IQ Magazine- Q1 2016 by Initiative Foundation

1ST QUARTER 2016

ECONOMY

MN CUP— Showcasing regional entrepreneurs. Pg. 10

COMMUNITY

Boats and Bytes— Brainerd becomes a tech hub. Pg. 18

PHILANTHROPY

Letting Leaders Lead— Getting the benefits of hosted funds. Pg. 46

CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF COMMUNITY INVESTMENTS.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME

Central Minnesota communities are working together to manage a healthy housing market. Pg. 22

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Initiative Foundation Quarterly 1ST QUARTER 2016

Contents FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

No Place Like Home

Central Minnesota communities come together to manage a healthy housing market.

Bottom-Line Health

How wellness has a direct effect on employees—and our region’s economy.

A Legacy of Service

VISTA program launches careers and strengthens communities across Central Minnesota.

36 Workers Wanted

Innovative Central Minnesota businesses find solutions to the workforce shortage.

Initiatives:

Regional Highlights

Get the latest economic and community development highlights from the 14-county area.

Economy:

Our (MN) Cup Runneth Over A statewide competition showcases our region’s entrepreneurial spirit.

Emerging Leaders:

President Joe

Meet the new president of Pine Technical & Community College.

Community:

Boats and Bytes

How Brainerd is becoming a tech hub.

Philanthropy:

Letting Leaders Lead

Hosted funds help local leaders benefit their communities.

Home Made:

Trussworthy Components

A peek under the roof of a thriving Pine River business.

Where is IQ?

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WHAT’S ON YOUR WISH LIST? 1ST QUARTER 2016

Dear Friends, Thirty years ago, when we had the ribbon cutting to open the Initiative Foundation’s first office, I remember fretting about 4-year-old Melanie and her twin 2-year-old brothers, Luke and Mark. Were they going to spill hors d’oeuvres on the new conference room chairs? They did. A little. A couple of years later I worried if 6-year-old Melanie would remain quiet, tucked in her chair with her red cassette player and headphones, while I spoke before a legislative committee to advocate for funding for the Initiative Foundation’s business loan programs. She did. Thankfully. Then there was the board meeting I missed because 5-year-old Luke fell out of a tree and required hospitalization and traction for a month. Or the time 9-yearold Mark bedded down in the corner of my office while we monitored a possible appendicitis. Both boys bounced back. No surgery needed. When you care, when your head and heart are in alignment, you’ll move mountains to protect, support and nurture the people and places that are important to you: your family, your home, your way of life, your business, your community. Home is a central theme in this edition of IQ Magazine—from our cover story on the gaps and challenges facing the Central Minnesota housing market to the innovative ways in which our regional businesses and industries are working to Kathy Gaalswyk, President attract people with the right skills to live and work in their hometowns. As the saying goes, “Home is where the heart is.” And my home—and my heart— is definitely here in Central Minnesota. It’s with my family. It’s with the mission of the Initiative Foundation. And it’s with all of the people and the communities who have shared their time, talents and resources to power what’s possible in Central Minnesota these past three decades.

Enjoy the magazine,

405 First Street SE Little Falls, MN 56345 (320) 632-9255 | ifound.org

Kathy Gaalswyk PRESIDENT P.S.—Save the date on Friday, Oct. 7, for the Initiative Foundation’s 30-year celebration at the River’s Edge Convention Center in St. Cloud. If you’re on social media, tell us your “What If?” dreams for Central Minnesota. Tag us on Facebook (@ifound) or Twitter (@ifoundmn) and use the hashtag #WhatIfMN. Visit the joint Minnesota Initiative Foundation website at GreaterMinnesota.Net and join us in celebrating our 30-year milestone.

4 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

IQ Magazine unlocks the power of Minnesota leaders to understand and take action on regional issues.

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IQ Initiatives

Regional Investment Highlights BENTON COUNTY

Bittman named Superintendent of the Year

Congratulations to Dan Bittman, superintendent of Sauk Rapids-Rice schools and an advisor for the Initiative Foundation-hosted Sauk Rapids-Rice Education Foundation, on being named 2016 Minnesota superintendent of the year. Sauk Rapids-Rice schools serve 4,300 students while employing nearly 600 staff.

CASS COUNTY

Learning, Love & Logic

Healthy social and emotional development is essential for children to grow and become caring, high-functioning adults. That belief served as the backdrop for the Pine River-Backus School District’s community workshop, where “Love and Logic” classes were offered. The effort was supported by a grant from the Initiative Foundation.

