Area military veterans are invited to the free annual Veterans’ Brunch from 10 a.m.-noon Saturday, Oct. 18 at the Sartell Community Center, 850 19th St. S. Each veteran may bring one guest.
Superintendent Michael Rivard will emcee the event. The keynote speaker will be John Swenson, retired Police and Fire Chief for the City of Lino Lakes, where he served for nearly 15 years.
Swenson grew up in St. Paul and served in the Minnesota Army National Guard as a military police officer, including a deployment to Kuwait during Desert Shield/Desert Storm in 1991. After his service, he earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Concordia University in St. Paul.
He began his police career with the Minneapolis Police Department in 1993, where he was promoted to sergeant, and later became a captain with the White Bear Lake Police Department. In 2011, he was appointed Police and Fire Chief in Lino Lakes, overseeing major advancements in police and fire services, including technology upgrades and fire service integration. Chief Swenson retired in 2025 after more than 30 years of dedicated service to our nation, law enforcement and public safety.
Each veteran who would like to attend should register for the brunch by Oct. 10. Registrations are made by calling the community center at 320-258-7331 or emailing tina.hengel@sartellmn.com.
The brunch to honor veterans for their service to their country is sponsored by the Sartell Senior Connection, the Sartell Historical Society and the American Legion of Sartell.
