When Karen Bergstrom joined the City of River Falls nearly 14 years ago as the human resources director, she was able to build the City’s human resources department from scratch. Having worked in HR for another city as well as the private sector, she brought a wealth of experience as she helped establish the HR culture at River Falls.

On this episode of the Kinni Cast, Karen shares more about the workplace culture at the City, talks about the importance of promoting a work-life balance, and reveals what her favorite question to ask prospective employees in a job interview. All of that and more on a brand-new Kinni Cast.

Learn more about the City of River Falls at www.rfcity.org. Follow the City of River Falls on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Matt Walker didn’t grow up in River Falls – he’s an Indiana native – but after living here for 15 years, River Falls is now home for Matt and his family. Recently, Matt helped put River Falls on the national stage as the head coach of the UW-River Falls Falcons football team, which won its first-ever Division III national championship in early January. Being in the spotlight gave Matt the opportunity to showcase River Falls and the community that he’s a big part of.

On this special partner spotlight episode of the Kinni Cast, Matt shares more about his love of River Falls, talks about how the relationship between the university and the community has grown since he first arrived, and of course he recaps the excitement of his team’s national championship.

Learn more about the City of River Falls at www.rfcity.org. Follow the City of River Falls on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

When it snows, we often take for granted that the snow gets cleared from our city streets. But that job gets done thanks to the public works crew at the City of River Falls. Plowing the snow is one of just many things the public works team does. They stay busy year-round with tree removal, street sign maintenance, mowing the grass at city parks, and much more.

To learn more about the Public Works team, Erica Ellefson joins this episode of the Kinni Cast. As the public works manager, Erica oversees the operations of the public works crew and helps ensure that the city’s streets, parks, and other resources are well-maintained for the residents of River Falls. Settle into the first episode of the Kinni Cast in 2026 as we dive into all things public works.

Learn more about the City of River Falls at www.rfcity.org. Follow the City of River Falls on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

In River Falls, the parks and natural resources are something residents routinely say is an important part of the community. Helping maintain those aspects of the City is the job of Brooks Ostendorf, who joined the City staff earlier this year as the manager of the newly-created Conservation and Parks Department.

On this episode of the Kinni Cast, Brooks talks about how his background in landscape architecture translates to the work he does for the City, shares more about the City’s response to Emerald Ash Borer, discusses what he thinks makes our park system so unique, and much more. Tune in now to hear a conversation with Conservation and Parks Manager Brooks Ostendorf on the Kinni Cast.

Learn more about the City of River Falls at www.rfcity.org. Follow the City of River Falls on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Numbers are Josh Solinger’s thing – which is perfect since he serves as the finance director for the City of River Falls. On this episode of the Kinni Cast, Josh joins to share his passion for helping residents understand how their tax dollars support the services and projects shaping our community. He discusses the city’s annual budget, how the City funds major projects like the upcoming fire station renovation, and gives his outlook on the long-term financial health of River Falls.

So get your calculators out as you tune into this brand-new Kinni Cast episode with finance director Josh Solinger.

Learn more about the City of River Falls at www.rfcity.org. Follow the City of River Falls on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Before she ran for City Council in River Falls, Diane Odeen actually had aspirations of holding office at the state level of government in Wisconsin. While that didn’t ultimately work out, that experience eventually helped her land a spot on the City Council – a role she’s held for more than a decade.

On this episode of the Kinni Cast, Diane takes us behind the scenes of what it’s like to be a City Council member in River Falls, discusses some of the projects she and other council members have helped bring to life over the years, and shares how River Falls residents can get involved in local government and connect with their City Council representatives.

Learn more about the City of River Falls at www.rfcity.org. Follow the City of River Falls on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Growth in a city like River Falls doesn’t happen overnight. It takes a balance of planning, partnerships, and community values. Tying all of those together is part of Emily Shively’s role as the Assistant Director of Community Development for the City of River Falls.

On this episode of the Kinni Cast, Emily joins to share more about how development works in the city, examines the current housing market in River Falls, and discusses how the City plans for growth while preserving what makes the community special.

Learn more about the City of River Falls at www.rfcity.org. Follow the City of River Falls on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Since he was a kid, Gordon Young knew he wanted to be in law enforcement. He saw his dad and grandfather in the profession and seemed destined to follow in their footsteps. After getting his start in his home state of Michigan, he eventually found his way to River Falls in 2015 as the City’s new Police Chief.

On this episode of the Kinni Cast, Chief Young talks about his introduction to River Falls a decade ago, shares how the new police station has been a major upgrade for the department, discusses why he’s passionate about mental health, and much more.

Learn more about the City of River Falls at www.rfcity.org. Follow the City of River Falls on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.