Biographical Sketch—                 

 Elaine Simonds-Jaradat joined Community Ed. as the new Learning Unlimited/Adult Enrichment Coordinator in July.  Elaine is a New Minnesotan, having arrived in Morris our years ago when her husband Abdullah took the position of Research Leader at the North Central Soil Conservation Research Laboratory, or Soils Lab.  Before that, she and her family lived in many areas of the Middle East, including Jordan, Syria, and the United Arab Emirates.  The family also lived and worked in Maryland for several years. 

 

In Maryland, Elaine was a research administrator at the Johns Hopkins University for twelve years.  This experience working with faculty, staff, students, and the community provides a good fit with her current position.  She is participating in UMM’s Department of Housing and Urban Development, Community Outreach Partnership Center Program grant entitled Adapting to Change: Managing Urbanization in Rural America. She admires the artistic talent in Stevens County so much that she agreed to be Secretary of the Prairie Renaissance Cultural Alliance (PRCA) board of directors.

Elaine has a B.S. in English from West Chester University in Pennsylvania, and a M.L.A. from the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD.  She has one son, Omar, who is about to be a sophomore at Moorhead State.  Travel, sewing, reading, ethnic cooking, and keeping up with world events make up her outside interests. 

 

Elaine would love to hear from anyone in the community who has an interest in taking a Community Ed class, or who could suggest or teach a new class.  Please also contact her for information on Learning Unlimited, our learning in retirement program.  We have a great lineup this year, emphasizing how our community has changed over time, and all are welcome!