Fillmore County Journal Working Women - 10.17.16

Canton l Chatfield l Fountain l Harmony l Lanesboro l Mabel l Ostrander l Peterson l Preston l Rushford l Rushford Village l Spring Valley l Whalan l Wykoff

Working

Women Working Women

Monday, October 17, 2016

Special Section

Pg 2: Penny Solberg enjoys serving Spring Valley seniors

and their families Pg 3: Giving her all to the kids Pg 4: Brenda Ristau enjoys rewarding job at Fillmore Central Pg 5: Vaupel knows importance of quality work Pg 6: Root River Vet Center enjoys benefits of a family business Pg 7: Take a cue from successful women

A special section of the

FILLMORE COUNTY

JOURNAL “Where Fillmore County News Comes First�

A Special Section of the Fillmore County Journal

Page 2

FILLMORE COUNTY JOURNAL

Monday, October 17, 2016

Working Women 2016

Penny Solberg enjoys serving Spring Valley seniors and their families

Penny Solberg, President/CEO of Spring Valley Living, believes the health care industry has so many opportunities and is a great field to be involved in.

Photo by Mary Whalen

By Mary Whalen President/CEO of Spring Valley Senior Living, Penny Solberg, grew up on a farm near Harmony, Minn., and married a farmer. Even though she is well known throughout the state as a leader in the healthcare field and is an avid traveler - inside and outside of work - she still considers herself a just farm girl from Fillmore County. Perhaps her connection with those who work the land gives Solberg special insights to her compa-

ny’s tagline - For the Seasons of Your Life.

After graduating from Harmony High School, Solberg attended college at UW La Crosse, majoring in accounting and gaining her CPA license.

She married Daniel Solberg, who was farming in the Preston area. “The health care field was not on my radar at that time, but I started my career as the financial officer of Harmony Hospital,” says Solberg.

“During my time with this organization, my father, Clif-

We thank the WOMEN IN AGRICULTURE who work on the farm and at the co-op to provide safe and healthy food.

ford Hegg, became a resident of the care center and I listened to him talk about his stay and how it made him feel.”

Because Solberg’s father received such great care and had a positive experience, she was led to pursue her Nursing Home Administrator’s License.

“The license allowed me to take on the CEO role when the position was open. This provided me with a new perspective on healthcare with rural hospitals, Centers, and care centers to manage within the scope of the role. As the industry was changing and housing for seniors was taking off, it lead me to Spring Valley Living,” comments Solberg.

Before long, she finished her Master’s Degree in Business Administration with emphasis on Strategic Leadership, which she has used for the past 16 years facilitating the possibilities of expansion to further meet the needs of the Spring Valley community.

The people she works with and the community she serves gives Solberg satisfaction as well as enjoyment, yet she finds the changes in Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Affordable Care Act provisions offer her challenges. “I like a challenge,” states Solberg, whose life has offered her enough challenges including the loss of her parents early in her adult life, cancer and her husband’s near fatal accident.

She has learned that “each day is what you make of it, whether in a rural community or a large community; small company or large company.”

Solberg expresses her gratitude for those who have helped her though out the years, stating, “I have had a very supportive husband and wouldn’t be able to accomplish what I have without his support.

My children help me to keep my skills sharp and expand my knowledge base. Having a visionary board of directors has been instrumental in moving the organization forward and I have a great team to work with

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at all levels of the organization in Spring Valley Living. LeadingAge Minnesota, our state association, provided avenues to be involved at the state level to make sure the rural provider was heard. And we have been making sure we are heard.”

The community of Spring Valley Living recently embraced an extensive strategic planning process, redefined the mission statement, and shortened the name to better reflect what they do. As stated on their webpage, “Our mission is to enrich the lives of those we serve. Our vision is to Provide choices and opportunities to Live Well.

Guiding principles We accomplish our mission and realize our vision by following our “LIFE” Principles: Leader-

ship in providing opportunities and choices to live well in the surrounding communities.

Integrity in all aspects of the business. Fostering continued growth and innovation in those we serve and employ. Embracing continuous improvement in all aspects of what we do.”

Solberg remarks, “When I joined Spring Valley Living, I saw so much potential and continue to see future growth in enhancing the lives of those we serve. The health care industry has so many opportunities now and in the future. It is a great field to be involved in.”

To contact Solberg, visit the Spring Valley Living via their website at http://springvalleyliving.org/ or stop by 800 Memorial Drive to visit this vibrant community.

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Monday, October 17, 2016

Giving her all to the kids

Although it is hard work, Umbelina Cremer loves her job and the time spent with children.

