Speaker/Performer Biographies

Amber Fryklund 

Amber Fryklund has spent ten seasons with the Bemidji State Women's Hockey program and five as Associate Head Coach. She was name Head Coach on April 12, 2024.

Fryklund is the school’s all-time leading scorer after tallying 122 points from 2000-03. Fryklund helped lay the groundwork for the Bemidji State women’s hockey program in its infancy. She became the first women’s player to surpass the 100-point milestone and remains the school’s leader in both points and goals scored and is second all-time in assists. Fryklund was also BSU’s first All-Western College Hockey Association selection with a second team nod following the 2001-02 season.

Fryklund is a native of Hibbing, Minn., was a Miss Minnesota Hockey Finalist in her prep playing days, was co-head coach of the Duluth Northern Stars from 2003-09 and an assistant coach for the Proctor-Hermantown-Marshall Mirage during the 2009-2011 seasons. Fryklund spent seven years teaching physical education to student’s grades five through eight at the Marshall School and Duluth Public Schools Academy, both in Duluth, Minn.  Fryklund received her Bachelor of Science degree in physical education teaching K-12 from Bemidji State University in 2003 and her Master’s degree in educational leadership from University of Minnesota Duluth in 2007. She received her Doctorate degree in Higher Education Administration from St. Cloud State University in 2019. 

Bob Kearney

Robert (Bob) Kearney graduated from Hibbing High School in 1966.  Bob worked at The Sherman Mine (the last natural ore mine in Minnesota) for 13 years until it closed. Then, in 1982, he began working at the Hibbing High School where he would become the Maintenance Supervisor. Having access to all the nooks and crannies of the school had its benefits, Bob began to discover the hidden secrets and historical treasures from the school’s past concealed inside its walls. As time went on, the items and stories began accumulating and Bob wanted to ensure that the items and their stories would be safe and shared for future generations so he began to display the cache of items he found in his office.  Over time, the items overtook his office and it eventually became the Historical Room we have in the High School today, and through his work and efforts to recover the school’s past, he became not only the High School’s caretaker but its unofficial curator and storyteller.  Bob started giving tours while working at Hibbing High School and has continued to do so for over 30 years. When he retired in 2010, he realized his love of the school and its history remained with him, so he continued to give tours, citing, “The responsibility of telling the stories about this school is given to a few, and I feel privileged to be one of them.”  Because of his time at HHS Bob has gained a special kinship with the school, even with its ghosts; another story Bob will be happy to tell you.

Bethany McLean

Bethany is a contributing editor at Vanity Fair, a contributor at Business Insider, and a contributor at CNBC. She’s the co-host, along with University of Chicago economist Luigi Zingales, of the podcast Capitalisn’t. Her newest book, which she co-authored with Joe Nocera, is “The Big Fail: What the Pandemic Revealed About Who America Helps and Who it Leaves Behind.”

Previously, she was an editor-at-large at Fortune Magazine. She is the co-author with Peter Elkind of the “Smartest Guys in the Room: The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron.” A documentary based on the book was nominated for an Academy Award in 2006. In 2010, she co-authored “All the Devils are Here: The Hidden History of the Financial Crisis” with Joe Nocera. In 2015, Columbia Global Reports published her mini book “Shaky Ground: The Strange Saga of the US Mortgage Giants,” and in the fall of 2018, CGR published “Saudi America: The Truth About Fracking and How It’s Changing the World.”

McLean graduated from Williams College in 1992 with a double major in math and English, and from 1992 to 1995 she worked as an investment banking analyst at Goldman Sachs.

Caroline Rue

Caroline is a 2021 graduate of Hibbing High School and was the last in a long line of family to also attend HHS. Caroline participated in many activities, including hockey cheerleading, Northern Lights, and student council. Caroline often sang the National Anthem at many different events and was the youngest person to ever perform during Dylan Days at just 10 years old. Caroline continues to write music and perform at different venues around the Twin Cities. She loved her time at Hibbing High School and feels genuinely grateful to have attended a school with such a rich history of excellence.

Diana Giombetti

Diana Giombetti (JEE-uhm-BEH-tee) eaned a bachelor's degree in vocal and classroom music education from Bemidji State University in 1984. She taught in the Hibbing school district from 1985 to 2018-- all but two years were with seventh and eighth graders. She has never heard anyone regret that they play a musical instrument, she has heard many people that regret they don't. However, she notes it's never too late to learn how to play.

She has actively participated in school and community theater, band and choir.

Diana began cello studies in 2012 with Christina Roytz and later Byron Klimek. After Christina and Byron left the area to pursue their professional cello careers, she pouted for a time, then continued on-line work with various string professionals; she offers many thanks to those that provided tips and guidance.

