WCI announces Mary Rotter as ’25 recipient of the Nancy Jost Early Childhood Advocacy Award Winner

West Central Initiative announced Mary Rotter, owner and director of Laker Prep Preschool and Early Childhood Centers, as the 2025 recipient of the Nancy Jost Early Childhood Advocacy Award in recognition of her commitment to improving the health, education, and well-being of the region’s youngest children.
Rotter spent a decade teaching kindergarten after earning her reading licensure at Augsburg College, grounding her in early literacy and child development. Her experience shaped a belief that quality early education should include movement, social-emotional learning, nutrition, and cultural diversity. Seeing a need in Detroit Lakes, Mary and her husband Eric founded Laker Prep, now with three locations serving children from birth to kindergarten.
A strong advocate for children and educators, Rotter leads monthly CPR trainings, co-founded a fund supporting child care providers, and serves on the Detroit Lakes School Board. She helped start a high school early childhood education track and played a key role in expanding the Detroit Lakes Children’s Powwow.