In the photo are: Chad Aukes, Tech Unlimited; Lori Kollmann, Oak Hills Living Center; Kathleen Backer, Brown County Historical Society; and Brian Serbus, SouthPoint Financial Credit Union.

NEW ULM — The Chamber’s Willkommen Committee welcomed Kathleen Backer as the new executive director at the Brown County Historical Society.

Kathleen feels back at home as she started her career at BCHS in 1981. She moved to Illinois for a few years, but came back. She worked at Farmamerica by Waseca, was the director of Heritagefest, has been retired, but most recently has been director at the Kiesling House.

Kathleen’s plans are to be inclusive to the whole county, not just the New Ulm area, with a county-wide display on the main floor, and to add more programming.

Their funding comes from an appropriation from the county, donations, fundraisers, memberships, sponsorships and grants. She is looking to create a partnership with another organization to operate and run the programs at the Kiesling House.

Kathleen is looking forward to working with the Chamber again and hopes to get more involved.