Stride July 2014

ion

dit E l a eci Sp 2014 y Jul

5

Influential Faces

of fargo

son thi ident r a M es e

r nt san er & Pcal Ce u S n di of

Ow t Me s aly t Ca

EDITORS

meet the Meagan Pittelko

EDITOR W

elcome to Stride Magazine’s people-focused special edition! This month, we centered the magazine around you, the people who make our beautiful city thrive. We talked to five influential leaders in the wellness movement who, from physical fitness to overall self-care, have your best interest in mind. We’re excited to share their stories, their advice and their hopes for the future with you.

In addition to that, I had the privilege of speaking with local anti-sex trafficking activist Windie Jo Lazenko. Her painful story gave me goosebumps, but her strength is what floored me. Although Lazenko isn’t one to talk about her personal life extensively, she opened up to us and to you, our readers. The work that she and 4her North Dakota are doing in our area is incredible; Lazenko truly is creating light where there was only darkness before.

The popular (and growing!) Humans of Fargo makes an appearance in this issue as well, with a handful of exclusive photos and interviews graciously provided by the project’s creators. Make sure you like their page on Facebook if you haven’t already.

Meanwhile, June passed in the blink of an eye, so let’s savor July a little, okay? Spend some quality time with your friends and family. Drink some lemonade and watch fireworks (which I’ll be doing beneath the Space Needle in Seattle, thank you very much). Play that bean bag yard game that I’m simply dreadful at.

Sadly, no matter what, summer always seems to fly by. You’re all rockstars and deserve to spoil yourselves a little bit this summer; if nothing else, get out and enjoy this flourishing community. Here’s to you, for making our city the lively, pulsating place that it is.

Meagan Pittelko

2

Stride • July 2014

Stride is published 12 times a year and is free. Copies are available at over 1,000 Fargo-Moorhead locations and digitally at fmspotlight.com.

JUly 2014 Publisher

Spotlight Media LLC. www.spotlightmediafargo.com President/Founder

Mike Dragosavich Editorial Director

Andrew Jason Editor

Meagan Pittelko Graphic Design

Sarah Geiger, George Stack, Nicole Smart Research/Contributors

Meagan Pittelko, Joe Kerlin Copy Editors

Andrew Jason, Lisa Marchand, Meagan Pittelko, Amber Morgan, Tanya Weets

Spotlight Media General Manager

Brent Tehven

Marketing/Sales

Tracy Nicholson, Paul Bougie, Kristen Killoran, Paul Hoefer Circulation Manager

Codey Bernier Administration

Erika Olson, Heather Hemingway Web Developer

Nick Schommer Digital Content Marketing/Social Media

Tanya Weets Photography

J. Alan Paul Photography, Tiffany Swanson Delivery

Chris Larson, George Stack, Matt Johnson, Payton Berger, Konnor Johnson

™

Spotlightmedia

CONTACT 502 1st Ave N Ste 100 Fargo,ND 58102 701-478-7768 info@spotlightmediafargo.com

Stride Magazine is published by Spotlight Media LLC. Copyright 2014 Stride Magazine & fmspotlight.com. All Rights Reserved. No parts of this periodical may be reproduced without written permission of Stride Magazine & fmspotlight.com. Stride Magazine & fmspotlight.com will not be held responsible for any errors or omissions found in the magazine or on fmspotlight.com. Spotlight Media LLC., accepts no liability for the accuracy of statements made by the advertisers.

TEAM

e h t t e e m

CREW

Every month, Spotlight Media brings you Stride, Fargo Monthly, Bison Illustrated and Design & Living Magazine. Here are the people who make these wonderful mags.

MIKE

JESSE

TRACY

TIFFANY

NICOLE

KRISTEN

MICHAEL

ERIKA

PAUL

GEORGE

AMBER

MEAGAN

BOUGIE

ANDREW

LISA

SARAH

JOE

BRENT

CODEY

NICK

To learn more about the team at Spotlight Media and our four magazines, go to spotlightmediafargo.com

4

Stride • July 2014

CONTENTS 14 8

Humans of Fargo Humans of Fargo creators Kaytlin and Nicole gave us a handful of exclusive interviews to share with you.

12

My Ten(ish) Cents Local Fargoans share their thoughts on the question, “Who has changed your life for the better?”

14

An Ascent from Human Brokenness

An Ascent from Human Brokenness

22

Windie Jo Lazenko, an anti-sex trafficking advocate, talks about her experience in the world of human trafficking and what she’s doing to help young women and girls find their way out.

22

Five Influential Faces of Fargo Five of Fargo’s most influential leaders in wellness-related fields tell us how they got to where they are today, the changes they’ve seen in the community and their hopes for the future.

38

Five Influential Faces of Fargo The Man of Many Hats NDSU play-by-play man and Red Cross Communication Officer tells Stride about how he got to where he is today and how he plans to continue helping people in the community.

