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NEW ULM - A special community celebration honoring longtime New Ulm business and civic leader, Mary Ellen Domeier, will be held Thursday, October 8, starting at 5 pm, at the Royal Oak Event Center in New Ulm.
Tickets remain available, with reservations accepted through Monday, October 5.
The event is being organized by State Street Theater Co., the New Ulm Area Chamber of Commerce and the New Ulm Area Foundation.
The idea for the celebration began as Domeier prepared to retire June 30 from a significant volunteer leadership role with State Street Theater Co. That transition prompted community leaders to reflect not only on her work with the theater, but on more than five decades of leadership and service throughout New Ulm.
"Once we started looking at the full scope of Mary Ellen's involvement in this community, it became very clear that this was bigger than recognizing one role or one organization," said Andy Biebl, a volunteer committee member helping to plan the event. "Mary Ellen has helped shape New Ulm through her professional leadership, her volunteer service and her willingness to step forward again and again when the community needed her. She is a great example of how volunteerism and civic involvement can make a community better."
Domeier's career and community involvement span an extraordinary range of organizations. She served as CEO and Board Chair of Frandsen Bank & Trust and became the first woman to chair the Minnesota Bankers Association. She was also the first female president of a New Ulm bank, the New Ulm Area Chamber of Commerce and New Ulm Industries, which later became the New Ulm Economic Development Corporation.
Her community service has included leadership with the New Ulm Area Foundation, State Street Theater Co., New Ulm Retail Development Corporation, Oak Hills Living Center Foundation, United Way of New Ulm, Rotary Club of New Ulm, Brown County Historical Society, New Ulm Area Catholic Schools and numerous other civic, faith and community initiatives. She was also the first recipient of the New Ulm Area Chamber of Commerce Athena Award in 1991.
The evening will also welcome New Ulm native Cheri Beranek, President and CEO of Clearfield, Inc., as keynote speaker. Beranek, a graduate of New Ulm Public Schools, has received numerous national and
international honors for her business leadership, including the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Award and induction into the Minnesota Business Hall of Fame. She will return to New Ulm to help recognize Domeier and reflect on leadership, community involvement and their shared New Ulm roots.
The October 8 celebration begins with a social hour at 5 p.m., followed by dinner at 5:40 p.m. and the program at 7 p.m. Sarah Warmka, President and CEO of the New Ulm Area Chamber of Commerce, and Carisa Buegler, President of New Ulm Medical Center – Allina Health, will serve as emcees. The program will include Beranek's keynote address, a video presentation and closing remarks from Domeier.
The event offers the community an opportunity to recognize Domeier's accomplishments and the lasting impact of her service in New Ulm. Her example is a reminder of the difference each person can make by getting involved, sharing their talents and giving back to the community. Tickets are $35 per person and are available through Monday, October 5. Tickets can be purchased online through State Street Theater Co. at statestreetnewulm.org. Reservations can also be made by calling 507-359-9990, visiting the box office Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to noon, or emailing info@statestreetnewulm.org.