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.
Kathleen Burns
Director of Museum Education
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!
Chelsea Bandas
Admissions and Cafe Manager
My favorite childhood memories always revolved around spending time with my family. Whether we were camping, playing on the farm, or going for road trips. As long as I had them I always had a good time.
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!
Kim Luiken
Administrative Assistant
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!
Daniel
Front Desk Attendant
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!
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
Playworker
My mother is a wonderful baker and has an incredible aesthetic eye, so some of my favorite childhood memories include baking alongside her and decorating cupcakes, cakes, and cookies. Coming from a large family, it was always rewarding to share baked goods with all my loved ones!
Sadie
Playworker
My favorite childhood memory is on a winter day when school was canceled from the snow my siblings and I spent the day outside with our dog, we made a fort and went sledding. When my mom came home we ate supper together in the living room and watched Scooby Doo.
Amanda
Playworker
I grew up on a cul-de-sac with tons of kids. We always played a variety of outside games, but one my favorites was hide and go seek. Often we would run an extension cord out to someone’s driveway and pop popcorn and tell stories.