CHISAGO COUNTY

Citywide Pride

Rush City is charging ahead with its Thriving Communities Initiative, a program of the Initiative Foundation. With grant support, leaders are backing the city’s Shop Local campaign, collaboratively promoting local events, installing welcome signs on two main entries, increasing community education offerings and more.

New Fund, New Opportunity

Lake Region Christian School Education Foundation, an Initiative Foundation Turn Key partner fund, had its inaugural meeting in January. Twelve community members will serve on an initial advisory board. The goal of the fund is to provide scholarships for students to attend the school and to support classroom enhancements.

ISANTI COUNTY

An Enterprising Museum

The Isanti County Historical Society is participating in Financial Resiliency through Social Enterprise, an Initiative Foundation program that gives nonprofits the time, tools and space to explore revenue-generating business models. Based in Cambridge, the museum provides research, programming, education and displays about the history of Isanti County.

WADENA

CROW WING COUNTY

CASS

TODD

CROW WING

MORRISON

BENTON STEARNS

SHERBURNE

KANABEC COUNTY

A Capacity Boost

Paradise Community Theatre, Inc., of Mora was among 30-plus nonprofits to receive an Initiative Foundation capacity-building grant in late 2015 to increase efficiency and sustainability. Situated in a reclaimed 1940s movie theater, Paradise provides entertainment options for Isanti, Kanabec, Pine and Mille Lacs county residents. Organizers will use the grant for technology upgrades and community outreach efforts.

MILLE LACS COUNTY

A Head Start

The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and Head Start received funding from an Initiative Foundation grant to educate children, staff and parents on the important role that oral health plays in a child’s overall well-being. Ne-la-Shing Clinic will present oral health education and information to children, staff and parents.

6 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

MILLE LACS

WRIGHT

Welcome, Estelle!

Estelle Brouwer, a gifted leader with a breadth and depth of statewide experience, has joined the Initiative Foundation as vice president for strategy and organizational development. Estelle brings experience with Minnesota’s Office of Rural Health and Primary Care, University of Minnesota Extension and the non-profit community.

PINE COUNTY

A Resilient Place

Pine City-based A Place for You has joined the Foundation’s Financial Resiliency through Social Enterprise (FRSE) program. The program helps nonprofits build skills and create a social enterprise business plan to support mission-driven operations. A Place for You provides temporary shelter, support and encouragement for east central Minnesotans who are facing homelessness.

SHERBURNE COUNTY

Big Lake, Big Hearts

The first gathering of the Big Lake Area Early Childhood Coalition took place in January as part of the Initiative Foundation’s Early Childhood Initiative program. Residents participated in a strategic planning session that identified ways to support and care for Big Lake’s youngest citizens.

STEARNS COUNTY

Minding the Gaps

A Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation grant to the Initiative Foundation will help St. Cloud Technical & Community College and Central Lakes College in Brainerd promote greater student diversity in their dental assistant and hygienist programs. The two-year initiative is part of the Diversity of the Dental Workforce in Central Minnesota project.

TODD COUNTY

More Hands, More Hope PINE

KANABEC

MORRISON COUNTY

WADENA COUNTY

On The Map CHISAGO

ISANTI

Hands of Hope Resource Center, a Morrison and Todd county nonprofit that advocates, educates and promotes change for those affected by violence and abuse, is establishing a satellite office in the Staples area. The effort, supported by an Initiative Foundation grant, will increase access to programs for area clients.

Wadena County information can now be accessed through a web-based interactive map. Interactive features highlight quality of life and will be used to attract skilled workers and draw attention to the county’s broadband infrastructure. The mapping effort is supported in part by a grant from the Initiative Foundation. Search “Interactive Wadena Map” to see it in action.

WRIGHT COUNTY

Value-Added VISTAs

Initiative Foundation VISTA service member Jacki Anderson is making sure her work with Central Minnesota Jobs and Training Services in Monticello will have a lasting impact. By creating a volunteer program, Jacki is shaping meaningful volunteer opportunities that will translate into new jobs and expanded professional experience for the unemployed and underemployed.

1ST QUARTER 2016

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economy

THE SPARK: Stratetek’s Mark McNitt got the idea for his compact engine after reading a book about the Wright brothers.