38

Get Involved Email info@spotlightmediafargo.com with your story ideas.

Check out fargomonthly.com for additional stories.

Find us on Facebook by going to facebook.com/fmstride.

6

Stride • July 2014

The Man of Many Hats

Humans Fargo

people

OF

Thanks to the work of Kaytlin Dargen and Nicole Mendoza, Fargoans are being represented as the quirky, emotional, silly, deep and unique human beings that they are. Inspired by the viral Humans of New York project, Dargen and Mendoza created Humans of Fargo.

This month, we got an exclusive set of photos and interviews.

8

Stride • July 2014

“He used to have a Mohawk but the groomer shaved it off.”

“I just got back from Vancouver. It was unbelievable.”

“What was the best part of your trip?”

“We were standing on this bridge, watching a little scene unfold before us down below. There was a man who was down there feeding some ducks, and I guess this raccoon decided to revolt due to the fact that this guy wasn’t feeding the raccoon, so the raccoon snuck around this man’s park bench and stole the bag of bread crumbs out of his pocket.”

“How did you two meet?”

“I own the necktie shop on 8th street, where I make neckties and bowties and things like that from reclaimed or thrifted fabrics, and it was about two months after my store opened when I saw him and his friend walking down the street. So, naturally, I yelled at them to come inside and check out my shop.”

“Yeah, we came in and were being just total goofballs.”

“What do you think makes your relationship work?”

“Well, he salvages and sells reclaimed wood, so I think we both just appreciate the idea of taking something and preserving it in a new way. We see things similarly in a way that makes us complementary to one another.”

“What’s your dog’s name?”

“This is Bella! And I wish she was mine. Sadly, I’m just dog sitting.”

“What’s the best part about Bella?”

“All you have to do is pet her to find out why she’s so amazing! Some may think she looks a little intimidating, but she’s actually the sweetest thing. I think her and I kind of connect in that sense.”

OF

“It all started with little glances at each other over the dinner table, then it grew to getting together to have what we would come to call ‘art days.’

Because he was traveling through all the southern California campsites in his vintage camper to oil paint, our first date was over a picnic table in a campground, and he did his oil paints and I did my collages while we drank homemade wine. It eventually unfolded to something undeniable and unavoidable, so we ended up spending three months together at the campground, walking on the beach and being artists, but I eventually had to leave that life. I let fear get in the way, and I told him that I couldn’t do this anymore, and eleven months went by. He would contact me, but I couldn’t bring myself to reply because I was so scared. Then one day I got a painting in the mail. It was the painting that he made on our very first art day. Our relationship has been a lot of navigating, a lot of trying to figure out what it is that we have between us that keeps us always coming back to each other. It may be confusing, but at the same time, there’s what I like to call a ‘truth’ to this relationship that is deeper and more profound than anything I’ve ever experienced.”

9

people

“I was a stock broker in New York. I had a seat on the New York Futures Exchange for a while. Until I went broke.”

“What was that like?”

“Depressing.”

“The community here is bright, vibrant and full of love. It’s so supportive, especially of new small businesses. What I’m doing here, I don’t think I could have done in any other city.

So many people want me to succeed here.”

“I can’t wait to have kids some day. It’s cheesy, but I don’t care. I’ve looked forward to having kids for a long time now. I’d probably want like four or five. The dream is to get one of those giant jogging strollers that I can put my four or five kids in and jog them through town.”

“Do you expect all your kids to be marathon runners like you?”

“No way. They can be whatever they want. Theater, sports. They can be lazy and eat ice cream all day for all I care, as long as they’re happy.

Oh, and I need at least one boy because I’m the last male Lehmann and I need to carry on my family name.”

“What’s your favorite thing about her?”

“Oh man, I have to choose from all of them? I think it’s the way she takes care of this family, of our kids.”

“What’s your favorite thing about him?”

“To sum it up? His commitment, he’s a hard worker and he’s not afraid to take risks.”

10

Stride • July 2014

OF Check out more stories at facebook.com/humansoffargond

?

Q&A

My Husband

Helped me be more comfortable being my quirky self.

William & Stephanie

-Randi Dombek

gave me my fitness and my career!

-Joe Olson

My amazing makes me believe that anything is possible.

-Tonya Klemetson

Teacher/Mentor

Education is about building character, not a GPA.

DAD

We asked you to answer the following question in 10 words or less. Here are some of your answers:

Put a song in your heart, a smile on your face and spread sunshine wherever you go.

Who has changed your life for the ?

-Deanna Baron

-Erica Nitschke

Alzheimer’s. Tell loved ones you love them now!

-Dan Levin

My Grandmother taught me to be brave and strong.

-Nicole Glaze Kolbe

FATHER

He taught me how to lose and get back up and try again.

