Meet a Member - Gwen Daniels

Who are you?

I’m Gwen Daniels. I was lucky enough to live in Northfield for over 30 years, where my husband John and I raised our family and had wonderful friends. A few years ago, we moved up to Minneapolis, but Northfield will forever be a part of who we are. I worked at St. Olaf for 16 years as the Administrative Assistant in the Departments of Art/Art History and Dance. Then, in 2015 I began working with Healthy Community Initiative (HCI) as the web and graphic designer. I retired from that job in November of 2022. I also keep busy with NorSari, a company I started in 2012. John and I live just a couple miles from our four grandchildren, so that keeps us busy too!

Why did you join WINGS?

I joined WINGS as part of a Giving Circle in the early 2000’s, back when “Giving Circles” were a thing. A Giving Circle was a group of up to 10 women who gave a total of $1,000 collectively. These circles were a great way to introduce WINGS to women in the community and build the organization into the thriving org that it is today.

I was drawn to the mission of WINGS of expanding the number of women directly involved in philanthropy and using the collected funds to improve the lives for women and youth in our community. I liked that it was an organization that anyone could join, and by pooling the resources of hundreds of women in our community we could make a difference.

How have you been involved in WINGS over the years?

My first role, other than a member, was to be on the Communications Committee where we developed things like annual reports, enews, annual newsletters, invitations to events, etc. I also developed and, until recently, maintained the WINGS website. From there I joined the WINGS board as Treasurer. It was such a great way to learn more about WINGS and meet some amazing women. After my term ended, I continued managing the WINGS membership database which I have done for the last 10 years.

What are your hopes for WINGS for the future?

I would love to see WINGS host a large event, a gathering of all the women in Northfield, coming together to hear motivational speakers promoting philanthropy and celebrating all the good WINGS has done in the community. My hope is that WINGS will continue to grow and thrive and continue to support innovative ideas for making our world a better place for all people. There is much work to do.