011, she is leading a group of 10 scouts for a service-learning trip to Europe. Mary serves as co-chair of the Duluth/Isumi-shi Sister City Committee.

Steve Knauss
Steve Knauss, and family, moved back to Duluth from Springfield, Oregon, in the Summer of 2001. Steve has a BS from the University of Oregon. After 12 years of telecommunication services sales, Steve, and his wife Susan, opened the Thirsty Pagan Brewery in Superior WI. Susan works at the United Way of Greater Duluth. Steve and Susan have 2 teenage daughters.

Steve's interests include coaching rugby at UMD, mountain biking, and being a husband and dad. Steve serves as co-chair of the Duluth/Isumi-shi Sister City Committee.

Mark Magnuson
Dr. Mark Magnuson currently serves as the Vice President of Academic & Student Affairs at Lake Superior College. Mark leads the college’s academic unit and supervises all instructional activities. Prior to joining LSC, Magnuson served five years as Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Ivy Tech Community College in Indianapolis. He has taught at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks and at Kelsey Technical and Community College in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

A native of Canada, Mark moved to the U.S in 1998. He has travelled extensively throughout North America. Mark served as a Board member for the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) in 1991-92 which sparked his interest in educational opportunities abroad and international and cultural exchanges.

Glenn Peterson
The current Past-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.

Barbara Russ
Barbara Russ is currently the Head of the Civil Division of the St. Louis County Attorney’s Office where she has practiced law since graduating from William Mitchell College of Law in 1979. Prior to joining the County Attorney’s Office, Barb was a juvenile justice planner for the State of Minnesota and a community organizer. Barb has a long history of volunteerism in Duluth including membership on the boards of the Women’s Health Center, PAVSA, Woodland Hills, and Duluth Community Action . She recently completed a six year term on the Board of the YWCA, her last year as President. Barb especially has enjoyed volunteering as a tax preparer at Community Action for the past three years.

Barb is married and has three children and four grandsons. She fostered many children from 1988 to 2003 and remains in contact with several including one for whom she is a conservator. Her interests include politics, gardening, and physics.

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 Co-chair for the Open World Program, member of the Duluth/Petrozavodsk Sister City Committee, 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.

Elizabeth (Liz) Taylor
Liz grew up a Canadian on the Canadian/United States border, as part of a Scottish immigrant family. At an early age she realized the importance of understandings between nations especially as she was encouraged by her politically active family to watch, discuss, and participate in activities and exchanges on both sides of the border. She has lived, studied, and worked in several parts of Canada, but has called Duluth home since 1978. Liz is retired from UMD, and currently a part-time employee at the Benedictine Health Center. She is actively involved in several civic, environmental, and charitable organizations, but her greatest love is learning about other cultures and religions. She has been fortunate to travel to many European countries and to house a Chinese foreign exchange student. Liz serves as Co-Chair of the Duluth/ThunderBay Sister City Committee.