Her imagination continuously reminds me to live in the present.

-Jake Clark

-Adrianne Alexis

told me I was smart.

-Nancy Kost Kaeding

12

Stride • July 2014

An Ascent from

Human Brokenness

14

Stride • July 2014

Sold for sex at age13, followed by decades of

sexual exploitation. now windie lazenko talks to stride about how

she is fighting back and changing lives,

one girl at a time.

By Meagan Pittelko 15

Windie Lazenko What I experienced was sex trafficking As a young runaway in the midwest region of the country, Windie Lazenko was vulnerable on a number of levels.

“I had all the red flags that would leave me open to predators,” she said. “But, at that time, we were barely dealing with the idea of sexual abuse, let alone the issue of human trafficking. There was just no awareness at all.”

Lazenko recalls being approached by an older girl — who, she realizes now, could not have been older than 16 — and being introduced to that girl’s “boyfriend.”

“I always put the term ‘boyfriend’ in quotation marks,” she said. “I don’t think that she would have even identified him as a pimp, but that’s what he was.”

One night, the man sold Lazenko to an older couple at a party.

“Because of the trauma that I had experienced as a child, I was sitting there thinking that I actually had a friend who would keep me safe,” she said. “Instead, it was like the cycle was just being repeated. For this to happen at a point in my life when I thought that I was getting out of my bad situation and that my life was going to be good, I thought, ‘I guess this is what’s going to happen to me. This is what I’m good for.’”

Lazenko says that night began a long cycle and that, in a way, she gave up for a while.

“In that moment, I gave up power and control over my body,” she said. “Even as a child, I knew that it wasn’t okay, that it hurt, that it was scary.”

Lazenko was officially on a long, rough journey, which thrust her into years of working in strip clubs and even dabbling in pornography.

“I was really thrown into the lifestyle,” she said. “I spent almost my entire early adulthood suffering from PTSD, suffering all the signs that someone would exhibit as a trauma victim. But no one understood it.”

After escaping the life she was still stuck in her 30s, Lazenko began working with the anti-trafficking movement. She has now spent about six years working with the movement

16

Stride • July 2014

and, while her work has healed others, it has also helped Lazenko heal herself.

“For the first years of my work, I didn’t even identify as a victim,” she said. “I didn’t realize that there were other people who had experienced what I did. I started to hear my story — girls who were getting ready to run away, had already runaway, were involved with older men and online pornography.”

As Lazenko researched and learned more about sexual exploitation and sex trafficking, she began to accept what had happened to her.

“What I experienced wasn’t just a really messed up situation. It’s not something I asked for. It’s not something that I wanted,” she said. “What I experienced was sex trafficking.”

We help girls who are interested in exiting the life About two years ago, Lazenko says that she began hearing reports about the amount of trafficking that was supposedly happening in the North Dakota oil fields.

“It seemed a little too sensationalized,” she said, “but it sparked my interest in wanting to understand what was going on over here.”

After working briefly in Miami, Lazenko decided that the time was right to make the long trip to North Dakota.

“I realized that it would be a perfect time to move because I was in transition,” she said.

“I expected to be here for a couple of weeks, just to do some investigating. I wanted to see if the issue of human trafficking was as bad as I was hearing.”

What Lazenko found was, in fact, as bad as she had heard. She said that she was able to identify human trafficking signs almost immediately and found that the rate of trafficking in the area was incredibly high.

“I went further into my investigation to find resources and found that there were absolutely no resources available,” she said. “So, I connected immediately with law enforcement and community members and just really felt like it was my time to leave everything behind and come invest in North Dakota.”

“They come in as this knight in shining armor, this Prince Charming, and then you wake up one day and, all of the sudden, they’re a monster,” Lazenko said. “If you think it’s too good to be true, it probably is.

So walk away if a person is not healthy for you.

Walk away.”

About five months ago, Lazenko established 4her North Dakota, the only provider of services for victims of sex trafficking in the entire state.

“We do outreach on all different levels,” she said. “We provide crisis response. Basically, what we do is meet girls with immediate needs, which might involve law enforcement or a hospital. We help girls who are interested in exiting the life of prostitution and sexual exploitation.”

The organization, which is currently based out of a church, provides hope to victims of sexual exploitation and trafficking while simultaneously empowering such victims and educating the community.

Windie Lazenko

There are various red flags to look for if you think that you or someone you know may be a victim of sexual exploitation or trafficking A potential trafficker has

A potential victim is

anger issues, control issues

isolated from friends and families, suffering PTSD symptoms

or an

influx of money and no explanation as to where it came from

or

suffering rape/abuse symptoms

“The community shouldn’t treat those involved in trafficking as criminals, but as victims,” Lazenko said. “We need to increase awareness because we do have controlled prostitution — in other words, sex trafficking — here.”