Our (MN) Cup Runneth Over A statewide competition for startups proves that Central Minnesota is a hotbed of entrepreneurial innovation. By Marian Rengel | Photography by John Linn

What does an engine the size of a soda bottle have in common with a device that temporarily fastens the parts of a broken leg? Both are the brainchildren of Central Minnesota inventors and entrepreneurs. And both were semifinalists in MN Cup, the largest statewide new venture competition in the United States. MN Cup provides an opportunity for entrepreneurs, researchers, inventors and small business owners to take their business concepts to the next phase. The competition, which is sponsored by the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, is also open to entrepreneurs who have already started a business but are generating less than $1 million in yearly revenue. More than 1,300 entrepreneurs and startup businesses enter the competition each year. Through successive rounds of judging, the

field is winnowed to 80 semifinalists in eight divisions. Finalists then compete to win their divisions by persuading judges their business plans have the best chance of contributing to growth in Minnesota. Division winners then go head-to-head again in a final competition that determines the grand prize winner. Along the way, entrants gain new information, new insights—and new connections. “It’s an infusion of resources,” said Melissa Kjolsing, director of MN Cup. “It greatly expands their Rolodexes.” The financial impact of the competition is also impressive. Since it began in 2005, finalists have raised nearly $200 million to support the development of their business ideas. More than 10,000 Minnesotans have participated in MN Cup since its inception, including more than 400 from Central Minnesota during the last eight years. JenTra Door Levels, a Backus-area company and Initiative Foundation business finance partner, was a finalist and CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

10 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

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economy, continued from page 10 runner-up in the General Division in 2014. “The competition provides a great platform for Central Minnesota entrepreneurs to showcase their ideas, and that shines a positive spotlight back onto our region,” said Dan Bullert, business finance manager at the Initiative Foundation, a MN Cup regional economic development co-partner. “Participants come away with so much more than bragging rights. The competition gives them a chance to solidify their business plans, expand their exposure and grow their networks to take their businesses to the next level.” Here are three companies that showcase the spirit of MN Cup and our region’s commitment to innovation.

STRATETEK LLC, BUFFALO stratetek.com

Stratetek LLC won the Energy/Clean Technology/Water Division of the 2015 MN Cup with the idea for the StreamLine Engine, an engine the size of a 2-liter soda bottle that will generate 10 to 15 horsepower of energy and weigh less than 5 pounds. The idea came from the hard work of aerospace engineer and business entrepreneur Mark McNitt, 46, of Buffalo. “I felt the industry needed a disruption,” said McNitt, who says reading a book about the Wright brothers set him on the path to inventing his engine. As he was designing and testing and creating a business plan, research led McNitt to the MN Cup. He entered in 2013 and made the first cut. As a semifinalist, McNitt attended workshops and training sessions. “Participation helped me understand the things I need to do to build my company,” he said. It also introduced him to Matt Johnson, a retired U.S. Air Force officer and businessman who is now McNitt’s partner. McNitt received a patent for his design while competing in 2015. He also made contacts that are helping his company grow. The prototype of the engine will be finished this spring and McNitt hopes to build a plant in Central Minnesota to fabricate his engine. He sees a great future in the drone and small generator industries.

SMALL WIND TURBINES LLC, BRAINERD smallwindturbines.us

David Winkelman calls himself “a serial entrepreneur.” Long a proponent of green building and clean energy, he has started several companies. In 2007, he learned of an Australian inventor who developed a generator that spins one ring of magnets between two rings of coiled copper wire. This dual stator wind turbine design significantly increases efficiency and lowers the cost of energy production. In 2009, Winkelman, who is based in Brainerd, licensed this technology and created a startup company. The 63-year-old entrepreneur then entered Small Wind Turbines LLC in the 2015 MN Cup competition, hoping to make contacts that might allow the company to grow and compete against solar energy, which was

expanding dramatically across the United States. Small Wind Turbines became a semifinalist in the Energy/Clean Tech/Water division. While Winkleman ended up with “a fist full of business cards” and encourages entrepreneurs to enter the competition, he said the odds are long that his company will make it. “Right now, small wind turbines are having a hard time competing against solar,” he said. “We are still trying to seek out partners in the industry.” That, unfortunately, is the risk of being an entrepreneur, though MN Cup companies thrive better than national averages for start-ups, according to Kjolsing.