Photo by Barb Jeffers

By Barb Jeffers Umbelina Cremer of Harmony, Minn., spends her days and normally, part of her evenings doing whatever she can to take care of the children who attend Harmony Kids Learning Center, which she owns with her husband, Steve, and where she works as the executive director.

Cremer has spent much of her life caring for youngsters, as she ran an in-home daycare for 25 years, which is a long time to be in any career, much less such exhausting work as being a daycare provider.

Cremer says, “One day I woke up and I said, ‘I need to go find who I am’” besides nurturing her family and everyone else. So 12

years ago, she set off in a new direction. She got her real estate license and was then offered a great job working as a loan officer for Wells Fargo, where she was employed for six years.

She then went to work at Three Rivers Community Action, helping people with low to moderate income purchase homes and get out of the renting system.

Cremer got tired of driving to Rochester and further for work each week, so she began working at Harmony Enterprises, which the Cremer’s own.

One day her husband mentioned to her how many problems they had with employees having to leave work due to daycare conflicts. He commented

that it would be nice to have something where people could really depend on somebody being there to watch their kids.

As the wheels began turning, the two starting thinking about using a building they had purchased right next to Harmony Enterprises. The building was being used as a warehouse at the time.

Cremer says she “got excited” thinking about the possibility of having a daycare, as she has always loved spending time with and caring for children.

Cremer says she thought, “It’s a good cause let’s give it a try,” and the process began in earnest.

The first step began in October of 2015 just trying to see if they could get loans - the financial part - and then they had a private investor who came along and helped them. That investor was “an amazing gift from God,” says Cremer.

Construction began on January 6, 2016 and Cremer says, “Five months later, we had a building with everything in it” and a license. Harmony Kids Learning Center opened on June 6, 2016.

With classrooms that spark the kids imaginations and focus on learning, each room specializes in different age groups and Cremer is there to oversee it all.

She is happy to be around children again, saying, “I just love

FILLMORE COUNTY JOURNAL kids,” and enjoys “a very playful, innocent world we can be part of” each day. Cremer loves to experience the children and “the joy of being kids” and she often finds herself coloring, painting, and reading stories.

Harmony Kids Learning Center can hold 46 kids plus up to 12

school-age children after school.

The children range in age from six weeks to twelve-years-old.

“We have really good enrollment,” says Cremer, adding, “and we are growing every day,” with many pregnant women already getting their babies on the list to attend.

Cremer is proud to say, “The teachers we have are amazing,” and the children enjoy the time they spend with their teachers and with Cremer, who undoubtedly comes running anytime she hears even the slightest cry from a baby.

“We stay really busy with the kids - they play all day and learn all day,” states Cremer. But after the children’s fun is over, the

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work goes on for Cremer, as she cleans, sanitizes and prepares for the next day. She is at the center by 5:30 a.m., getting things up and running to open the doors at 6 a.m. and normally leaves between 7 and 8:30 p.m.

Cremer’s advice for other women who would like to own a business is “do your research” to get answers to your questions and to be on track of what you’re doing.

Know what your costs will be and “have your finances in order,” she says. In her case, the state had so many regulations which increased the cost of the project.

Then you have to “submerse yourself ” in the business, she says. “You gotta be married to it, you gotta love it, you gotta want it, because it’s a huge commitment,” states Cremer.

Harmony Kids Learning Center currently employs 14 people, as Cremer notes, “Not only are we working with the community to help with the childcare crisis that we had, but we also employ people, so that’s been really awesome” for everyone.

Cremer states, “It’s very rewarding to be a business owner - as a woman we also want to say ‘I did it’ and know ‘it can be done’ and done well. It’s not just a man’s world - we can do it - we just have to work harder sometimes,” says Cremer.

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Working Women 2016

Proud Working Women Tammy Danielson, Fountain Liz Giese, Canton Michelle Haugerud, Harmony Sherry Hines, Harmony Barb Jeffers, Fountain Loni Kemp, Canton Kathy Little, Houston Abbey Norby, Mabel Yvonne Nyenhuis, Lanesboro

Jana Olson, Rushford Sue Ommen, Harmony Peggi Redalen, Rushford Karen Reisner, Fountain Amanda Sethre, Fountain Ellen Whalen, Harmony Mary Whalen, Spring Valley Hannah Wingert, Preston Kirsten Zoellner, Rushford

Thank you to the women who bring out the best in all that we do!

