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.
Rachel Gemlo
Program Facilitator
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.
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.
Wyatt Miller
Guest Experience Manager
The thing I remember most from playing as a kid is always being curious about how and why things worked. That curiosity led to my interest in tinkering, taking small things apart and putting parts together to make something new. It is like a childhood dream come true that I get to work somewhere that not only allows kids to channel that same creative curiosity, but encourages them to do so, it’s fantastic.
Tasha Johnson
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!
Kathleen Burns
Program Facilitator
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.
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!
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.
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.
Daniel
Front Desk
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!
Jake
Playworker
One time my uncle held a horseshoe crab right up to my face and I peed my pants because it was so terrifying!