Board Nominees for 2024/2025
Alanna Soukkala
Director
Risk Management Consultant
Marsh McClennan Agency
What goals do you have for our chapter? I'd like to help lighten the load of other board members. For the Chapter, I'd like to increase both business and personal memberships / support.
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What do you do in your spare time? I'm a mother, wife, farmer and baseball coach in my spare time. I also love to garden.
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Who is the most influential woman in your life & why? I have to nod to two women in my life. First, my mother, who showed me at a young age the importance of setting a goal to better yourself and reaching that goal and also for showing me the value of a good work ethic. The next is a grandmother of mine who showed me that women can rise above adversity and that we don't have to fit into boxes other people define for us.
What is your favorite building or structure in the Twin Ports/Iron Range Area? Well, the top floor of the Board of Trade Building in Duluth is something spectacular, however, the new Essentia Health building(s) is top of mind. It was an honor to be part of that project and a constant reminder of how many jobs it brought to our area.
Rhiannon Klein
Director
Project Manager
Lakehead Constructors, Inc.
What goals do you have for our chapter? Community engagement / involvement. I would like to see us spending more time with junior high / high school students exposing them to the various career opportunities within the construction fields. I would also like to spend time volunteering as an organization to get our name out there.
What do you do in your spare time? I spend most of my free time being active. Most nights I'm either running or at the gym. I help coach high school cross country in the fall. I enjoy hiking, kayaking, fishing, deer hunting, and spending time with dad and my two dogs.
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Who is the most influential woman in your life & why? My mom is the most influential woman in my life. She battled breast cancer for the better part of 12 years. Even when times were tough, she kept her spirits up. She taught perseverance. She spent 19 years in the Army Guard, enlisting in the mid-1970s, serving when it wasn’t that common for women to be in the military. She reinforced that I could do anything I set my mind to, regardless of gender norms. My mom was one tough cookie.
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What is your favorite building or structure in the Twin Ports/Iron Range Area? The Swinging Bridge – Jay Cooke State Park
Angela Heikkila
Director
Technical Education Career Coordinator
Minnesota North College
What goals do you have for our chapter? Being that our chapter is fairly new, I would like to do what I can to bring awareness to Chapter #392 and hopefully build better relationships with our communities and industries.
What do you do in your spare time? Watching my daughters play volleyball, boating, riding on the area trails with our side by side and working on house projects (we are remodeling an old farmhouse).
Who is the most influential woman in your life & why? The first person I think of that is the most influential woman in my life is my mom. She has always been so supportive and showed me the importance of taking pride in the things you do. I also am inspired by all the women that have broke through the glass ceiling and have helped pave the path for future women.
What is your favorite building or structure in the Twin Ports/Iron Range Area? Being that I did not grow up in the Twin Ports/Iron Range area my favorite building is the State Capital. I was involved in the renovation project and loved the history of the building. With that being said, I think on the Iron Range my favorite building would be the Hibbing High School because it holds a lot of history.
Grace Tuominen
Director
Contracts Administrator
Lakehead Constructors, Inc.
What goals do you have for our chapter? More active members and increase our community engagement. Support women in the area and have fun.
What do you do in your spare time? Spend time with family and friends as much as I can. Though, I am usually with my dog enjoying a nap, the parks, trails, and food our area offers.
Who is the most influential woman in your life & why? My twin sister Hope. She brings out the best of me. Our connection and support for each other is irreplaceable. She truly is my other half.
What is your favorite building or structure in the Twin Ports/Iron Range Area?The Richard I. Bong Bridge. My great uncle worked on the original construction, and was a highlight of our trips to see our family in the U.P.
