WINONA, Minn.  - Katie Dempsey was an outstanding four-year member of the Winona State Gymnastics team. She graduated in 1989 with her bachelor's degree in business administration. Dempsey also received her master's degree from Winona State in Organizational Leadership in 2018. During her time at Winona State, she helped lead the gymnastics team to two national titles. Dempsey was named an NAIA All-American in 1985 (Vault), 1986 (Floor, Vault, All-Around), and 1987 (Floor, Vault, All-Around). She was also named an NCAA All American in 1985 (Floor), 1986 (Floor) and 1987 (Bars). In addition to the team titles, Dempsey was a National Champion on the Floor Exercise in 1986 and 1987. Dempsey was inducted into the Winona State Hall of Fame in 2000. Furthermore, the 1985 and 1987 Gymnastics teams were inducted to the Winona State Hall of Fame in 2010 and 2013.
 
What was your favorite sports memory during your time at WSU?

• Winning the university's FIRST national championship in 1985 and another one in 1987
• Placing 3rd as a team in the 1985 NCAA II Nationals
• Being honored at a joint legislative session of MN House/Senate in April 1985 by then Governor Perpich.
• Appearing on ESPN

 
What would you say is your greatest athletics and/or academic accomplishment during your time at WSU?
As a smaller NAIA affiliated school, Winona State's gymnastics program broke many barriers by competing with and defeating elite NCAA Division I schools (Iowa State, UW-Madison, Univ of Iowa) and competing with the likes of U of M, Nebraska, Indiana, Illinois. The 1985 team was the first team inducted into the WSU Athletic Hall of Fame (2010). At the time other sports at WSU were still competing at the NAIA level, gymnastics was competing against NCAA I and II schools.
 
How has your WSU athletics experience been influential throughout your life?
By playing and working alongside teammates and coaches and even my professors, I learned and developed essential life skills such as leadership, time management, and working with others to achieve a common goal.  By balancing schoolwork and competing at a highly competitive level, I developed a solid work ethic, which greatly benefitted me in my future career(s).  It was also an attractive component to employers that lead to my eventual hiring.                                                                                                                                     
 
Probably the greatest asset to being a Winona State student athlete was finding and forming life-long friendships.  And not just with other teammates, but with other student-athletes from various athletic teams.  The mutual respect, the dedication to the sport and competing at one's best formed deeper bonds of friendship, not to mention the connections that come from victories and losses.
 
Please share any recent professional or personal accomplishments.
As an employee of the Minnesota Department of Health, I was reassigned to COVID-19 response work for 27 months, beginning in March 2020. My capacities included the public hotline, healthcare provider hotline, case intake, case investigations, vaccine response team and contact tracing. This work, some have said, really pushed them to the brink as it was daunting, exhausting and challenging.  There are times when I just didn't have answers for the public or the healthcare providers with the ever-changing nature of the pandemic. This is, by far, the most rewarding work I've done in my public health career.
 
What is your current occupation?
I am a registered dietitian in the WIC (women, infants and children) section at the Minnesota Department of Health. I am a contract manager for our MN WIC vendors (i.e. grocery stores) who are authorized to carry WIC foods in their stores. I screen applications, conduct new authorization and triennial monitoring visits to ensure our vendor partners are complying, aren't overcharging on their WIC foods, the right number of foods are on hand, and the food is honorably represented in the store. I am also a grant manager to a supplemental food program for those who are 60+ years old, create newsletters, provide technical support to the five grantees, conduct management evaluations and review/approve requests for reimbursement. 
 
What advice would you give to current WSU student-athletes?
Don't be in a hurry to graduate. You cannot get these years back. Sit back and enjoy all that Winona State offers, as well as the community resources. Winona is also home to nationally well-known companies (Fastenal, RTP, Behren's Manufacturing, Peerless Chain, Wincraft). After graduation, be sure you visit Winona, especially during homecoming. You'll be glad you went back and decide to make it an annual event.
 
Please include any additional information you would like to share.
Public health is not just for "health professionals". Anyone in IT, finance, software engineering can work in public health. It's a very diverse, job-growth centered entity!
 
If any current Warrior student-athletes are interested in connecting with Katie Dempsey, please reach out to your SAS team advisor to get her contact information.
 
If you are a Winona State student-athlete alum and would like to be featured in the Alumni Spotlight series, please fill out the Alumni Spotlight Questionnaire.