Bev Jackson Cotter is fascinated by the story that each individual person carries within themselves. It may be a story of good fortune or difficulties, but it is a story that is unique, and no one else can share it.

     She recently retired as the executive director of the Freeborn County Museum and Historical Village in Albert Lea, Minnesota. She is currently the coordinator for Heartland Storytellers, Inc. and the Minnesota Storytelling Festival which is held annually in Austin, Minnesota.

     Her interest in storytelling evolved through the discovery that history is people, not only rulers and explorers and scoundrels, but the millions of unsung heroes who never make the headlines. Through the stories she writes and shares in her programs, she brings to life ordinary people who helped to make the world a better place. Her love of travel enhances the perspective she brings to stories of personal experiences, history, poetry, and Bible rap.

     For the past 14 years she has been performing regionally as a storyteller and workshop provider, doing programs, workshops, and classroom activities. She is the author of two books, "As I Was Walking Down the Street" and "Now Gather 'Round," and the co-author of "Growing Up on a Minnesota Farm."