Braver Angels
Braver Angels is a National Grassroots organization working to depolarize America. The division in our political system is not working for the country or any of us. Braver Angels’ approach has been likened to the “Four-Way Test in Action.” The skills training available through Braver Angels can help us create goodwill and better friendships across the political divide, which will be beneficial to all concerned. Learn how you and your club can MAKE PEACE VISIBLE so we can UNITE FOR GOOD through the workshops and training Braver Angels can provide to your community. Bruce and Ed have served as Braver Angels Ambassadors since 2019 and have presented to over 70 Rotary clubs across 7 Districts and 4 states.
Ed Marek: A Chicago native, Ed Marek came to Minnesota to earn an MBA from the University of Minnesota. The majority of Ed's professional career was in nonprofit fundraising and management, most notably with the American Red Cross and the Minnesota Environmental Fund. During his time with the Red Cross, he served on numerous national disaster assignments, traveling throughout Minnesota, as well as Louisiana and Missouri.
Ed has been a member of four Rotary clubs: Shakopee, Eden Prairie, St. Paul Sunrise, and now Northfield. Ed served as 5960 District Governor in 2020-21. He serves in Braver Angels as an Ambassador.
Ed is married to his best friend, Sue, and they have a son, Steve, and six years ago lost their daughter, Amanda, to breast cancer. In his spare time, he enjoys cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, canoeing, kayaking, camping, hiking and reading.
Bruce Morlan: Bruce Morlan is a native of Minnesota – having been born and raised in the southern farm country near Rochester. He left Minnesota to become a career Air Force Officer, serving as a launch officer, then moving on to become a military mathematician. First as a staff officer, then as an instructor, his career focused around being an analyst and a translator. In his second career, Bruce conducted clinical trials as a statistician, and did data mining for the Mayo Clinic in Rochester.
Bruce joined Rotary late in life, in 2015. He has been an ambassador without portfolio for Braver Angels since it first formed, and attended the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Braver Angels Convention (in 2019, 2023, and 2024) as a Red. He is part of the Red Caucus in BA.
Bruce has 2 grandchildren who give him the motivation to continue to work to make the world a better place, with both climate change and our political divisiveness as two immediate concerns. He and his best friend and wife have been working together for some time to help make this a better world. To relax, Bruce reads, writes, sails, and bikes. He also is vocal in several coffee groups that bridge the political divide.
Invocation: Maria Rudie
Greeters: Megan Boldig & Chris Wood