In addition to saving the world on a weekly basis, she has been known to leap the occasional tall building in a single bound-- she speaks 20 languages (including fluent Jr. High). She is a Michelin Star chef who is recognized for ground-breaking, pioneering efforts using macaroni and cheese. Her lesson formats include: in-person, FaceTime, Zoom and ESP. She will not be available for lessons for the next few weeks as she is flying to Stockholm to receive the Nobel Prize for Unique Mathematical Theory In Application and use in Addition and Subtraction.

Favorite Quote for the time being: "The best thing about music isn't the music."

Gail Nucech

Forty-four years of Bluejacket coaching [1969-2012], Gail Nucech coached basketball, softball, track and field, gymnastics, and volleyball. Although it was Gail’s ability to coach gymnastics that landed her a teaching job in Hibbing, volleyball became her main sport, with an overall volleyball career coaching record of 884-254.

Leading her volleyball teams to 26 Iron Range Conference championships, 23 Region championships, 1 State title [1975], 1 State Runner-Up [1998], and a multitude of other tournament finishes and appearances, Gail has also received numerous individual awards. Gail is an 11-time Region Coach of the Year as well as a two-time State Coach of the Year [1975 and 1998].

Gail has been inducted into numerous halls of fame. Most recently, a 2024 inductee into the National High School Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame, Gail not only coached high school volleyball, she also organized the junior volleyball program in Hibbing and coached the team. Gail was a member of the Minnesota State High School League Coaches Association for 25 years, and she was a part of the National Girls and Women in Sports Day -- Breaking Barriers and Expanding Boundaries for Minnesota Female Athletes in 1995.

Gail’s accomplishments and the way she touched the lives of so many young women speak for themselves. Gail’s teams not only performed on the court, she saw her teams win Hibbing High School Academic Awards as well as the Sportsmanship Award at State tournaments. In recognition of Gail’s significant contributions, former Governor, Rudy Perpich, proclaimed October 16, 1990, as Gail Nucech Day in Minnesota. September 9, 2007, was also proclaimed Gail Nucech Day in Hibbing. One of the most rewarding things for Gail was seeing her athletes improve and seeing them mature into young ladies and adults.

Gary Kuusisto

Gary Kuusisto graduated from Winona Senior High in 1974, but his long connection to Hibbing has been through his family. Some may remember Shirley Kuusisto, his mother, who was a longtime Hibbing elementary school teacher. Even though he was living in different parts of the US, Gary has been back to Hibbing every year for frequent visits.

String instrument instruction and performing groups were around at HHS prior to the 60's. However, the formal effort to build a full orchestra began in 1960 with the hiring of Richard Baer. As orchestra director, he recognized that it would be a long process. That would have to begin at the elementary school level to develop the variety of instruments and players that a full orchestra needed. Mr. Baer began with the existing high school string players and began recruiting from the elementary schools.

Gary moved to Hibbing in 1965 and attended Jefferson Elementary. There he was first introduced to the cello by Mr. Baer and became a member of the elementary school orchestra. There were weekly cello lessons with Mr. Baer. As concerts got closer, after school practice sessions were held at the HHS orchestra room. One of the highlights was when we got to play daytime concerts at Washington, Greenhaven and Cobb Cook schools for the students and faculty to recruit more players.

Due to business necessity Gary's family moved to Duluth and Winona, where he played in Junior and Senior High orchestras. The family moved back to Hibbing, but he stayed and attended Winona State University. There he was able to play cello with the orchestra which was a combination of college and community orchestras. Overall, he's had the good fortune to play with six school and community orchestras from Northern Minnesota to Southern Minnesota and South Texas. As well as string quartets and small groups. The love of playing the cello and classical music is a gift that Hibbing schools gave him that he's cherished his whole adult life. Now Gary is back in Hibbing playing with the Hibbing Community Orchestra, Crescendo. Mr. Baer's dream continues!

Gary graduated from Winona State University in Business and has a Master's Degree in Organizational Behavior from the University of Hartford. He was a sales engineer for Duracell OEM sales in CA and TX, and a trainer with Gillette Learning & Development in CT. While at Gillette, he was promoted to Director of European Learning & Development based in London. In 2005 after Procter & Gamble merged with Gillette, he moved to Corpus Christi, TX and consulted with Del Mar College Workforce Development. He retired in 2016 and moved back to Hibbing to help care for Shirley.

Kevin McHale

Kevin is a 1976 Hibbing High School graduate and son of Josie and Paul McHale, is a former professional basketball player, coach, and analyst who played his entire professional basketball career for the Boston Celtics. McHale is a Basketball Hall of Fame inductee and is regarded as one of the greatest power forwards of all time.