Page 4

FILLMORE COUNTY JOURNAL

Monday, October 17, 2016

Working Women 2016

Brenda Ristau enjoys rewarding job at Fillmore Central

Brenda loves watching kids grow up at Fillmore Central.

By Hannah Wingert It’s been 23 years since Brenda Ristau started working at Fillmore Central. She started out as a special education paraprofessional in 1994. Three years later, she moved into working with the hot lunch accounts and stayed in that job for four years. Finally, she accepted a position as an administrative assistant and has doing that for 16 years now.

Brenda’s ability to know each child who walks through the doors of Fillmore Central Elementary

School is astounding. “I grew up in the area, so I’m familiar with a lot of the people,” she explained.

Brenda admits that being an administrative assistant is not where she originally saw her career path heading. She started working with individuals with disabilities when she was just 16-years-old and planned to go into nursing. However, she found that working at the school was a good match for her, especially when she started having kids of her own.

Photo by Hannah Wingert Brenda’s two oldest sons are grown now, but her youngest son is a senior at Fillmore Central.

“It’s kind of sad, but they do grow up,” Brenda mused. If her boys minded her working at the elementary school when they were attending, they never said anything. “I knew everything that happened with them,” Brenda chuckled. The boys couldn’t get away with much while at school because their mom knew before they got home.

During the interview, a student

came into the elementary office to ask for some medication. “See, I’m still kind of doing nursing stuff,” Brenda laughed.

“Seeing the kids everyday is beneficial,” said Brenda. “I love watching them grow up. When they get older, I still see them at high school functions.”

Everywhere Brenda goes, she’s recognized and is somewhat of a local celebrity to the many children who know her.

The biggest challenge Brenda has in her job is coordinating schedule changes for the many families the elementary school serves. “Schedules change a lot, so it can be hard to keep everything straight,” Brenda commented.

But she manages to do just that, keeping the fluctuations in check and hasn’t lost a student yet.

“It’s a very rewarding job,” remarked Brenda, adding that while it’s not a hard job, it can be busy and hectic. She loves that the community is so involved in and supportive of their school.

“One of the hardest things I have to do is make decisions about hurt students,” Brenda said. She generally errs on the side of caution and calls the parents, regardless.

In her years working as an administrative assistant, there have definitely been some changes. “The technology has changed a lot,” she pointed out. Security measures have increased significantly as well, with many changes happening in

the last 5-10 years. Drills run for crisis situations now include active shooters as well as the usual tornado and fire drills. The doors of the school are monitored with video cameras, and Brenda must screen visitors before buzzing them through the locked doors.

Brenda’s duties as administrative assistant include making sure all the students are accounted for each day, completing the detailed state reports, finding volunteers for the hearing and vision screenings, coordinating kindergarten roundups, maintaining office files, handing out medications to students who need them, and more.

“I stay pretty busy all the time!” she laughed.

Throughout the day, Brenda is often inundated with questions from students, parents, teachers, and other school employees. “I do my best to know the answer, but sometimes I don’t,” she admitted.

However, if she doesn’t know the answer, there’s a good chance that she knows someone who does.

“There’s never a dull moment, and things never stay the same!”

Brenda said, adding that it helps the day go fast.

Brenda recently acquired some help in the office from the youth services program at the high school. Senior Emily Fishbaugher comes in for an hour each day to help Brenda with some of her tasks. “It’s been so nice,” Brenda commented.

“This is just a good place to work, and we have a great district,” Brenda said.

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Working Women 2016

Vaupel knows importance of quality work

Lisa Vaupel holds one of the unique coffee mugs that are available in her business, Threads Custom Apparel.

Photo by Barb Jeffers

By Barb Jeffers If you’re going to do something, then do it the best you can. This is the idea behind Lisa Vaupel’s work ethic.

Vaupel has always needed a creative outlet and for ten years, that outlet came in the form of newspaper advertising design.

While she enjoyed that work, she aspired to do something different, so when the opportunity came to purchase the business formerly known as Chosen Valley Threads in Chatfield, Minn., it was time to take a leap of faith.

Lisa and her husband Mat took over as owners in May 2012 and changed the name

FILLMORE COUNTY JOURNAL

Monday, October 17, 2016

to Threads Custom Apparel, which she operates. The business changed locations to its present spot in October of 2012.

Vaupel grew up in Chatfield and graduated from Chatfield High School and says, “I was familiar with Threads and knew it had a great history,” so when they got the idea to buy the business, it had to be taken seriously.

“At the time it wasn’t necessarily something I knew I wanted to do but it was a moment where we said, now is the time, let’s give it a shot” and so they went forward with the

Proud to be a Working Woman!

purchase.