Although there is no surefire answer, Lazenko believes that the money and number of men drawn to North Dakota by the Williston oil fields is partially to blame for the increase in sex trafficking in the area.

“I know that there are men here who are buying sex who never thought that they would, men who are vulnerable themselves, who are beaten down, who are away from their families and facing extreme living situations and loneliness. I’m not excusing it, but these pimps are smart,” she said. “They aren’t hoodlums coming in to make a little bit of money. This is organized crime. These are very intelligent people coming in and selling human beings.”

These girls are dealing with human brokenness One of the most important things in the fight to end sex trafficking — in addition to education — is the empowerment of young women and girls.

“Young women need to know that posting half-naked photos of yourself on Facebook is not okay,” she said. “It’s not who you are and it’s not going to serve you in life. You’re inviting destruction and danger.”

17

Windie Lazenko According to Lazenko, the issue of pornography and the over-sexualization of women in society contributes to the rise in sex trafficking.

“It’s an irresponsible way to meet a need — a normal need for sex. But, when that’s been distorted and perverted, it’s just going to create a demand for people to meet that need,” she said. “Men have been brought into the lie that it’s okay or that these girls enjoy what they do, that they like it. We need to take that fantasy away.”

Victims of sex trafficking are able to recover and heal with the help of the community.

For this reason, Lazenko typically focuses on her future instead of her tattered past.

“I focus on the ability to recover and thrive and succeed. It gives the girls that I work with hope and the community hope that, if they invest in the lives of these girls, recovery is possible,” she said. “Whether you want to call it a feminist movement or a women’s rights movement or a female empowerment movement, it’s about women understanding that they’re worth more than their bodies and their looks.”

Lazenko said that society also needs to realize who these girls are and what they have been through leading up to their experience in sex trafficking.

“These girls are dealing with human brokenness and trauma and drug addiction and all sorts of other things that put a girl into the position to have her mind and body victimized,” she said. “It’s so important to raise that awareness. All of the girls that I work with are somebody’s daughter, somebody’s sister.”

If you or someone you know is seeking refuge from sex trafficking in North Dakota, please contact:

4her North Dakota

4her North Dakota is currently raising money to open a 30day crisis shelter to help those in need of an immediate, safe place to stay. If you would like to donate or would like more information about the organization or sex trafficking, please visit 4hernd.org.

According to the webpage, the organization focuses on three main areas:

Education and Training Education is key to an effective fight against sex trafficking and exploitation. Attend an education or training event to learn the realities of modern slavery and how you can be proactive in the fight.

Response and Intervention We respond to sex trafficking and exploitation by offering crisis intervention and care.

406-844-0377

The National Human Trafficking Hotline 888-383-7888

For more information, visit:

humantrafficking.org

18

Stride • July 2014

Aid and Mentoring We aid survivors by providing tangible needs such as clothing, toiletries and shelter. We have partnered with professionals who are willing to provide medical, mental health and dental care at low cost or free of charge.

5 influential faces

22

Stride • July 2014

As the Fargo-Moorhead community continues to grow exponentially, so does the need for exceptional leadership. This month, we snuck a peek into the lives of five of Fargo’s most influential health/wellness leaders and we’re proud to share their stories with you.

By Meagan Pittelko

Photos by Tiffany Swanson & J. Alan Paul Photography

23

5 influential faces

women’s health

Susan Mathison Owner & President Catalyst Medical Center

24

Stride • July 2014

W

here can you find ear, nose and throat care, hearing health care, sleep medicine, allergy and sinus disease treatment, aesthetic work and skin care in one place?

The “temple of wellness” — as it was once referred to, according to owner and president Dr. Susan Mathison — that is Catalyst Medical Center.

“It’s a small, multi-speciality clinic, so we do a lot of different things,” Mathison said. “We consider it a platform for giving, whether that is through healthcare, donations or education.”

Mathison, who moved to Fargo from southern Minnesota around age 10, also moved around after college in order to complete her medical training.

After years of training — and volunteer healthcare work in Peru — she returned to her hometown.

But she never thought that she’d stay.

“I ended up reconnecting with and falling in love with my city again,” Mathison said. “The microcosm that is Fargo offers the benefits of big city living without all of the hassle and traffic. It’s such an easy place to live.”

“So much of what we see is self-induced,” she said.

“And, if we gave ourselves more of a focus on selfcare, I think that we would have much less need for pharmacological and surgical management of things. Healthcare belongs in our homes, not just in our clinics and hospitals.”

Above all, Mathison encourages people to focus on restructuring their days to alleviate stress and on doing things that let happiness into their lives.

