James attended college at Iowa Lakes Community College, Buena Vista University, and Northwestern Chiropractic College. James is a Doctor of Chiropractic and he has a chiropractic business in Emmetsburg called Emmetsburg Chiropractic.
James and his wife Stephanie have four children; Jesse, Seth, Aaron and Jamie. James is a member of the Knights of Columbus, Rotary, serves on a church board, and enjoys coaching youth baseball and basketball.
James also enjoys golfing, biking, boating and spending time with family.
James served as past president and vice-president of Horizons Unlimited. James stated, "I have always had a strong compassion for individuals with mental and physical disabilities.
Matthew Meredith attended the University of Iowa and the University of New England College of Dentistry. Matthew is a General Dentist for the Louscher Family Dentistry. Matthew attends the St. Paul Lutheran Church in Emmetsburg and serves on the FUEL Board of Directors also. Matthew stated, "The Horizons Unlimited board serves an incredibly important component in our community, and as an enriching entity in the lives of its Horizons family."
Kathy Behrens works for Prairie Lake AEA as a Certified Occupational Therapist and a COTA/L Therapist. She also works part-time at the Shores Golf courts as an Event Assistant. Kathy lives in Emmetsburg and has a daughter and son. She attended the Austin Community College where she completed the COTA program. She is a member of the St. John's Lutheran Church in Sherburn, MN. Her parents live in Welcome, MN so a large part of her free time is spent with them, her kids and her siblings. She enjoys lake activities and biking. Kathy says, " All people deserve a good home, community involvement and a purpose. I feel Horizons helps this happen. It is a good foundation and I like to be part of it."
The Louscher's son Adam has lived at the Palmer Street Group home for 24 years and has thrived under Horizons support and loving care. Chris and her husband Mike have been supporters of Horizons since they lived in Emmetsburg and have been thrilled to see it grow and evolve to meet the needs of members. Chris served on the Horizons board previously, has chaired the Iowa Council of Human Services, headed an Iowa Task Force on Autism, has been president of the Autism Society in Iowa, served on the national board of the Autism Society of America, and professionally worked as a psychotherapist and a teacher. The Louschers have four children and ten grandchildren. Louscher Family Dentistry has been serving the Horizons members since the 70's and are proud of the many smiles they continue to see.
Roberta and her husband live in Emmetsburg and have two children. She is a retired Speech/Language Pathologist. Roberta completed her schooling at Western Illinois University in 1977. She is involved with the Palo Alto County Extension, Iowa Extension Council Association and at the Mainstreet Community Theater. She volunteers for the St. Pat’s Association and a member of the Holy Family Parish in Emmetsburg. Roberta’s hobbies consist of a 4-H Judge at county fairs, Buena Vista University student teacher supervisor and the American Association of University Women (AAUW). Roberta cares about persons with disabilities because often they struggle to lead satisfying lives with meaningful relationships and purpose. Horizons provides the support and care for them to do so in a variety of ways.
Kevin and his wife live in West Bend and have 3 grown children. He attended West Bend Community School, University of Iowa, and received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Northern Iowa. Kevin retired as CFO from Pharmacists Mutual Insurance Company in 2020. Kevin is a member of the Apostolic Christian Church and serves as the Treasurer and Bookkeeper for the Kossuth County C.A.R.E. Team. Kevin’s son lives in the 19th Street Group Home and works in the community.
Laurie and her husband live in Emmetsburg. She has three grown children. Laurie attended Iowa Lakes Community College and has had 44 years of accounting experience in both the public and private sectors. She worked for Horizons Unlimited for 6 years as the organizations CFO. She is currently employed with Fort & Schlegel, CPA as a staff accountant. With Laurie’s experience at Horizons, she knows it is a great organization that strives to make life good for individuals with disabilities.
Ben and his wife Jordan live in Emmetsburg with their two sons. Ben is a Deputy Sheriff in Palo Alto County. He graduated from Emmetsburg High School and from the University of Northern Iowa in Criminology and a minor in Business. He is a member of the First United Methodist Church. His hobbies include golfing, hunting, fishing and spending time with his family. Ben feels that Horizons provides excellent care and supervision for adults with disabilities who are in need of those services. The self-esteem the residents develop is valuable for them and their famlies.
Karen lives in Emmetsburg and graduated from Iowa Wesleyan University. She is a retired school teacher and realtor. Karen has 4 children and her hobbies consist of reading and helping with her grandchildren. Karen has been on the Horizons Unlimited Board previously and we are so happy to have her back. She states that Horizons provides an invaluable service to our members and our community.
Mary and and her husband Greg live in Emmetsburg and have two daughters and two grandsons. Mary attended college at Briar Cliff, WIT and ILCC. She currently works for Hyvee Pharmacy as a Certified Pharmacy Tech. She is the treasurer for the Mainstreet Community Theater in Emmetsburg and an ATA Taekwondo Instructor - 4° black belt. She likes to read, sew and travel. Mary cares about Horizons because her brother has been at Horizons since he graduated from high school. Mary states, "He has benefited immensely from living and working at Horizons. I believe the members deserve a chance to become a part of the community, therefore allowing the community to learn life lessons from the members."
Greg and his wife Dee live in Algona and have three daughters. He graduated from college at UNI and is a retired school administrator. Greg is a member of the Sts. Cecelia Catholic Church in Algona. He and Dee enjoy traveling, camping and family time with 6 grandchildren. Greg volunteers at school activities and is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Algona, Sec/Treasurer of Camp Algona Board and serves as Commissioner of North Central Conference. Greg's daughter Jodi has been part of Horizons since 1997.
