“I was working for the city of Plymouth and their park and rec department,” she said. “I was getting married and we’re both from this area so we decided to move back. I knew that community health was a passion of mine. A role came open at the New Ulm Medical Center in their community benefit and engagement department.”

In the ten years since taking that position, Maurer’s role has progressed to being the Project Manager for the Heart of New Ulm community organization. The group originally started 15 years ago as a ten-year research project with the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation to work on eliminating heart attacks.

Since that project ended, the organization has taken on a whole new life.

“After 10 years we saw all of the great work and didn’t want it to go away,” she said. “We got a team together on how to have it be sustainable. Now we know we have other priorities in our community, which are healthy eating, active living, mental health and wellness, and substance use and abuse. Our goal is to create a culture of wellness in New Ulm and Brown County.”

Kelly Kunkle (left) and Jen Maurer (right) stand at a Heart of New Ulm table during a farmer’s market. At the event, the group promoted the power of produce as a part of the Food Environment Team.

Maurer’s role as project manager involves facilitating and communicating with the seven action teams Heart of New Ulm has to work on certain community goals. She said the most challenging part of her position can be facilitating positive change.

“Even though it’s a positive change, it takes time and can be hard to do,” she said. “We are the ones that helped put in the demonstration project by Harman Park on First and Garden. We know putting bump outs and creating safer crossing in that area will be beneficial. We also know it takes a lot of money to do street work. Change and improvements take time.”

Even through the difficult work of creating positive change for New Ulm, Maurer said her favorite part is working with community members and having a unique position.

“I love how every day is different. I love working with lots of different community members. Through the seven action teams, we have over 70 volunteer community members. Working with lots of different people and the passion that they have to make New Ulm and Brown County healthier.”

Maurer said it is rare for a community to have an organization like the Heart of New Ulm. She cited the combination of 15 years of group experience, in-depth data and resources, and a focus on community involvement and input.

As for the future, Maurer said there are plenty of things to be excited about. In the next six months, the Brown County Mental Health and Wellness team will be hosting the first-ever South Central Mental Health and Wellness Conference on May 1st at the Sleepy Eye Event Center.

“That team has put in a lot of time and effort in creating that,” Maurer said. “We’re really looking forward to seeing that come together. By providing that resource, raising awareness, and bringing community members together, we’re really hoping to break down the stigma of mental health, create lasting conversations, and really help our community grow.”

In the next two years, Maurer said they will be doing a community health needs assessment. Done every three years, the assessment pulls in local as well as state and national data to re-assess their teams and programs.