Staff photo by Connor Cummiskey Virginia Suker Moldan working in her office at Turner Hall where she has been a manager for over a decade.

NEW ULM — There is turnover at Turner Hall as the manager for the past dozen years is stepping down this summer to spend time with her family.

Manager Virginia Suker Moldan is helping the iconic New Ulm institution find her successor until Aug. 31, when she is officially done.

“My biggest goal in the next couple of months is make Turner Hall as ready for transition as possible,” Suker Moldan said.

Hired in 2006, and starting work in early 2007, Suker Moldan oversaw a handful of major changes at Turner.

One of the first big projects she was involved in was the opening of Turner Hall to non-members in 2008.

She managed the 2011 handicap accessibility renovations, along with the recent renovations to the kitchen and updating the building sewage system.

Aside from physical changes, Suker Moldan helped oversee popular projects including the spring gala, annual calendars and Turner’s participation in The Heart of New Ulm Project — which brought national attention to New Ulm.

Fresh out of the Minnesota State University, Mankato, with a bachelor’s of science degree in business and economics, Suker Moldan was hired at Turner Hall, not entirely aware of what she was getting into.

She had moved back to the area to get married and buy a house. Turner was supposed to be a temporary gig before she went back to school.

“The restaurant business has never been something that was my goal, but I have certainly enjoyed it,” Suker Moldan said.

Figuring that she would learn more about business at Turner Hall than any university, Suker Moldan decided to stay.

Now she is leaving to focus on her family and spend time with her daughters: Lucia, 5, and Ellen, 2.

This is also a good time because most of the projects Suker Moldan was invested in are either finished or at a holding point.

For now she will be taking a break to be with her family but expects to be on-call for Turner Hall for a few years.

Suker Moldan is looking forward to getting involved with community programs like ECFE, but has no definite plans as of yet.

Applicants interested in either Suker Moldan’s manager position or an assistant manager position open at Turner can find them listed on Indeed.com, or call Suker Moldan at 507-354-2022.

They can also call Turner Hall President David Hirth at 507-359-8989 or mail an application to Turner Hall at 102 S. State St.

“Although this is a time of transition, Turner Hall will continue in its role as a gathering place for the community, celebrating New Ulm’s Heritage,” the Turner Hall board wrote in a press release. “We are proud that we have the oldest bar in Minnesota, serving great food in our Rathskeller, and the oldest gymnastics program in the state. We hope you will join with the Turner family of members see and enjoy what we have to offer — now, and in the future.”

Connor Cummiskey can be emailed at ccummiskey@nujournal.com.