FIXX ORTHOPEDICS LLC, MONTICELLO fixxorthopedics.com

Take the tenacity of two University of Wisconsin engineering students and combine it with an orthopedic surgeon’s idea for a simplified device to temporarily fasten the two pieces of a severely broken leg. Mix in some business smarts and you have a new Monticello company that was a finalist in the 2015 MN Cup. Tom Gerold and Marc Egeland took the spark of Dr. Kenneth Noonan’s concept and collaborated with him to create the Fixx TEF (temporary external fixator). The device will be used in emergency rooms to spare accident victims from severe trauma while saving hospitals time and money. In 2012, the three formed Fixx Orthopedics LLC. “There’s not a ton of small start-ups” in the medical device field, said Gerold, 27, who became CEO of Fixx Orthopedics. “Our device is a lot less hardware, which means better care at a lower cost.” As they worked, they applied for a patent on the device and for Food and Drug Administration approval, which is still pending. In 2013, they entered MN Cup for the first time. After two unsuccessful attempts, the company and their device was a semifinalist in the Life Sciences and Health IT Division of the 2015 MN Cup competition. Their persistence paid off in many ways. “The biggest thing we got from the competition was that professionals looked at our plan and gave us feedback,” Gerold said. Not only did they get valuable advice for their business plan, the MN Cup competition provided the team with invaluable opportunities to network. Says Gerold: “It has almost always been a network connection that has worked for us.”

The 2016 MN Cup launches March 21. Entries are due May 6. Information is available at

mncup.org.

3 Wig to Lead Economic, Business Development Please join us in welcoming Jeff Wig to the Initiative Foundation team. As vice president for economic and business development, Jeff will focus on growing and developing economic partnerships while supporting Central Minnesota entrepreneurs and new business development efforts. Jeff can be reached at jwig@ifound.org. 12 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

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emerging leaders

JOE MULFORD: “I get that we are a potpourri of life experiences.”

President Joe As he takes the helm at Pine Technical & Community College, Joe Mulford draws on the affinity he feels for his students. By Elizabeth Foy Larsen | Photography by John Linn

Growing up in Parkers Prairie, Minn., Joe Mulford wasn’t sure where he wanted life to take him. After graduating from high school, he went to what was then called Moorhead State University to play football, only to drop out when a hometown commercial fisheries business he started took off. From there, he and his wife, Julie, moved to the Twin Cities so she could finish college while he paid the bills driving a semi. Mulford eventually transferred all his credits to St. Cloud State University (SCSU), where he earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing management in 1995. It’s an experience that Mulford thinks helps him empathize with the students he serves as the new president of Pine Technical & Community College (PTCC) in Pine City. “I get that we are a potpourri of life experiences,” he said while sitting at his desk, which looks out onto one of two mobile home parks that border the college, a view he says keeps him in touch with PTCC’s mission. “It’s such a small percentage of students who decide what they want to

do and finish in four years at the same school. College can be more like a pinball machine of life that all adds up to something in the end.” If Mulford’s life is an arcade game, he’s certainly a high scorer. At 46, he’s taken the helm of an institution that’s crucial to the region’s economic health, stepping into the gigantic shoes of Robert Musgrove, PhD, a visionary leader who led the college for 17 years and who now, in his retirement, is the economic development coordinator for Pine County. Located in a county with one of the lowest rates of higher education attainment in the state, PTCC is an Initiative Foundation economic development partner that offers two-year degrees and technical training to 3,000 students, 74 percent of whom are first-generation college students. Fifty-nine percent of PTCC’s students are eligible for Pell Grants, which help people with low incomes pay for undergraduate degrees.

Big Gains in Real Time

After graduating from SCSU, Mulford knew he wanted a career in education or fitness. “I liked fields that help people improve their situation,” he said, by way of explanation. After a short stint CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

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emerging leaders, continued from page 14

“ What I love about education is that you can’t do it for people, but you can help them.” at NordicTrack, an exercise machine manufacturer, Mulford took a job at Globe University, starting in recruiting. Within a year he was promoted to the college’s chief academic officer, drawing on the affinity he felt for the life experiences of students. “What I love about education is that you can’t do it for people, but you can help them,” he said. “That’s especially true in two-year schools, where you can go from being unemployed to a nurse’s assistant or licensed practical nurse with benefits. It’s big gains in real time.” From Globe, Mulford spent the next 14 years rising through the ranks at several of the state’s best-known two-year institutions before becoming the state director for education industry partnerships for the entire Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) system, where he traveled the state cultivating relationships with organizations, including PTCC, and businesses to develop programs to meet the state’s workforce needs. While Mulford loved all these opportunities, there was a hitch. He was spending hours of what he calls “windshield time” commuting to the Twin Cities and beyond from Mora, where he and Julie moved in 2004 because they wanted their children—two sons, ages 12 and 10—to have the same kind of small-town upbringing they both enjoyed. (Mora is Julie’s hometown.) So when the opportunity arose to lead the only college near his home, Mulford jumped at the chance and drew on his strong relationships with Musgrove and other community leaders to assure them he was a next-generation leader and the right person for the job. “The striking thing about Joe is that he is a Central Minnesota guy,” said Musgrove. “We aren’t bringing in a hired gun from the outside. He really gets it.”