After a high school career in which McHale was named Minnesota’s Mr. Basketball, he attended the University of Minnesota where he was named to two first-team All-Conference teams and set many team records that still stand today.  In 1995, to coincide with the University of Minnesota basketball’s 100th Anniversary, McHale was selected as the top player in the history of the University of Minnesota men’s basketball.

In the 1980 NBA draft McHale was selected in the first round, third overall pick by the Boston Celtics.  Wearing number 32, McHale worked his way up and became a starter alongside Larry Bird and center, Robert Parish, where the three formed what is often considered one of the best front-court trios in NBA history. McHale won three NBA championships with the Celtics and played in numerous All-Star games. After McHale’s retirement in 1993 he was later named to both the NBA’s 50th and 75thanniversary teams. In 1994 McHale’s number 32 jersey was retired by the Celtics.

After his retirement from the Celtics McHale began working for the Minnesota Timberwolves and at different times, as a TV analyst, general manager, and head coach as well as the head coach for the Hoston Rockets.

In his senior season at Hibbing High School, he led the Bluejackets to a runner-up finish in the AA Minnesota State Championship game and, among many other honors, in 1992 McHale was elected into the Minnesota State High School League Hall of Fame as well as the Croatian-American Sports Hall of Fame.

Mary Palcich Keyes

Mary Palcich Keyes is familiar to northern Minnesota residents for her "Years of Yore" weekly page about aspects of Iron Range history which is published in the Mesabi Tribune and affiliated papers.  Mary holds leadership roles in the Hibbing Historical Society and represents that Society on the St. Louis County Historical Society Board of Governors.

Born and raised in Hibbing, Mary is the daughter of two Iron Rangers who were outstanding teachers.  After Mary graduated from Hibbing High School in 1975, she attended the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, MN, earning degrees in English, Speech/Theatre, and Secondary Education.  She taught for 18 years at Hill-Murray High School in St. Paul where she taught mostly 12th grade literature, writing and media classes, and developed the English Advanced Placement course.  Then, for four years, she taught classes about Minnesota history and research at the Minnesota Historical Society's History Center in downtown St. Paul.  She and her husband Joe returned to her hometown in 2003 where they owned and operated Howard Street Booksellers until 2015.  Although they retired from running the brick and mortar storefront, they continue to order books for individuals and organizations.  They also give tours of historic Hibbing, Bob Dylan's Hibbing, and its magnificent High School.

McCarthy Beats

The McCarthy Beats (neighbors of the McCarthy Beach swimming beach) were formed in 2021. The band consists of mostly former Hibbing students, three of them being Class of ’72 classmates. Formed originally as a basement band (because it was too inconvenient to be a garage band), they expanded their efforts into a "once-each-year-around-the-fourth-of-July concert" from their deck next door to McCarthy Beach. Additionally, the trio of '72 graduates made a bucket list wish to play for their 50-year HHS reunion a reality. Their music centers around classic rock from the ‘60s and ‘70s--- Beatles, Stones, Guess Who, Carol King, Jethro Tull, the Doors---hoping to bring so many of us back to those earlier days of our youth. 

Rhonda Wiiliainen

Rhonda Wiiliainen is a born and bred resident of Hibbing Minnesota, and she has chosen to continue her adult life in this special part of the country because of its unique opportunities to foster her love of the outdoors, sustainability, and building community.

Rhonda has a passion for sustainable living and is establishing a home in a location that provides opportunities for gardening, hunting and gathering.

Rhonda’s professional journey began in healthcare as both a department head and a caseload worker. While she has managed budgets, teams of people, and caseloads of clients in her professional life, her position of working one on one with high school students in the federally funded college readiness program, Upward Bound has been the most rewarding part of her career journey to date. She has years of experience in working with people and takes great joy in helping students develop their skills to better their own circumstances.

Rhonda is a strong believer in serving one’s community, and she has a deep love for the Iron Range.  She is currently on the Board of Directors for the Upper Midwest Film Office (UMFO), as it combines both her love for the area and her love of storytelling.  As the mining industry slows in the area, Rhonda wants to see other industries grow, and she believes that the film and television industry and this area of the country she loves make a perfect fit. She has served on various local boards, steering committees and visioning projects, ranging from community health organizations to youth related and community projects. She has been a coach and continues to be an advocate and instructor in the Hibbing aquatics program.

Rhonda is proud to be on the HHS 100th Anniversary Committee. She believes bringing people together to celebrate each other and their shared history and experiences is an important part of life.

