KAYLEEN MONACELLI

“I am the Community Education Programmer and also the Boys and Girls Club Unit Director for the Deer River area. I was born and raised in the community and graduated from Deer River High School in 2006. I went on to attend Itasca Community College as part of the Class Act Program and then transferred to Bemidji State University and graduated with my Bachelors of Science Degree in Education. After graduation, I moved back to the area, got married, and started a family. I knew I wanted my family and I to be part of the Deer River community because of the love and support I received while growing up. Deer River is not just a community to me. It is the village that helps you up when you fall, cheers you on when you’re on top, looks out for your loved ones when you’re not around, and are the resources that will go the extra mile to help find the right answers. In my experience, people of the community go that extra mile not because they are being compensated hundreds of thousands of dollars, but because their hearts are in their work and genuinely care and are invested in the people that live here. When one person wins we all win! I am excited to be part of the Forward Health Foundation board where the community is the heart of their mission and the impact can be felt by all.”

DAVID OLSON

“I grew up fifteen miles east of Effie, MN, on Deer Lake. I graduated from Bigfork High School in 2002. I started working at the Deer River High School in the spring of 2019 as the head boys’ basketball coach and paraprofessional while working towards my bachelor’s degree in education. My ultimate goal is to be a special education teacher specializing in emotional behavior disorders. Little did I know that I would fall in love with the Deer River community. I have embraced the community, and they have welcomed me back. I have since taken the project coordinator position for the Standing Together Embracing Prevention(S.T.E.P.) Coalition for the Deer River School District. I am a lifelong community volunteer, and when an opportunity came up to join the Forward Health Foundation, I jumped at the chance because I believed in its mission.”