KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
JOE SCHMIT & KATIE SHATUSKY
JOE SCHMIT & KATIE SHATUSKY
Joe Schmit is an award-winning broadcaster, community leader, author and
popular keynote speaker. As a sports broadcaster he has covered every major sporting
event in the past 4 decades and has interviewed many of the biggest names in sports.
He joined KSTP-TV in 1985 and has won 19 Emmys from the National Television
Academy. In 2020, Joe was awarded The Silver Circle designation by the Upper
Midwest Chapter of the Emmys for extraordinary contributions to the broadcasting
industry. He was honored with a National Headliner Award in 2001. He also was
awarded with the 2024 Sid Hartman Media Award by the National Football Foundation
Minnesota Chapter.
Before joining KSTP-TV in 1985, he was Sports Director for WBAY-TV in Green Bay,
Wisconsin. His career also includes positions as weekend sports anchor for KCRG-TV in
Cedar Rapids, Iowa and WKBT-TV in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Joe earned his degree in
Mass Communications from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
Joe is also an author of three books: “Silent Impact, “The Impact Blueprint” and “The Right
Thing To Do,” a children’s book about Minnesota Twins Hall of Famer Joe Mauer.
In 2019, Joe was also inducted into the Minnesota Speakers Hall of Fame and earned his
CSP designation (Certified Speaking Professional) from the National Speakers
Association. Less than 15 percent of NSA members worldwide have achieved the SP
designation.
Joe is a long-time youth mentor committed to advocating for a number of community
organizations with Big Brothers and Big Sisters is at the top of his list. He is a past
president and board member of the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Greater Twin Cities.
He has raised over $3 million for the organization through the Joe Schmit Celebrity Golf
Tournament which had a 16-year run. In 2000, he was the winner of the Jim Kelly
Distinguished Service Award from Big Brothers and Big Sisters and in 2001, a winner of
the Odyssey Award for commitment to youth mentorship. He was also honored as the
Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund (JDRF) Community Leader of the Year in 2005. In
2018 Joe was honored with the Mike Givens Distinguished Service Award for The Mind
over Matter Foundation.
Joe and his wife Laura also chaired a $4.5 million dollar capital campaign for VEAP,
the largest food shelf in Minnesota. He is past president and board member of the
Fairway Foundation and has contributed time to many other charitable
organizations.
Katie Shatusky is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Thumbs Up, a
nonprofit organization dedicated to helping others and uplifting the community. In 2014,
she co-founded Thumbs Up in honor of her late grandfather, Bob Schmit, who died by
suicide in 2010. Katie is also the author and illustrator of the children’s book, The Ladybug
Hug. One of her most profound experiences was donating a kidney to a complete stranger
in October 2020, exemplifying her commitment to making a difference in the lives of
others.