Roy Berg

Roy graduated from Hibbing High School in 1966.  He actively participated in choir, band, orchestra and theater.  Roy received the National School Choir Award and was selected to sing in All State Choir.  Following graduation Roy entered Hibbing Junior College with a vocal music major and additionally participating in the Theater Program.  In Roy’s sophomore year he transferred to Bemidji State College with a major in Vocal Music and a minor in Instrumental Music.  He sang numerous leading roles in the operas and participated in nearly every vocal and instrumental ensemble.  After attaining the Bachelor of Science degree in 1970 he continued at BSU entering the Master of Science Vocal Music program.  Throughout the three years of study, he was a Graduate Assistant teaching voice and establishing a program in Electronic Music.  With the completion of the MS Degree Roy applied to the University of Indiana, Bloomington campus to begin Doctoral studies.  Roy’s life changed dramatically when he was made aware the position of Choral Director was open at Hibbing High School.  He returned to his Alma Mater to fill that position which he held for two years before leaving teaching to enter the trade he has been in for almost 50 years and that is serving this area as a piano technician.  This career choice gave Roy the opportunity to study voice once again, sing solo parts with the Duluth Symphony, start a local opera company and direct church and community choirs.  He has been performing on the HHS stage for nearly 70 years, having first performed as a child in dance recitals.

Scott Sandelin

Bringing home the University of Minnesota–Duluth’s first NCAA men’s hockey championship, 1982 Hibbing High School graduate, Scott Sandelin has helped cement the Bulldogs’ hockey team status as one of the powerhouses in Division 1 men’s hockey.  Becoming the Bulldogs’ 12th head coach on March 31, 2000, Sandelin has led the team to back-to-back NCAA D1 titles, was a Spencer Penrose Award recipient, had a hand in developing Hobey Baker Memorial winners, including Hibbing’s Scott Perunovich, as well as a multitude of NCAA D1 All-Americans. 

Under Sandelin, UMD’s team laid claim to the WCHA playoff title, becoming the first play-in participant in the 17-year history of the WCHA Final Five to win it all and advance to the NCAA West Region Final.  Sandelin has coached internationally as two-time head coach of Team USA at the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships.  

Sandelin played college hockey at North Dakota and in 1985-86 was a Hobey Baker finalist.  He also received numerous collegiate honors and went on to play seven years of professional hockey. Today, Scott Sandelin is one of a small number of current NCAA coaches with NHL playing experience and is the winningest coach in UMD men’s hockey history.

Toby Inforzato

Toby graduated from HHS in 2022. During his senior year he found a passion for performing music and have been doing so locally since. "I play original written music, as well as covers of folk and classic rock songs." He recently graduated from Minnesota North College with an AA degree and will be going to Saint Paul this fall to continue his education.

Will Durie

Emerging singer/songwriter Will Durie draws influence from any style and era of music that he listens to. His musical inspirations range from obvious rock staples such as The Beatles and Billy Joel to modern pop acts such as Toad the Wet Sprocket and the German rock group AnnenMayKantereit. His music combines flavors of folk, rock, and pop to create a unique sound notable for its catchy melodies, tasteful harmonies, and thoughtful lyrics.

Will comes from Hibbing, Minnesota, a small city known for its role in the iron industry and as the hometown of legendary songwriter Bob Dylan. He won first place in the 2022 Duluth Dylan Fest Songwriters contest with his unreleased song "All That I Wanted" after winning second place the previous year with his acoustic ballad, "Skylark." His Minnesota influence can be heard on his first album, "Mischief Makin'" in songs such as "The Mines," which references the canyon-like mining craters found on the Mesabi Iron Range. Will has spent much of his time in New York City, where he graduated from Columbia University in 2024. There he won the CU Records Song Contest (2024) with his acoustic track "Run With It" and served as the Music Industry Club's co-president and Songwriters Circle lead.

R. J. Thiel

Hibbing High Class of 78. R.J. has no business being included in this list, but since he's volunteering as the webmaster for the 100th Anniversary site, we thought we'd include him. A fourth generation Hibbingite, he reluctantly moved away in 1982. He was a "Radio Personality" on Hibbing's WMFG from 1977 to 1982- back when it was a real radio station, then KCLD in St. Cloud for a couple of years before leaving radio to earn a real living. After working in retail and non-profit, he found out people would pay him to mess around with their computers until the thing actually worked. In 2023 he retired after working 30 years in "technology" for other people; he now operates Techwizards.biz and works for his spouse.

R.J. has always had a loyalty and love for Hibbing and the Range. He has stayed as active as possible in Hibbing by volunteering and donating whenever possible for events like the '93 centennial, the 2014 All Class and now the Hibbing High School centennial. Always being considered as a "Know It All", he co-created Facebook group Hibbing Trivia & Lore along with fellow Hibbing Alum Michael Hukka. This group shares Hibbing trivial history, stories, memorabilia, photos and much more with it's 6,000+ members. Since it's formation the members of the group are responsible for contributing nice donations to the Dylan Project, The Hibbing Foundation and the Hibbing Historical Society.

He'll be speaking on Friday July 12th at the end of the anniversary celebration to remind us that history is living and is always part of the future.