General Membership Luncheon: Patty Wetterling
Date and Time
Tuesday Jul 26, 2016
11:30 AM - 1:00 PM CDT
Tuesday, July 26th
11:00AM - Registration
11:30-1:00PM - Event
Location
Brackett's Crossing Country Club
17976 Judicial Road
Lakeville MN 55044
Fees/Admission
$25 Members
$40 Non-Members
Contact Information
Shanen Corlett
952-469-2020
Send Email
Description
PATTY WETTERLING
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Patty Wetterling is the mother of Jacob Wetterling, who was abducted at the age of eleven, by a masked gunman on October 22, 1989 near his home in St. Joseph, Minnesota. Jacob is still missing. Patty has become a nationally recognized educator on the issues of child abduction and sexual exploitation of children. Fighting for the safety of all children, Patty and her husband Jerry co-founded the Jacob Wetterling Resource Center (JWRC) to educate communities about child safety issues in order to prevent child exploitation and abductions. Patty remains a JWRC volunteer.
Patty is a consultant with the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and Fox Valley Technical College. She presents a Victim Impact session in law enforcement training programs across the country (RMAC), CEO training on missing and exploited children, and Long Term Missing.
Patty co-founded and is the Director of Team H.O.P.E. a national support group for families of missing children. She is also a founding member and past president of the Association of Missing and Exploited Children’s Organizations (AMECO). Patty also co-authored a book, “When Your Child is Missing: A Family Survival Guide,” along with four other families and co-edited “Perspectives on Missing Persons Cases” in September 2015.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Patty was selected by the Minneapolis Star Tribune as one of the “100 Most Influential Minnesotans of the Century” and received the Governor’s “Leadership Award for Unique Acts of Kindness.” She has received a variety of awards including “Eleven Who Care” sponsored by the NBC affiliate, KARE 11-TV in Minneapolis. In addition, she has received several honors from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children including “10th Anniversary Award”, “The Rainbow Award” and “The Vision Award”.
Patty was instrumental in the passage of the Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children Sex Offender Registration Act on the state level as well as part of the 1994 Federal Crime Bill. She also was instrumental in establishing the statewide AMBER Plan in Minnesota.
Patty spoke at four Missing Children’s Day Ceremonies in Washington DC with Attorneys General Janet Reno, John Ashcroft, Eric Holder and Loretta Lynch. She also presented on a panel at the very first White House Conference on Missing, Exploited, and Runaway Children in October 2002, sponsored by President George and First Lady Laura Bush, as well as being a keynote speaker for the very first AMBER Plan training in Dallas, Texas. She has frequently been a keynote speaker for Crimes Against Children and Sexual Violence Prevention Conferences.
Patty was Chair of the Board of Directors for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children from 2012 through 2015. Although she has become a highly recognized child advocate, Patty has never given up hope. She often says, “I’m just Jacob’s mom trying to fight for the rights of children to grow up safe and to be able to follow their dreams.”
EDUCATION
Patty received her B.S. degree from Mankato State University, MN in 1971 majoring in Math and Psychology. Patty taught secondary math for 5 years in Maryland and Iowa.