“Incorporating movement into your day doesn’t have to mean going to the gym,” she said. “It can be any kind of joyful movement that raises your heart rate. Dancing to songs on the radio, for example. Then, if you’re in a job or relationship that is really stressful to you, it might be time to rethink that situation, because life really is short. Reframe your thoughts in a positive manner; be mindful of and grateful for the beautiful things in life.”

Mathison eventually created Catalyst, which was born out of a small entrepreneurial streak that she thinks always existed in her.

“I didn’t really realize that not only would it be double the work, but it would even be triple the work,” Mathison said. “But I’ve been really happy with my choice, and it’s been fun to have a platform for serving others.”

Over the years, Mathison has watched the FargoMoorhead community grow and change around her and is proud of what the community is accomplishing in regards to wellness. However, she said that there is still a ways to go.

“Living a healthy lifestyle should be the primary focus of your healthcare,” she said, “in addition to forming a partnership with your healthcare provider. It doesn’t have to be super complicated — 90 percent of health is simple. It’s about, among other things, getting good sleep, having a healthy diet and making water your primary beverage.”

According to Mathison, people would benefit from a little more self-care. Realizing the role that food sensitivities can play in how food is being metabolized, she said, and caring for one’s psychological wellbeing are elements of such self-care.

Living a healthy lifestyle should be the primary focus of your healthcare.

25

5 influential faces

fitness

Paul Finstad

President | Cass-Clay YMCA

26

Stride • July 2014

W

hile most of you start singing the Village People song in your head at the mention of the YMCA, Paul Finstad reflects on a lifelong career.

Finstad started working for the Fargo YMCA in 1975 as a part-time employee while attending college.

After the job evolved into a full-time position, Finstad moved on to serve as the Director of Program Services at the Bismarck YMCA, the Executive Director of the Jamestown YMCA and more. However, he found his career coming full circle when he accepted the position as President of the Fargo YMCA, approximately 21 years ago.

In the time that he has spent working with the YMCA, Finstad has seen quite a lot of change.

“I think people have become more knowledgable about health and fitness,” he said, “and have become more aware of the importance of it. The landscape has really evolved and more people are becoming involved in health and fitness programs.”

According to Finstad, one example of this involvement comes in the form of senior citizens who, he said, were not always involved in health and fitness activities.

“You really didn’t see the senior population getting involved,” he said. “But the idea that you can’t work out after a certain age has gone away.”

In order to involve as much of the community as possible, the YMCA offers programming for all ages.

Finstad said that the YMCA puts an emphasis on family fitness, but also wants to involve community members outside of a family unit.

“We want to make sure we have the right programs in place — for youth, for those in middle age, for seniors,” he said. “Coupled with that, I think that we need to work with others in the community to get people involved. It’s going to take collaboration with other groups to make sure we’re covering all the bases.”

Although the health/fitness landscape in the area has changed dramatically over the years, Finstad still sees a need for new facilities or expansions on existing facilities.

“Because of all of the programming opportunities available, facilities are going to need to expand,” he said. “We hope that the trend continues so that more and more people continue being interested in and involved in fitness.”

or other fitness facility. Instead of this hindering physical activity in the community, Finstad hopes to make it a little easier for people to get started.

“We have sponsorship and scholarship opportunities available so everybody who wants to participate can participate, regardless of their financial state,” he said. “There are resources out there — don’t be afraid to ask about them. Finances shouldn’t be a barrier to someone when it comes to starting an exercise or fitness program.”

Aside from financial barriers, Finstad said that beginning to form healthy habits is one of the most difficult obstacles for people to overcome.

“The key is just to get started; you need to go someplace, ask questions and start doing something,” he said. “I think a lot of people just aren’t sure where to begin, but even if you just start out walking, you can always build up from there.”

We hope that the trend continues so that more and more people continue being interested in and involved in fitness.

Some community members, he said, may not be able to afford the cost of a full membership to the YMCA

27

5 influential faces

community

Pat Traynor

President | Dakota Medical Foundation

28

Stride • July 2014

5 influential faces

W

hen Pat Traynor first got involved in the Dakota Medical Foundation in 2000, the former hospital was in transition.

“I was charged with creating a strategy in regards to making a major impact on health and healthcare,” Traynor said. “I like to say that I’m a recovering lawyer - that is, I’m a lawyer who does not practice law. The part I loved about law was the client interaction, but I wanted to have a more wide-spread impact than just one or two or three clients.”

Traynor, who grew up in Fargo, said that he wanted to inspire people to live healthier lifestyles.

“The only way to have a healthy community is to have a bunch of folks who are revved up and excited about creating change,” he said. “Essentially, we’re creating a culture.”

According to Traynor, Dakota Medical Foundation has invested over $72 million in grants to organizations in the region to fund a wide range of projects.

“We fund all sorts of projects,” he said, “from helping people who don’t have access to healthcare to funding low income healthcare clinics. We focus a large part of our efforts on preventing illness from occurring, especially chronic illness.”