“It was absolutely terrifying” to take over a business, states Vaupel, although she didn’t “start” the business, merely “stepped in to continue a business,” she says.

“For the first six months, I’m not sure I slept a full night,” states Vaupel, explaining, “I had these ideas in my head, but with no true experience on how to do it,” then adds, “and that’s not even talking about payroll, taxes, insurance,” and everything else that goes along with running a business.

“Doing embroidery was a totally foreign thing to me,” explains Vaupel, saying that in the beginning when she was being trained, “many nights I went home going ‘what have I done?’ and ‘why did I make this decision?’”

“Now here we are over four years later,” comments Vaupel, saying, “now there is not as much fear - not as many unknowns” as there was in the beginning, but stressful situations do come about from time to time.

“You always want to do every single job to the best of your ability and you want everybody to walk out of the store feeling confident and feeling they have received good service,” states Vaupel, and when something goes wrong (and something is always bound to go wrong) “it’s all in how you handle it,” she says.

The Vaupel’s have two children, Layne, 15 and Nick, 11, who attend school in Stewartville, Minn. When asked how she balances work and home life, she laughs and says “I don’t!” adding, “it’s very imbalanced!” as are many people’s schedules and lives.

“Every day is a balancing act,” expresses Vaupel, saying, “each day I don’t necessarily know how the day will end,” because

something could come up at any minute.

The couple’s kids and their activities are a priority and Vaupel states she is thankful for her husband, who is usually “awesome” to help out with things, but along with a full-time position for a company, he is also a cattle and crop farmer, so he is in the field this time of year.

Vaupel says, “Anyone who is tackling being a single parent - I have the utmost respect for them” for being able to handle it on their own.

The best part of Vaupel’s work is “the variety,” she says, and how she is “able to be c r e a t i v e” in different ways.

What is fun for her is “when someone comes in with this project and either they totally know what they want or have no clue what they want it’s getting to that end point,” states Vaupel.

When asked any advice she would give women who want to run a business, Vaupel states

Page 5

that although college was not an option for her years ago, “Some days I wish I had more business schooling - standard accounting and business knowledge - if I could go back I would consider making that a priority - to learn payroll, QuickBooks, things like that,” and adds, “I could still benefit from doing something along those lines” even now.

Beyond that, “you have to have friends and family support,” if for no other reason than to have someone to talk to.

It is also very important “to have good employees,” as they can be “someone you can lean on a little bit,” says Vaupel. She is fortunate to have three terrific employees at this time and she doesn’t feel as if they work “for” her as much as they work “with” her.

One last piece of advice for you to remember, whether starting a business or stepping in to a business, is “your actions and your work speak for you,” says Vaupel.

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FILLMORE COUNTY JOURNAL

Monday, October 17, 2016

Working Women 2016

Root River Vet Center enjoys benefits of a family business

Dr. Magee, Dr. Froese, and Morgan Knutson enjoy working together at the Root River Veterinary Center. Not pictured: Kristin Schwier.

Photo by Hannah Wingert

By Hannah Wingert Dr. LeAnne Froese already owned the Pet Medical Center in Winona with Dr. Deb Finnegan, but when they saw that the Root River Veterinary Center in Preston was for sale, they saw an opportunity for expansion. The two purchased it from Dr. Linda Sifford and took ownership in September 2014.

Dr. Finnegan works full-time at the Winona Vet Center while Dr. Froese works full-time in Preston. Occasionally, each helps fill in at the other Center if needed.

Dr. Froese lives in Chatfield

with her husband, Tyler and three children: Isaiah, Aubrey, and Lander. She got her bachelor’s degree in biology at the University of North Dakota and her doctorate in veterinary medicine at Colorado State University. Her family made the move from Lewiston to Chatfield in the summer of 2015.

“I grew up in a rural area, and I wanted my kids to have the same experience,” she said. Dr. Froese has enjoyed getting to know the people in the Preston and Chatfield area and beyond.

Dr. Froese knows the challenges of managing a home and

business, but the benefits of having a family business make it worth it. Her 8-year-old daughter, Aubrey occasionally joins her mother at the Center and helps with small tasks.

Dr. Sifford has continued working at the Root River Veterinary Center on a part-time basis and is semi-retired, which allows her time to travel.

The Center is also staffed by Dr. Nikki Magee, who splits her time between the Preston and Winona Centers, Certified Veterinarian Technologist Morgan Knutson, and receptionist Kristin Schwier. Dr. Froese’s husband,

Tyler Neilson also works at both the Preston and Winona Centers and does repairs, inventory, management, etc. as needed.

