Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Join us for an incredibly candid and inspiring session of the 18:83 Speaker Series featuring Katie Mayer, Executive Director of the Grand Forks Children's Museum!
Katie takes you through her unexpected path to executive leadership, starting as a quiet student, working as a "sandwich artist" at 14, and spending 30 years in the service industry. She shares how those early roles, combined with the hard-earned lessons of being a young mom and a dedicated educator, shaped her core leadership philosophy.
✨ About the Talk: Leadership, Resilience, and Building from the Ground Up
In this talk, Katie dives deep into:
The Grand Forks Children's Museum: Get an update on the monumental project, including their current focus on building the museum, designing exhibits, and the exciting news that they are breaking ground next spring just south of the Avera Center.
The Power of Opportunity: She shares how she learned to reframe "extra tasks" from her principals as crucial opportunities that built her network and skills, ultimately leading her back to UND for her Master’s in Educational Leadership.
Leadership is Not a Title: Katie emphasizes that true leadership is about showing up, rolling up your sleeves, getting dirty, and working with your team.
Core Leadership Qualities: She outlines the essential attributes for effective leadership, including kindness, respect, active listening, resilience, and the importance of a growth mindset.
The Most Important Title: Katie reflects on the profound leadership lessons learned from being a mom to four children, noting that those you lead are always watching, listening, and learning from your example.
📌 Key Takeaways & Discussion Points:
Always lead with kindness, empathy, and respect.
Be curious and lean on your team’s expertise.
Don't be afraid to ask questions—it shows you are learning and growing.
"Always do the right thing even when no one is watching."
Be someone's cheerleader.
Meet Katie Mayer
A Grand Forks native and two-time UND graduate, Katie Mayer brings a strong foundation in elementary education, having served as a kindergarten teacher and principal. She spearheads the Grand Forks Children's Museum effort with a deep passion for learning and boundless enthusiasm, driving forward plans for construction, exhibit curation, and community engagement to ensure the museum enriches young lives and strengthens the community.
Connect with the Grand Forks Children's Museum: grandforkschildrensmuseum.com
#1883SpeakerSeries #GrandForksChildrensMuseum #GFCMA #UND #GrandForks #CommunityBuilding #Fundraising #Education #Museum #leadership
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Founded in 1883, six years before the state itself was established, the University of North Dakota is a busy 521-acre campus, the state’s largest. We're an innovator in engineering, medicine, aviation and unmanned aircraft systems with colleges of business, arts, sciences, nursing, aerospace, education, engineering and medicine. Undergraduate and graduate degrees are offered online and on campus.
WEBSITE: https://und.edu/
ABOUT: https://und.edu/about/index.html
MAJORS: https://und.edu/programs/
VISIT: https://und.edu/admissions/visit/
APPLY: https://und.edu/admissions/apply.html
Follow us on social media:
Instagram: instagram.com/uofnorthdakota
Facebook: facebook.com/UofNorthDakota
TikTok: tiktok.com/@uofnorthdakota
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/school/uofnorthdakota
#college #undproud #university #collegelife #studentlife
Join us for an incredibly candid and inspiring session of the 18:83 Speaker Series featuring Katie Mayer, Executive Director of the Grand Forks Children's Museum!
Katie takes you through her unexpected path to executive leadership, starting as a quiet student, working as a "sandwich artist" at 14, and spending 30 years in the service industry. She shares how those early roles, combined with the hard-earned lessons of being a young mom and a dedicated educator, shaped her core leadership philosophy.
✨ About the Talk: Leadership, Resilience, and Building from the Ground Up
In this talk, Katie dives deep into:
The Grand Forks Children's Museum: Get an update on the monumental project, including their current focus on building the museum, designing exhibits, and the exciting news that they are breaking ground next spring just south of the Avera Center.
The Power of Opportunity: She shares how she learned to reframe "extra tasks" from her principals as crucial opportunities that built her network and skills, ultimately leading her back to UND for her Master’s in Educational Leadership.
Leadership is Not a Title: Katie emphasizes that true leadership is about showing up, rolling up your sleeves, getting dirty, and working with your team.
Core Leadership Qualities: She outlines the essential attributes for effective leadership, including kindness, respect, active listening, resilience, and the importance of a growth mindset.
The Most Important Title: Katie reflects on the profound leadership lessons learned from being a mom to four children, noting that those you lead are always watching, listening, and learning from your example.
📌 Key Takeaways & Discussion Points:
Always lead with kindness, empathy, and respect.
Be curious and lean on your team’s expertise.
Don't be afraid to ask questions—it shows you are learning and growing.
"Always do the right thing even when no one is watching."
Be someone's cheerleader.
Meet Katie Mayer
A Grand Forks native and two-time UND graduate, Katie Mayer brings a strong foundation in elementary education, having served as a kindergarten teacher and principal. She spearheads the Grand Forks Children's Museum effort with a deep passion for learning and boundless enthusiasm, driving forward plans for construction, exhibit curation, and community engagement to ensure the museum enriches young lives and strengthens the community.
Connect with the Grand Forks Children's Museum: grandforkschildrensmuseum.com
#1883SpeakerSeries #GrandForksChildrensMuseum #GFCMA #UND #GrandForks #CommunityBuilding #Fundraising #Education #Museum #leadership
---
Founded in 1883, six years before the state itself was established, the University of North Dakota is a busy 521-acre campus, the state’s largest. We're an innovator in engineering, medicine, aviation and unmanned aircraft systems with colleges of business, arts, sciences, nursing, aerospace, education, engineering and medicine. Undergraduate and graduate degrees are offered online and on campus.
WEBSITE: https://und.edu/
ABOUT: https://und.edu/about/index.html
MAJORS: https://und.edu/programs/
VISIT: https://und.edu/admissions/visit/
APPLY: https://und.edu/admissions/apply.html
Follow us on social media:
Instagram: instagram.com/uofnorthdakota
Facebook: facebook.com/UofNorthDakota
TikTok: tiktok.com/@uofnorthdakota
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/school/uofnorthdakota
#college #undproud #university #collegelife #studentlife