Yet, Traynor said that it all boils down to having a healthy diet and exercising regularly. Great nutrition and physical activity, he said, are two behaviors that are important when aiming to live a healthy overall lifestyle.

“If you can change such behavior and culture in a way that dramatically impacts health,” he said, “you can change the lives of hundreds and thousands of people.”

Traynor grew up in a medically-centered family and remembers his father, a physician, going on house calls. However, he said that he believes the health and fitness community is less personal now than it once was.

“We have such big, systematic approaches today, with rules and regulations and red tape,” he said. “I think that those are some of the negatives that come with systems getting so large that they lose some of the personal touches we had when we were kids.”

30

Stride • July 2014

In today’s society, Traynor said, obesity is still a very real problem. One of Dakota Medical Foundation’s more specific goals is to reduce obesity by 20 percent by the year 2020. Meanwhile, encouraging people to choose an active lifestyle can be difficult.

“Sedentary lifestyle is, apparently, now the new smoking,” he said.

Traynor said that, despite such changes, he likes to focus on all of the positive effects modern healthcare has had.

“The cures and technology that exist today are astounding and incredible,” he said. “We’re creating a much healthier culture here — it’s slow, but I really feel like it’s moving. You can see some of the momentum and, to me, that’s exciting.”

One of the main advantages that Fargo-Moorhead natives have, he said, is that they live in a community that gets along well and works together.

“There are groups of people here that are willing to help their neighbors and work across different lines, whether they’re socio-economic or business or government,” he said. “We’re not working by ourselves because that would be ineffective. Our goal is to be nothing short of the healthiest community in America.”

Traynor believes that this goal is not as unreachable as it may seem.

“I’m quite optimistic, because I do feel that we’re starting to see the shift in behaviors towards more active lifestyles and healthier diet choices,” he said. “But it’s like moving an ocean liner; you can’t just move an ocean liner on a dime. It takes time.”

Essentially, we’re creating a culture.

5 influential faces

healthcare

Paul Richard

President | Sanford Medical Center Fargo

32

Stride • July 2014

I

t’s impossible to deny the influential role that Sanford Health plays in Fargo-Moorhead. Sanford employs more than 7,000 employees in the FM area, is building a new hospital that’s employing hundreds of construction workers and supports dozens of organizations and projects — but there is one goal that stands out above all else.

“There’s various roles that we as an organization fulfill in the community,” Paul Richard, President of Sanford Medical Center Fargo, said. “Obviously, the number one is that we are the largest health care provider in the region and, to that extent, take care and provide healthcare to a lot of people of all levels, from emergency trauma all the way to newborns.”

Richard took over the role of president last December, but he has spent the last 43 years training for it. He began as a file clerk in medical records at what was then St. Luke’s Hospital before becoming a nurse and eventually a lawyer.

He credits where he’s at now to that conglomeration of different experiences.

“Over the last 43 years that I’ve been dancing around these hallways — sometimes literally and sometimes figuratively — every one of those things has contributed to what I am today and what I do today.”

While he’s prepared for the job, it doesn’t make it any easier. Hospitals are one of the most heavily regulated industries in the country; healthcare is changing on a regular basis, how patients are classified when they’re admitted to a hospital is changing and the list goes on. There is a fine line between managing the business side of a hospital and managing the medical side.

“I think sometimes people tend to forget that nonprofits are, in fact, businesses and do have to make a profit,” Richard said. “It’s how you use your profit that differentiates from the for-profit sector. Our profits go right back into our company.”

Sanford Health is relatively new to the FargoMoorhead area, but that doesn’t mean it’s stagnant.

In fact, it is growing rapidly. The construction of the new $494 million, one million square foot hospital is only phase one in a massive project. The hospital is meant to last for 100 years.

“The people that sit in these chairs today are the ditch diggers,” Richard said. “We’re laying the groundwork for the next generation of leaders because we’ll be gone.”

As all good leaders know, Richard recognizes that his role as president has nothing to do with himself.

He is part of something larger and recognizes that it takes a community to be the largest healthcare provider in the region.

“It isn’t about me. It never will be. It’s about the team and what they do. The team goes all the way down to the last person we hired yesterday or today.”

We’re laying the groundwork for the next generation of leaders because we’ll be gone.

33

5 influential faces

city

Ron Sorvaag

Former President | Fargo Parks Department Senator | North Dakota 34

Stride • July 2014

5 influential faces

E

very local Fargoan has appreciated the work of the Fargo Parks Department, whether they have picnicked at Trollwood or admired the array of flowers livening up downtown.

North Dakota Senator Ron Sorvaag was involved in the Parks Department from 1996 to this year.

Sorvaag ended his 8-year term as President of the Fargo Parks and Recreation Board this June to focus on other elements of his life.

