New Foundation Director Brings Energy to Her Job

Judith Grytdahl’s energy is the first thing you notice about her: She’s excited, she laughs and—well—she’s just fun.

Grytdahl (pronounced grit-doll) is bringing that energy to the Hopkins Education Foundation as the organization’s new executive director. The foundation is a nonprofit that provides additional resources to .

Grytdahl comes to the organization with extensive nonprofit experience. The Duluth native’s last job was as a gift officer for the Courage Center in Golden Valley and before that as executive director of the Lake Superior College Foundation.

Hopkins Patch chatted with Grytdahl about her new job Feb. 8, about a week after she started in the position.

Hopkins Patch: First of all, tell me what you see the Education Foundation’s role as being.

Judith Grytdahl: It’s role is to be a focus for parents and community to support with time and talent and money the kinds of activities, the kinds of programs, that aren’t funded through the school district—primarily for lack of funds. But many of these projects will be pilots—say, projects that an innovative teacher has discovered and decided would really work well but they need some seed money in order to test it so that the school district might look at it and fund it later or we might continue to grow it. It really is the only place where we are collecting and directing funds to those special kinds of things.

Hopkins Patch: And you do grants that teachers put in requests for?

Grytdahl: That’s right. Teachers put in requests for grants, and we have two cycles of granting—one in the spring and one in the fall. We’re going to be coming up to one right in March here for them to make applications.

Hopkins Patch: How do you think the current economic environment influences your role and the Education Foundation’s role?

Grytdahl: I think there’ll be some impact, but we’ve had this economic challenge in nonprofits now for a full two years—that things have been more challenging. But what I find is that if you have a strong case—for your purpose, for your mission, for your gifts—people will give what they have to support that. So it really is for us to make sure it’s very clear what it is that we want to do with the money and why that’s going to be a benefit to the community, not just the schools and the teachers and the students.

Hopkins Patch: What do you see being your fingerprints on the foundation?

Grytdahl: In the very short time—four, five, six days that I’ve been here—I did attend some key meetings before I officially started and one of those was a board meeting, which was absolutely extraordinary in the level of interest, and the energy and knowledge that those 17, 18 people that were at that meeting projected. They all are very, very committed and serious about doing their part and more to move this foundation forward. So I think what I bring is just an opportunity to help them accomplish their goals and to institutionalize some of the good ideas that, when people come and go, sometimes get lost. But this would move things forward in a more consistent manner.

Hopkins Patch: What are the strengths of the foundation that you’d like to preserve?

Grytdahl: Really, truly the volunteers—including the board members, the parents and community folks that are involved in it. It’s just extraordinary.

Hopkins Patch: Do you have any aspect of the foundation or ideas that you’re just ready and raring to go about?

Grytdahl: Probably not for your (recording) machine (after) six days here. My plan right now and what I am doing right now is one-to-one meetings with key leadership volunteers, including the 20-some board members. That will be my February activity. And school principals and anyone that will be involved and care (about) what the foundation will be doing moving forward. So I’m just in a listening mode right now.

Hopkins Patch: What would you tell community members who say, “What can I do to help the foundation?”

Grytdahl: Call me, call me, call me! Call me.

Hopkins Patch: You seem really engaged—like you’re just putting yourself out there.

Grytdahl: [laughing] Oh, old cheerleaders never die. They just keep rolling along.

Grytdahl starts her job right as the Hopkins Education Foundation is ramping up for its Royal Bash on Feb. 26. to learn more about the Bash and the accompanying online auction that just began Feb. 14. To find out how you can help the foundation, e-mail HEF@HopkinsSchools.org or call 952-988-4097.