A Perfect Fit

Mulford quickly won over other community leaders. “Of course we were all wondering what was going to happen to the college when Robert Musgrove retired,” said Kathy Gaalswyk, president and CEO of the Initiative Foundation. “And then Joe showed us he was the perfect person to take the college to the next level. I was thrilled to see his energy, his grasp of workforce issues and his breadth of expertise in different roles in higher education.” That energy was on full display when Mulford led a tour of the campus. A volunteer wildland firefighter who also completed his first Mora Vasaloppet last year, Mulford checked his Fitbit before showing off the gunsmithing shop and a simulated hospital room outfitted with the latest medical technology. “This is where I wanted to end up,” he said of his career path. “Leadership starts at the micro level, and you have to have all the foundational pieces in place.”

16 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

As he talked about his goals for PTCC—growing enrollment, cementing more partnerships with local industries, including the construction trades and robotics—he waved to students, who refer to him as “President Joe.” It’s a sign that in less than a year, Mulford has already become part of the fabric of the PTCC community. “He takes into consideration what we want to see changed,” said Amanda Fredlund, who is studying American Sign Language and elementary education. “He doesn’t act like a person in charge. He acts like one of us.”

LEADERSHIP LESSONS Words of Wisdom from President Joe • Be yourself and not someone else’s version 2.0. • If you are not sure how to best solve a situation that seems complex or difficult, go back and refocus on fundamentals. • Break a problem down into smaller pieces that are easier to address and that everyone can understand and focus on. • Be relentless in your commitment to what your mission is and those it is intended to serve. • Never forget that people are very smart and they can always see what is going on. Be forthright with them. • Spend as much time each month helping others grow as you do yourself. • Build in structural ways that help your organization understand the customer experience and know where they are coming from. Never forget who you are there for or what they are dealing with. • Be the preacher of good news and hope for the organization.

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community

STEVE CHRISTENSON OF ASCENSUS: ”We are currently recruiting for 15 positions and there will be even more opportunities as we continue to grow.”

Boats and Bytes How the Brainerd Lakes area is turning into a Minnesota tech hub. By Gene Rebeck | Photography by John Linn

As a software engineer, John Schmalenberg could have gotten a good high-technology job just about anywhere in the state. He came to the Brainerd Lakes area. A senior software engineer at Nisswa-based MicroNet, Schmalenberg is helping to create the company’s membershipmanagement software—and helping the 20-year-old company grow. “I was looking for a place I wanted to raise my family, and this area has a lot of advantages for me. I get to see my family a lot more than if I had a long commute every day,” Schmalenberg told Tech Ready Brainerd Lakes, a website that showcases the region’s tech employers, employment opportunities and amenities. “As someone who loves to spend time outdoors, I can finish work and go for a nice trail run or ride my dirtbike ... anything you would want to do for outdoor fun you can do, even on a weeknight.” In the past few years, the Brainerd Lakes area has been working to attract more people like Schmalenberg—as well as the companies that employ engineers, developers and coders. In short, to become a tech hub. Sound far-fetched? While it’s true rural Minnesota doesn’t have the renown of places such as Silicon Valley, Boston, Seattle or Austin, 18 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

the U.S. technology industry is remarkably spread out. Smaller, more rural cities such as Altoona and Council Bluffs (both in Iowa) have attracted the likes of Microsoft, Facebook and Google. The industry’s appeal to rural economic development leaders is obvious: Tech jobs pay well, which in turn means a stronger economy, and not just during tourist seasons. Brainerd Lakes already has a number of thriving tech firms like MicroNet. And now it wants more. In the past three years, the Brainerd Lakes area, with help from an Initiative Foundation grant, has been actively marketing itself as a place where connectivity is fast, but life follows a more relaxed pace. According to Sheila Haverkamp, executive director of Brainerd Lakes Area Economic Development Corp. (BLAEDC), the region’s efforts to position itself as “tech-ready” began more than a decade ago. BLAEDC and Brainerd Lakes Chamber of Commerce began work to find ways to build better broadband infrastructure to the community for business, industry and residents. Local carrier Consolidated Telecommunications Company, working with regional government entities including the Brainerd School District, was able to put a fiber-optic “ring” into place that gives the area powerful broadband connectivity.

