Bear Creek Services Welcomes New CEO Trent Fluegel – Post Bulletin

ROCHESTER — Bear Creek Services welcomes new Executive Director Trent Fluegel, who began work Monday, Aug. 19, 2024.

Fluegel has a background in nonprofit leadership with a focus on strengthening communities both locally and nationally, according to a statement from Bear Creek Services. He replaces Executive Director Linda Driessen, who has led the organization with dedication and vision since 2013.

Bear Creek Services is a local nonprofit based in Rochester that supports individuals with developmental disabilities and brain injuries. The nonprofit supports over 100 individuals in group homes and an independent living program.

“This is truly a return to the earliest roots of my career. Becky and I began our careers (and our marriage) as parents living in a group home in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Since then, I have had the privilege of serving as executive director of numerous local nonprofits and as a board member and officer of several others, and this opportunity to lead Bear Creek seems like a natural fit at the perfect time,” Fluegel said in a statement.

Driessen was a cornerstone of Bear Creek Services, and under her leadership the organization grew in both scope and influence. She will officially retire on September 18.

“On behalf of the volunteer board of Bear Creek Services, we would like to sincerely thank Linda Driessen for her exemplary leadership over the past 10-plus years,” board chairman Luke Meyer said in a statement. “The board is also pleased to welcome Trent Fluegel as our next executive director. We are confident that Trent is the right leader at the right time to deepen our ties to the community and lead us into the future.”

For more information about Bear Creek Services, visit bearcreekservices.org.

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