We are happy to have recently welcomed two new Care Partners staff and two new Board members! Here’s a little info about them…
Betsy Blume, Care Coordinator/Caregiver Consultant
I have been visiting the North Shore for several years and in 2019 I moved here…a long held dream. I enjoy hiking, biking, skiing and paddling and all the community cultural activities. I retired from nursing as an RN in March of this year where I worked at the Sawtooth Mountain Clinic for 2 years. I joined Care Partners in September and work part-time as one of the Care Coordinator/Caregiver Consultants.
France Zigmund, Senior Services Coordinator
Hello! My name is Frances Zigmund and I am taking over as Senior Services Coordinator at Care Partners. I am very happy to be joining such a wonderful group of people! I am a nursing student with an interest in gerontology and end of life care and my parents and I moved to Grand Marais three years ago. I am a triplet, enjoy baking, sewing and love all things coffee! I have enjoyed speaking to the many volunteers over the phone and look forward to meeting you in person.
Beth Kennedy, Board Member
I have lived in Cook County for 45 years! I have two wonderful grown adult children who we have been lucky to have living close by! My daughter Kelsey Kennedy works for Cook County Higher Education, she is married to Peter Klinker and they are parents to Beatrice age 5 . My son Dan Kennedy is owner of Beth’s Fudge and Gifts, a gift shop I started in 1984 and he bought from me in 2016. His wife is Jennifer and they have two children, Evelyn age 6 and Corbin age 2! I have spent a lot of my time for the last 6 years taking care of all three grandchildren! This work is some of the most rewarding of my life!
I also started a few other stores during my career- Birchbark Books and Gifts, Everything’s Grand (St Paul) and a store in Lutsen. During the 35 years I had stores, I also worked to better the community by serving on a variety of Boards! I helped start up Cook County Community Fund by signing the original charter. I have served over 20 years on tourism boards, including Tip of the Arrowhead, Grand Marais Chamber of Commerce, and Visit Cook County. I have been passionate about solving hunger in Cook County by bringing Ruby’s Pantry here with the help and support of Spirit of the Wilderness Church and being on the spearheading committee of Empty Bowls. I have also helped revive Great Lunch at Great Expectations School and have been on Great Expectations School Foundation for numerous years at the beginning of the start of the school and I have rejoined for the last 4 years!
I am extremely interested in Care Partners because I had a stroke in my spine 3 years ago which paralyzed me from the waist down. I now need some services and find them extremely limited in Cook County! I hope to help Care Partners as they move into the future!
Suzanne Sherman, Board Member
Who am I? Deep and ongoing question. I taught at-risk youth, pregnant and parenting teens before moving to Grand Marais full time in 2008. My passion is still with youth, and I work with them through the Grand Marais Restorative Justice program. I volunteer as an End of Life Doula, Care Partners Companion volunteer, and through the Episcopal Diocese of Minnesota. My life is abundant. I have 3 children and 6 grandchildren as well as my life partner Mary Ellen Ashcroft. All I love dearly. I enjoy gardening, reading, hiking, laughing and gooey deserts. What a gift to be able to be part of this amazing Care Partners Board!