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Our Staff

At the Children's Museum of Southern Minnesota, every one of us is passionate about play.

Our team is committed to driving our mission of igniting the natural curiosity of every child through the power of play in a dynamic, awe-inspiring environment.

Our Front Desk staff welcome visitors with a bright smile as soon as they walk through the door. Museum Educators lead engaging programs and experiences in our exhibit spaces while playworkers are there to make sure children and families get the most out of their time at the Museum. Behind the scenes, we have many happy faces further driving the mission of Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota.

We are committed to building a team of people who uphold the highest standards of visitor experience so that every adult, child, and family has the best experience possible. If you share these same values, we’d love to hear from you about joining our team! Explore our current job openings below.

Louise Dickmeyer

Chief Executive Officer

When I was a girl visiting my Grandparents, my Grandma used to let my sister and me put on the old lace petticoats she had in her attic.  We would pretend we were brides or princesses – sometimes adding a lace curtain held on with a headband as a veil.  It was one of my most special play memories from our visits. 

Kim Kleven

Vice President of Play and Learning

My best memories of childhood mostly come from being outside.  Whether it was “fishing” in mud puddles or creating great “feasts” with rocks and pinecones there was a lot of imaginary play involved!  These memories fuel my passion to provide these opportunities for all children!  

Jaci Sprague

Vice President of Development

There was never a moment without adventure on my family’s farm with my four siblings.  Growing up, my family raised an abundance of animals including horses, chickens, bunnies, hamsters, and at one point I even had my own “pet” cow, named Norbert.

Heather Ungerer

Vice President of Operations

As a child, I liked to spend a lot of time playing outdoors at parks, swimming and reading.

Kathleen Burns

Director of Museum Experience

When I was a child I loved to play outside, especially in the winter. I could often be found building snow people, ice skating on the pond behind my house, or dragging a sled down to the park. When indoors I liked to curl up with a good book and imagine what adventures the characters would face next.

Rachel Gemlo

Director of Programming

When I was little I loved playing at my grandparent’s farm, which is by a lake. We would collect baby frogs, snails and lightning bugs, play in the hay barn and go on 4-wheeler and tractor rides. I still love to do all of these things.

Courtney Malone

Director of Marketing

My favorite childhood memory is camping at Campers Paradise! The second we crossed over the causeway my sister, friends and I were able to get our bikes down and ride around wherever we wanted! We went swimming, caught frogs, fished, went tubing, and sat by the bonfire. We made the best of memories!

Kim Luiken

Operations Manager

My childhood is full of making memories with my siblings and cousins. Our imaginations took us on many wonderful adventures. From fort building in the woods to making mud pies in the backyard – there was always something new to discover in the land of make-believe!

Mike McDougall

Facilities Manager

Favorite memory to come.

Hallie O'Connor

Exhibits Manager

My favorite childhood memory is playing in the ravine with my little brother. As the seasons changed our play would change; late spring the waterfall would be flowing with the snowmelt and we could divert the water and collect it in buckets. In the fall, with only a small trickle from the stream, we could make the rocky pit below the waterfall into an elaborate fort hideout. With the freezing and thawing during winter the waterfall would form into a big ice flow and we could excavate items frozen in the ice.

Crystal Olson

Marketing & Membership Manager

I loved swinging as a little kid. From frigid winters to hot, humid summers and every day / climate in between, you could find me on the playground swings. While swinging, I would imagine stories and adventures and write about them when I’d get home.

Daniel Young

Admissions & Café Manager

My most memorable enjoyment from when I was a child, was my obsession with the Power Rangers. I was so obsessed with them that I was a Power Ranger for multiple Halloweens and always wanted to pretend to be a Power Ranger during recess. My love Power Rangers was so strong that in kindergarten when asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I said a Power Ranger.  My two favorite Rangers were the Green Ranger and the Red Ranger, and my two favorite Power Ranger’s iterations were the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and the Dino Thunder Rangers, because let’s be honest dinosaurs are super cool!

Tasha Oliver

Program Facilitator

When I was a young girl, I loved anything that involved spending time with my brother and cousins at our grandparents’ house! Letting our imaginations run wild, we would spend hours playing make-believe outdoors in our grandparents’ big backyard. We would build with Legos, challenge each other to board games, and enjoy sun-brewed sweet tea paired with stories from Grandpa out on the patio. On my own, I particularly loved puzzles, reading books, paint-by-numbers, and anything that involved animals!  I still enjoy these many things today!

Ellie

Front Desk

A favorite childhood memory of mine is spending summers at my dad’s house running in the Tennessee woods for hours on end; Making my own makeshift forts out of fallen tree limbs and old barn wood, befriending the possum that would visit us nightly, and staring at the endless sky that seemed so much closer than space because of the countless fireflies and moths buzzing around the porch light.

Sarah

Guest Experience Coordinator

There was never a lack of things to do growing up on my family farm. As a child I was often found carrying around a baby doll, a kitten, or both! As I got older I would help take care of things on the farm including bottle-feeding calves, picking chicken eggs, or helping my mom grow veggies in the garden.  It wasn’t unusual to find me playing veterinarian with a kitten or as a teacher reading to a cat! I always had one animal following me around if they saw me outside or waiting at the end of the driveway when they heard the bus coming. This all gave me a love for the outdoors and caring for animals!

Annie

Guest Experience Coordinator

Amanda

Playworker

Annie

Playworker

Sam

Playworker

Cheri

Playworker

Storm

Playworker

Donna

Playworker

Maddy

Front Desk + Playworker

Sadie

Playworker

Cathy

Playworker

Claire

Playworker

Annika

Playworker

Kayla

Playworker

Isabelle

Playworker

Elise

Front Desk + Playworker