The Twin Cities Slovenians (TCS) group was formed in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St Paul Minnesota, as Branch 109 of the Slovenian Union of America (SUA). If you have Slovenian heritage or are a friend of the Slovenian culture, we invite you to join our group. Our goal is to honor our Slovenian heritage through the sharing of food, fellowship, culture, history, music, language, literature and genealogy.
TCS is an all-volunteer group. Your donation supports a variety of activities which preserve and promote our Slovenian heritage. During recent years, we presented enjoyable and informative programs almost every month. Programs included presentations on genealogy, travel to Slovenia, cooking, literature, music, film-making, national costumes and history. Our monthly meetings provided an excellent opportunity to interact with others who share your love and interest in Slovenia. We also conduct language classes from September through May.
Before the pandemic, we provided a Slovenian exhibit at the annual Festival of Nations. Every year, we organized more than 30 volunteers who prepared and staffed the Festival exhibit. The exhibit was enjoyed by thousands of people who learned about Slovenia and its rich cultural heritage. We hope to participate again whenever the Festival resumes. Meanwhile, we have branched out with new ways to bring awareness to Slovenian culture. For example, we participate in the Slavic Experience in St. Louis Park (August 2nd and 3rd this year).
TCS meetings are generally held at the New Brighton Community Center, 400 – 10th Street NW, New Brighton, MN, room 224. Our board meetings are usually via Zoom. Check the Calendar page for full information on either meeting.
Donations
Your donation goes a long way to keep TCS running all year long. These funds make it possible to run this website, host visiting Slovene performance groups, participate in heritage festivals and provide interesting presentations. Learn how you can support our activities with the links below.
Organizational Guidelines
Learn more about our structure and rules of operation.
Annual Reports
Each year we produce a report that outlines all the fabulous stuff we’ve managed and funded. You should read this.
Current Officers and Board Members
| President | Mike Koski president@twincitiesslovenians.org |
| Vice President | Mary Jo Verschay |
| Treasurer | Ruth Pechauer |
| Recording Secretary | Marian Brezovec |
| Membership Secretary | Bailey Peternell membership@twincitiesslovenians.org |
| SUA Member Representative | Liz Miller |
At Large Board Members
Elaine Barthelemy, Jeanne Jakel, Jolene Pearson, Rick Pisa, Sue Rademacher, Rich Samec, Norm Setnicker, Mary Ann Setnicker and John Zakelj
Past Presidents
Mary Vidas – 2005 – 2006
Norm Setnicker – 2006 – 2011
John Zakelj – 2011 – 2016
Mike Koski – 2017 –
