Cheryl Gunness

About Cheryl Gunness

I am a versatile community educator obsessed with weaving more vibrant and more connected communities. I am pretty good at distilling complexities, seeing into the heart of matters, and getting people excited about the things I\'m excited about. With a background teaching college literature and rhetoric as well as nonprofit program management, I currently lead Edina Community Ed’s Community Engagement team and its host of healthy youth development and meaningful family and community engagement programs. Because I am eager to co-create the kind of community I want to live in, I\'ve been an active volunteer on nonprofit boards, commissions and advisory councils. I\'m a fan of bee-keeping and haven\'t met a fiber art I haven\'t liked. I am licensed as a Community Education Director. I hold a BA from Carleton College, an MA from the University of St. Thomas, and a PhD from The Ohio State University, where my dissertation focused on 18th century encyclopedias and novels as machinery for lifelong learning and community building.

Experience

1. Community Involvement Coordinator

   Edina Public Schools

   Jul 2017 — Present · Edina, MN

   I lead the Community Engagement team for the Edina Public Schools Community Education and Strategic Partnerships program. This team is focused on healthy youth development and meaningful community engagement. Our program areas include- K-12 Enrichment Programs- Youth Development Programs- Adult Lifelong Learning- Edina Resource Center, Children\'s Mental Health and Family Services Collaborative- Youth and Adult Volunteer Programs- Edina High School Letter in Community Service- Summer Targeted Services (grades 1-7)- Youth Career Pathways, Internships, and Youth Skills Training- Strategic Partnerships and Special EventsOur programs and services open minds, pique curiosity, break down barriers, build connections and celebrate strengths so we can thrive as individuals, as a school district and as a community.

Education

• University of St. Thomas

  M.A.

  1993 — 1995

• The Ohio State University

  Ph.D.

  1995 — 2001

• Carleton College

  B.A. magna cum laude

  1983 — 1987

• Minnesota State University, Moorhead

  Community Education Director's License

  2016 — 2017

Skills

• Grant Writing
• Digital Photography
• Writing
• Program Development
• Lifelong Learning
• Web Content Management
• Adult Education
• Public Speaking
• Nonprofit Organizations
• Content Development
• Budgeting
• Fundraising
• Strategic Communications
• Team Leadership
• Program Management
• Research
• Data Analysis
• Project Management
• Event Planning
• Social Media
• Strategic Planning
• Nonprofits
• Community Engagement
• Community Partnership Development
• Leadership