Meet CAEP Enology Coordinator, Lori Holmgren

February 13, 2020February 17, 2020 Madison Yaggie Schuler CAEP, Coordinator, cultural exchange, culture, enology, Holmgren, Lori, Staff

For over 20 years, Lori has transformed the lives of exchange visitors and hosts as a CAEP coordinator. Born and raised on a small dairy farm in Minnesota, Lori launched her career with a degree in mass communications from Minnesota State University Moorhead. Now, she connects exchange visitors and hosts on CAEP enology programs worldwide. “In my spare time I enjoy horseback riding, traveling, and spending time with family. I especially enjoy watching my husband and son race their dirt cars and ice race cars,” Lori shared. With her husband, Dave, of 31 years, they have eight horses. Their son, Jacob, is a diesel mechanic.

What Inspires You to Come to Work Each Day?

“Besides my co-workers, I’m inspired by the challenge that each day brings. There is always something different to do and someone that has questions or needs assistance.

When I was on a recruiting trip to Chile, my guide stopped at a random winery for us to visit. In the tasting room, I found an apron from one of my host wineries in New York for sale. I questioned the sales person and she said that the winery we were at and the winery in New York were owned by the same family. Then the winemaker came out and said, ‘Hey Lori! So good to see you again!’ Here it was one of my past EV’s that I had placed in California! Of all the wineries that we could have stopped at in Chile, who would have known that one of my past EV’s would be the winemaker there. That really made me think of the impact that I had on the lives of so many over the years.”

The Importance of Cultural Exchange

“I love seeing young people grow and learn about the USA. The best comments I hear are, ‘I didn’t know how beautiful the USA is and how nice the people really are’. Personally, I like the fact that we are changing the lives of many people. Not just the exchange visitors, but also the hosts, their families and the communities that the EV’s are living in. We have the ability to share cultures with Americans that they may not have known about before.”