“We work together as a cohesive unit. There’s only a few of us here so that helps,” Knutson pointed out, adding that all of the employees get along really well. “It’s a nice working environment. I mean, it’s not always calm, but the flow is nice. We all know what our jobs are, and we do them,” she added.

The change in ownership for the Center was a smooth transition, especially because Dr. Sifford’s familiar face can still be seen there. “People like the personal attention their pets get here. We treat them like family members and give them one on one attention,” Dr. Froese explained.

Dr. Froese focuses on preventative care at the Center. Pets receive full exams when they’re brought in for vaccines. “I like to talk about the small issues before they become big ones,” she said.

She also places on emphasis on education, both for clients and staff members. “I almost became a high school biology teacher, so it comes naturally to me,” she laughed.

“I love our team here,” Dr. Froese said, adding that they’re all able to rely on each other and help one another out. “We have a team effort here. It’s not just

me as an owner making decisions. We’re very open with each other.”

“We are a family friendly practice for the staff and patients,” Dr. Froese said, explaining that they strive to be supportive of the whole family, not just the pet.

The Root River Veterinary Center mainly sees cats and dogs, but Dr. Froese does care for exotic pets as well. “I do everything except birds,” she explained. “We pretty much just focus on companion animals.” The Center used to see livestock as well, but Dr. Sifford was already moving away from that direction before Dr. Froese and Dr. Finnegan purchased the practice, so transitioning out of it completely was pretty simple.

Some of the many services offered at the Root River Veterinary Center are blood transfusions, regular checkups, surgeries, soft tissue surgeries, and orthopedics. Dr. Sifford practices acupuncture and chiropractic care for pets as well. For conditions that they are not equipped to handle, they work with the pet’s owner to determine if a referral to specialty care is an option.

The Root River Veterinary Center is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Due to the fact that Dr. Froese is the only full-time veterinarian there, emergency services are not offered, as it would be too much of a workload for her. Referrals for emergency and specialty care are made for Rochester.

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Working Women 2016

Monday, October 17, 2016

Take a cue from successful women

Although women make up 45% of the labor force and only 5% head Fortune 500 companies, women are making greater strides than ever before. For example, in 1998, just one woman led a Fortune 500 company, according to Pew Research Center.

Certain traits could help propel successful women to the top.

Here's a look at some of the ways female professionals can overcome professional hurdles and make their mark.

• Be passionate about what you do. Women who maintain passion about their careers are more likely to overcome any challenges and stand out in the workplace. If your profession is not stoking any passion, explore alternate career opportunities.

• Recognize your strengths.

Today's professionals are less likely than their predecessors to stick with one company or line of work for their entire working lives. But just because you change jobs or career paths does not mean your past experience is useless. Successful women know what they do best, whether it's public speaking, writing or making sales pitches.

Apply those strengths when looking for a new job or career.

• Know when to ask for help.

Even the most accomplished women have limitations. Asking for help when you need it can help you overcome those limitations. To be good at what you do, you first have to learn from others. Sometimes the smartest way to overcome an obstacle is having

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several hands on deck to provide a boost. Thinking that the work is better left to you alone could be a mistake. Enlist help when you need it and never hesitate to ask for another perspective.

• Make time for exercise. A sluggish body can make for a sluggish mind. Successful people need to be sharp, and exercise can help them maintain their mental focus. According to John J. Ratey, Ph.D., a Centeral associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, muscles send hormones rushing to the brain where they mix with a substance called brainderived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF. BDNF plays a role in brain cell growth and learning.

Without it, brains can't absorb new information or grow and learn. Exercise also helps relieve stress, which can make resolutions easier to see and make tasks less overwhelming.

• Go easy on yourself. While many successful people strive for perfection, achieving perfection is unlikely, if not impossible.

Successful people often admit to being their own worst critics, but don't beat yourself up if you endure some trial and error. Mistakes can be a great teacher, so use any you make to your advantage.

• Don't be afraid to take risks.

Successful women are not afraid to take risks. Many may have decided they don't fit a specific mold and want to affect change.

We would like to salute the working women at the Root River State Bank and thank them for all they do.

FILLMORE COUNTY JOURNAL However, calculated risks are different from reckless decisions, and it is important to recognize the difference. A calculated risk may involve starting your own

Page 7

business after learning the ropes in a specific field and testing the waters. Reckless behavior would be opening that business with no relevant experience.

Dear Working Woman,

We honor you for shattering barriers and doubts about ‘women’s work’ today.

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