Over 30 years at 3M in brand management helping the world-class innovation company bring new products to market, shape robust global brand portfolios in many industries, and integrate brands into 3M from over 85 acquisitions. Also helped several startups with branding including IGCA, SPECTRE Gaming, ActiveIQ™, ROCKSOLID™ Flooring, and Orchestraight™ AI. that have led to successful funding, acquisitions, and an IPO.
NEW MEMBER PROPOSAL: CJ SMITH
CJ Smith has spent most of his life in environments where mistakes are visible.
In football, especially playing in the secondary, when something broke everyone saw it. There was no hiding. Preparation mattered. Assignments mattered. And when it was your responsibility, it was your responsibility. That experience shaped how CJ approaches work.
After football CJ moved into software sales, which gave him a front row seat to how organizations make decisions about technology. He is able to see how tools get added over time, how systems slowly pile up, and how easy it is for no one to clearly own the outcome.
Professionally, CJ spends his time around nonprofit organizations and professional service firms- teams doing important work where reliability, trust, and reputation matter. He has always been drawn to environments where people take ownership, prepare well, and care about doing things the right way. Probably a habit that started on the field and never really left.
CJ's sponsor is Brandon Vitale.
For information about Rotary membership, contact Nate Park at parkn01@yahoo.com.
Conscientious. Kind. Determined.
Julie Te Slaa has extensive education and experience in the Minnesota legal community as a paralegal and in the areas of litigation, real estate development, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate law. Her experience in contract applications and management of government and non-government agencies brings significant value to Higher Recruitment. She enjoys working with our clients to ensure that their specific needs are met.
Julie volunteers to help veterans and other individuals in need. With passions for music and dancing, she was a member of a Twin Cities singing group of 60 women who provided music therapy for a diverse audience of adults and children in the Twin Cities area.
Living in Shakopee, Minnesota, Julie appreciates being close to family and friends and loves her quality time with them. Her two children and five grandchildren keep life interesting and fun, and she enjoys walking, exercising, reading, and Bible study. Julie’s bucket list includes memory-making adventures, a trip to Paris with her family, and travel to new, world wide destinations.
Tom Gump is Julie's sponsor.
For information about Rotary membership, contact Nate Park.
