Staff photo by Fritz Busch The Brown County Historical Society named Programs and Volunteer Services Director Amy Johnson to follow Kathleen Backer as the BCHS Executive Director at its 92nd annual meeting Thursday in the Sleepy Eye Event Center. Backer is the New Ulm Mayor-elect.

SLEEPY EYE – The Brown County Historical Society (BCHS) named Amy Johnson as its new executive director at its 92nd Annual Meeting at the Sleepy Eye Event Center Thursday.

Johnson is the BCHS programs and volunteer services coordinator. Outgoing executive director Kathleen Backer is New Ulm’s mayor elect.

A 1997 New Ulm High School graduate, Johnson graduated from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, majoring theater and history. She holds a masters degree from the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in San Francisco.

Johnson has worked with the BCHS since April 2020. She previously worked for AmeriCorps, a network of local, state and national service programs that meets community needs in education, the environment, public safety, health and homeland security. She continues to work as an accounts assistant for FitLOCALfit based in San Francisco and serves on the New Ulm Park Board.

Johnson said she’s glad to know that Backer will be moving just a block down the road from the BCHS Museum, to New Ulm City Hall.

Backer thanked volunteers and donors of the BCHS that allow it to produce programs besides the collection, preservation and storytelling the organization does.

“Without donations, we’d be nada,” said Backer. “Volunteers donated more than 2,000 hours last year. That’s equal to about a $30,000 contribution, The Brown County Board of Commissioners contributed $101,000 to us last year and provides the museum and museum annex.”

Retired educator and historian Joel Botten presented “Hanska – A Scandinavian Sage.” He said Linden and Lake Hanska Townships were first settled by Irishmen whose small claims were bought out by Norwegians.

Botten said tilling the land was their first priority but education of their children and religious worship were values they brought from Norway.

Randy Krzmarzick and Mike Schmid of Sleepy Eye, Ron Saffert of New Ulm and Larry Harbo of Lake Crystal, but with Hanska roots, were unanimously named to the BCHS Board of Trustees.

(Fritz Busch can be emailed at fbusch@nujournal.com).