Greetings! As we prepared for the recent annual meeting and a new year of DAC programming, I’ve had a chance to reflect on where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re going.

It’s hard to believe this is the beginning of my third year as president. As an organization, we were in the midst of a number of challenges two years ago, including permit disputes with the city, and questions about our staffing and volunteer organization. We’ve come a long way since then. We substantially re-organized the operations at DAC, hiring two paid staff, and restructuring how we manage our affairs. We worked through many permit difficulties with the city of Minneapolis and have now settled on a comfortable operational status with the city. I am grateful to all who have contributed their expertise as we reestablished our DAC onto a solid footing.

At present, we are expecting another year of exciting and engaging activities. We have new activity groups that have started up at DAC, bringing new faces and new ideas into our fold. Of course, we will continue with our many traditional activities like the æbleskive breakfasts, julefrokost, concerts, Danish Day, and the other traditional events that are the solid fabric of our DAC calendar.

Our financial situation remains strong, aided by fundraising events and outreach and sound fiscal management. Our membership level remains solid at 450 households. I am grateful to those who have contributed their expertise to our financial management and membership outreach efforts. We have great teams in place which are building on this strong foundation.

Looking forward, I am happy to welcome our new board members who were elected at the annual meeting! It’s great to have new voices join the board and contribute their time, ideas, and expertise. Joining the board is a significant commitment, and I am grateful for those who are willing to make this effort on behalf of our organization. That said, there are many committees that are staffed by volunteers who are not on the board, yet they continue to drive our constant progress as an organization. I am proud that the DAC is welcoming and engaging to so many people. I thank all of you for your contributions!

Pete Gantriis