“I’ve been with the department for a long time, and I think that it’s time for someone else to get the chance to step in,” he said. “There was no special reason except that it just felt like time to move on for now.”

Sorvaag still beams with pride at the mention of any of the city’s 100+ parks.

“I think the parks are pretty special,” he said.

“There’s a lot of pride in being part of the park system here.”

Sorvaag said the park system provides something for everyone. From hockey arenas to public pools to quiet areas for people to sit in the grass, the Parks Department is involved in nearly every aspect of the community’s recreational terrain.

“We aim to beautify the city,” Sorvaag said. “Is what the parks do essential? No. But does it enhance and make the community better? Absolutely.”

According to Sorvaag, the little things are the important things.

“I think what we do is very important,” he said.

“Health and wellbeing is not just physical. We have something for everyone, if they choose to participate. We aren’t just about softball fields; if you want to go and lay in the grass, we provide that.”

Meanwhile, as the city grows, so does the Parks Department. The department has built a system of funding and financing, said Sorvaag, that is there for the continuation and future of park projects.

“We’ve grown astronomically since I got involved in 1996,” he said. “I think that the way we’re funding things is looking out to the future instead of worrying about the projects at hand today. I have no idea what the big issue will be five years from now, but we can look forward today and try to project what it might be.”

36

Stride • July 2014

The Parks Department’s main responsibility, Sorvaag believes, is to provide the community with beautiful spaces and facilities.

“At the end of the day, it’s our responsibility to give the taxpayers as much as we can give them,” he said. “And I think that, for the most part, the citizens have been pretty pleased.”

One of the biggest issues that the department faces each year is how to handle the unfavorable Fargo flooding. Although money for flood repair expenses is built into the department’s budget, Sorvaag said that flooding is still hard on both the parks and the staff.

“Our most beautiful parks — in my opinion, at least — are along the river corridor,” he said. “The multiple floods have been a strain. The staff has to spend a lot of time re-doing things instead of just tweaking them, so to speak.”

Years like this one, though, seem to put everyone in a good mood.

“The parks are full, the golf courses are full and facilities are able to open early,” Sorvaag said. “It’s really fun to see people out and about and it really puts people in good moods.”

A lot of the credit for the parks and facilities used each year, he added, goes to the department’s staff.

“We have a phenomenal staff, which makes everyone look good,” Sorvaag said. “The citizens need to appreciate all the effort that they put in.

We’ve got a good staff and a great system and we’re proud of it.”

There’s a lot of pride in being part of the park system here.

PRE-CONCERT PARTY LIVE BAND @ 4PM SAT. JULY 12th

NORTH FARGO 1515 19th AVE N.

(701) 280-WING

NOW OPEN

NORTH FARGO ROOFTOP PATIO

- 30 TAPS - FULL BAR - 12 HD TV’s - FULL MENU - PRE-CONCERT PARTIES - OPEN ALL SUMMER LONG

brian shawn

The NDSU men’s basketball team won its first NCAA Tournament game by defeating Oklahoma while its play-by-play man was 2,500 miles away, watching from a dimly lit bar in the nation’s capital. Brian Shawn, wearing his NDSU shirt, celebrated his team’s victory while local DC bar patrons joined in.

By Joe Kerlin Photos by Tiffany Swanson and J. Alan Paul Photography

38

Stride • July 2014

39

brian shawn

O

ne week earlier, Shawn was watching the NDSU basketball team qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the second time in school history from media row. But, unlike the basketball team, Shawn wouldn’t be moving onto the NCAA Tournament with the team he’d followed all season.

He would stay on as their play-by-play man next year, but that March, he had bigger plans.

Shawn was nominated to become a member of the American Red Cross Advanced Public Affairs team in November and was sent to DC for four days in March where, instead of watching his team defeat Oklahoma, he attended trainings. Shawn was trained on the responsibilities of early communication between local communities, emergency management and national media if a natural disaster strikes. As fate would have it, his new skills were put to the test soon after his trip to DC. March 22, 2014 is a day that will be forever remembered by people in the small town of Oso, Washington, roughly 40 miles from the Canadian border. At 10:37 a.m., a landslide roared just east of the town of 180 people, leaving carnage and destruction in its wake. Forty-two people were left dead, four were severely injured, one was missing and countless homes were buried. The American Red Cross arrived quickly on the scene.

Shawn is the Dakota Region’s Communication Officer and rarely travels with the Red Cross. But, just days after the Oso landslide, he was sent to the scene of the disaster.

“The people were in anguish about the landslide that literally just buried their friends, family and neighbors in a blink of an eye,” Shawn said. “That was tough.”

It was Shawn’s first real experience on ground zero of a natural disaster. He had only worked for the Red Cross for

40

Stride • July 2014

a short time and couldn’t recall seeing anything as devastating as Oso. Shawn found himself in an unfamiliar position, but he could already tell that what he was doing was something he’d like to do for a long time.

