Board Members

KTTC/Fox 47

Luke Meyer is an account executive in the sales department at KTTC Television in Rochester, where he started his career in 2013. Prior to that, he worked for a leading web marketing firm in the Twin Cities for four years, and has written and reported for the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Rochester Post-Bulletin and Red Wing Republican Eagle. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities.

Luke has served on the Bear Creek Services board of directors since 2019. He resides in Goodhue with his wife, Courtney and children Madeline, Patrick and Grant. Luke is also a 2018 graduate of Leadership Greater Rochester — the Rochester Chamber of Commerce’s premier leadership development program.

First Farmers & Merchant Bank

Nate Cote is the Assistant VP of Commercial & Ag Lending. After graduating from UW Stout with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and emphasis in finance; Nate started his banking career.

Nate has been engaged in work on behalf of individuals with disabilities throughout his life. He greatly enjoyed his time spent helping individuals succeed at their goals while volunteering for the Special Olympics in Wisconsin. He has close friends and family who have disabilities and has played an integral part in their lives.

In his free time Nate enjoys the great outdoors. He is an avid outdoorsmen and if Nate is not working for the day there is good chance you will find him out fishing on the Mississippi river or out in the woods.

U.S. Bank

Jeff Gross is the Vice President of Commercial Banking for U.S. Bank. Responsible for growing and managing banking relationships for companies, government entities, and non-profit organizations; delivering innovative financial solutions that help clients grow and sustain their competitive edge.

Jeff holds a master’s degree in organizational leadership and has a wide variety of experience from running and managing businesses, real estate investing, and financial services. Jeff acquired the skills and experience of business ownership and an entrepreneurial spirit, growing up with parents running multiple businesses.

Jeff is married to his wife Katie and has two school aged children, Charles & Teagan. He enjoys most outdoor activities such as camping, hiking, fishing, hunting, powersports, etc. Spending time with family outside is the best way to build lifelong experiences/ memories.

Currently active on local boards and volunteer activities; including past Chamber of Commerce Ambassador, Rotarian, board member of Bear Creek Services, and Mower County CEO.

Attorney Brenda Benitez grew up in Miami, Florida before attending law school in Connecticut. She then practiced in Connecticut for a few years before moving to Rochester, Minnesota. Her passion for legal work has always been client-centered as she values helping people through what is often the most difficult time in their lives. When she takes on a case, she is ready to advocate for her clients and provide them with her guidance and expertise. Her compassion helps her understand her clients’ need while her work in various areas helps her provide comprehensive support.

Chairman of the Board of Directors- Luther Haven Nursing Home- Montevideo- 7 years
Present President-Elect of Rochester Golden K Kiwanis
Present Board Member of Bear Creek Services

Tyler oversees a wide variety of construction projects from inception to end. He has been in the construction industry since 2012 after he graduated from North Dakota State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Construction Management minoring in Natural Resource Management and Business Administration.

Tyler has been a board member at Bear Creek Services since 2022 and is a resident of Kasson where he lives with his wife Lindsey and son Benjamin.

Laura Quest is the Vice President of Administration for M&M Productions USA, a full service Audio-Visual Company based in Tennessee. Prior to that, she worked as a professional Stage Manager for numerous theatre companies and also held roles in event coordination, non-profit arts management and fundraising. Laura holds Bachelor degrees in Education and Fine Arts and a Masters Degree in Theatre Management. Laura has served on the Bear Creek board since 2019 and lives in Oronoco with her husband Dan, and daughters, Lilly and Maggie, who also volunteer for Bear Creek Services.

Wellik is a retired public health professional, and was formerly the Public Health Director for Olmsted County. She specialized in public health policy, family health and community wellness. Mary has been a long time community volunteer, and has served on multiple local boards. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing and a Masters Degree in Public Health from the University of Minnesota. She currently volunteers with Native American and public health initiatives.

McKenna Misch is the Controller for Custom Alarm, a security-based company in the Rochester area focused on ensuring their customers’ safety since 1968. Prior to her role at Custom Alarm, McKenna worked as an auditor and tax accountant at RSM US LLP, where she obtained her CPA license. McKenna hopes to utilize her accounting expertise to help advocate for nonprofits in the Rochester community.

Paul has been married to Nancy since 1976. He has two children, Ben 45 and Amy 41. He grew up in Bloomington, Minnesota and both Paul and his wife attended Bemidji State University, graduating with a BS degree in Science and Secondary Education.

Paul lived in Stewartville since 1983. He worked at PossAbilties for 23 years as an Employment Program Coordinator, and before that worked at Barlow Foods and Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship. Both Paul and his wife Nancy retired in 2022 and substitute teach part time in our local school district preschool programs.

His son, Ben, has been served by the residential program at Bear Creek Services since 2009. He loves living in his own home. He has very good computer skills. He likes superheroes, coloring and movies and sit-com’s (especially those from the 80’s and 90’s). He also attends a life enrichment program at PossAbilities twice a week and is in track and field with the Special Olympics program.

Paul enjoys anything outdoors: nature, hiking, fishing and birding. I also am very active in leadership and teaching at  a local church community. Since retirement, he and his wife have had the chance to travel more and enjoy spending time with family.

Ella Davis is a student at Century High School. She enjoys volunteer work and engaging in the community. In her spare time, Ella plays volleyball, musical instruments, and spends time with her friends.