“It’s great to be a part of an organization that can help support people through that time because I can’t imagine losing not only my home, but family members on top of it,” Shawn said. “Having somebody there to help you through that recovery process is invaluable and to see that first-hand was very rewarding.”

Although Shawn wanted to help, he said that it’s challenging in cases like Oso. “You just want to reach out and do something to help these people get over it, but you can’t make that pain go away, which is tough.”

Shawn’s goal in Oso was to spread awareness of the Red Cross’s involvement. Dealing with interviews and distributing information was a task he was prepared for coming into his position with the Red Cross.

“One of the goals we had was to build our social media presence and that was one priority put before Brian and he has accomplished that ten-fold,” said Interim Dakota Region CEO Judy Green. “The other piece was solidifying our media relationships and becoming a trusted resource for information about the Red Cross and what we do in our responses and how we prepare communities.”

One example of Shawn’s work with social media, she said, is that the Red Cross has gained hundreds of new Twitter followers since Shawn started.

Becoming media savvy is something Shawn learned during his time in the TV news business. A year after Shawn graduated from the University of North Dakota, he began his media career in Bismarck, covering regional sports from

Brian Shawn

brian shawn Williston to Valley City. Then Shawn moved to Fargo, where he worked as a sports reporter for KVLY for four years.

After Shawn married his wife Jessica, he decided that it was time for a change.

“I just got burnt out,” he said. “As much as I enjoyed it and as much as I really enjoyed the athletes, the kids and the coaches and that part of it, I was ready to be done.”

After TV, Shawn spent some time at Globe University. It was then that Shawn realized his talents could benefit people in a different way. Former coworker and current KVLY Operations Manager Sean Kelly could see it, too.

“Brian is that perfect blend of boundless talent and a work ethic,” Kelly said.

“Brian is the kind of guy who is going to know what he is talking about forwards and backwards. That’s the kind of guy I have respect for.”

Likewise, Shawn’s work ethic has also caught the attention of Green. She said his media experience is important to the Red Cross and his relationship skills are second to none. Green and the Red Cross provided Shawn with a way to impact lives outside of sports.

“Brian plays an essential role in sharing and articulating our mission and the value that we bring to each community across the Dakotas,” said Interim Dakota Region CEO Judy Green. “His experience and growth already in a year and a half in this organization is invaluable and he’s made a substantial impact with our footprint in the Dakotas.”

Through the media, Shawn has popularized the work of the Red Cross. He handles anything from Skype interviews with the Weather Channel to phone interviews with CNN. Shawn’s presence is still felt, even though he decided to turn back to his love of sports in 2012, when he became the play-by-play announcer for NDSU football games.

42

Stride • July 2014

“He is so well connected with sports in the region, not just Bison, but with everything,” KVLY Sports Director Jamal Spencer said.

Spencer works with Shawn as the sideline reporter for NDSU football games and acts as Shawn’s color commentator for NDSU basketball games. Throughout their relationship, Spencer has seen Shawn make a fulfilling leap in his career, while remaining in touch with his original sports media position.

“He made that connection,” said Spencer.

“He said, ‘I used to get a really good kick out of telling a good story, but now, it’s an entirely different feeling. Now, I’m really helping people’s lives.’ I think what he does is a lot bigger than one sports story.”

The work Shawn has accomplished in his short career at the Red Cross has been commendable and he’s thankful for the opportunity to remain involved with his passion for sports. How he has woven his past career with his current job has helped more than his career trajectory; it has also helped the Red Cross and the entire 160,000 square miles of Dakota Region that it covers.

“I do think it’s great that people realize that we’re there when they need it. I think that’s the cool part for me,” Shawn said. “I feel like I’m making a difference here.”

KVLY Operations Manager Sean Kelly

Automotive Repair is about Quality Service, Parts, Education, and most of all PEOPLE!

Matt Lachowitzer Owner

I opened Matt’s Automotive Service Center with the mission to give our customers a better experience than they’ve ever expected from an automotive facility. We aim to earn and keep their trust from the moment they walk in our door. Through continuous education, advanced training, high ethical standards, and a friendly attitude, we strive to be more than just an experience, and become the new standard for the automotive service industry.

Service Advisors

Matt

Office Staff

Jake

Selene

Kelly

ASE Certified Technicians

Brandon

Zach

David

Justin

Mike

Bruce

Tom

We are more than just an experience, We’re the STANDARD

2 Convenient Locations Fargo

Moorhead

3007 Main Ave (701) 478-3838

1234 1st Avenue North (218) 477-0696 2nd Ave N 13th St N

11th St N

1st Ave N

Main Ave 29th St S

30th St S

31st St S

Center Ave