“ For being a rural area, we have a really fabulous broadband infrastructure.” Haverkamp defined the tech sector as technology companies along with those companies that use technology to deliver a product or service. “We recognized that we had this industry cluster of companies in our midst,” she said. “They were a wonderful group of companies to continue building on.” The granddaddy is Ascensus in Brainerd, founded in 1975 as Universal Pensions, Inc. The company was bought and sold a few times starting in 2000 before becoming part of Pennsylvania-based Ascensus, which provides retirement and college savings support services to banks, credit unions and brokerage houses. Of Ascensus’s 1,500 employees, about a third work in Brainerd. And about half of the company’s information technology resources also are located there, working primarily with the company’s proprietary software. According to Steve Christenson, executive vice president for Ascensus’s offices in Brainerd, Atlanta and Middleton, Wis., Ascensus works with about 8,000 financial organizations and roughly 40,000 employers across the country, providing record-keeping and investment tracking, among other services. “We have a lot of the retirement compliance expertise in Brainerd,” Christenson said. Haverkamp said there are 20 companies that together employ more than 1,000 people. Other area firms include Landis+Gyr, a Switzerland-based energy management company with a regional U.S. office in Pequot Lakes. Gullview Technologies, which launched last year in Baxter, provides software development and IT support services. Another Baxter-based company, Syvantis Technologies, offers cloud-based services and support for businesses worldwide, with many clients on both U.S. coasts. Many of these companies would like to expand in the region. “We have 15 positions we are recruiting for, and that’s been in the ballpark for what we’ve been trying to recruit for the past year,” Christenson noted. As the company continues to grow, there will be more opportunities. Syvantis expects to double its staff in the next two to three years. Christenson acknowledged that it’s not easy to find employees—a struggle smaller communities in Minnesota can understand. For

Syvantis, which employs 21, part of the solution is to have a second office in St. Paul. Janelle Riley, Syvantis’ co-owner and president, said information technology engineering specialists are difficult to find, regardless of where you’re located. “One advantage that we do have here is that, for being a rural area, we have a really fabulous broadband infrastructure that allows us to be able to do what we do,” she said. That includes attracting clients from as far as Dubai and Ethiopia. It also lets her company accommodate remotely located employees—including one who works in Grand Rapids. Christenson said that Ascensus and other tech companies in the Brainerd Lakes area have been banding together to help market the region’s tech opportunities. Tech leaders also have been working with BLAEDC and other local organizations to develop homegrown talent—encouraging area young people to pursue technology careers. In addition, the area wants to lure back tech-savvy natives who moved away for college and big-city opportunities. “One of the things most workers fear when moving to a rural area is getting stuck where there’s little opportunity for advancement,” said Don Hickman, vice president for community and workforce development for the Initiative Foundation, which is helping fund the Brainerd Lakes area effort to market itself as a tech hub. The Initiative Foundation also has provided financing to several Brainerd-area tech businesses to support their expansion needs and to create quality jobs, including Syvantis and Gullview. “Many in the tech sector have found that the more employers there are around, the easier it is to attract talent.” Brainerd Lakes may never be Silicon Valley. But it can create its own little corner of cyberspace. “We have to make sure we continue to market our brand,” Haverkamp said. That means emphasizing “state-of-the-art infrastructure, our industry base, and the fact that we are developing and attracting workers.” And for workers like John Schmalenberg who want to do high-tech work and enjoy a high quality of life, the Brainerd Lakes brand could be highly appealing.

Research from CompTIA, a nonprofit trade association for the information technology industry, shows that Minnesota is home to more than 136,000 tech workers with a total payroll of more than $12 billion. Minnesota tech jobs are well compensated at an average wage of $89,629—78% more than the state’s average private sector wage. Within the next decade, Minnesota technology jobs are forecasted to expand by nearly 200,000, excluding those in the healthcare sector.

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SAVE THE DATE 2016 Initiative Foundation

30-YEAR CELEBRATION

FRIDAY, OCT. 7, 2016

River’s Edge Convention Center S T. C L O U D , M I N N E S O TA

ifound.org

Do you have “What IF?” dreams for Central Minnesota? Tell us on Facebook & Twitter and use #WhatIFMN to share your stories.

Join us and support the big celebration. Send an email to info@ifound.org to learn about event or table sponsorship opportunities.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME By Laura Billings Coleman | Photography by John Linn

Central Minnesota communities come together to build a HEALTHY HOUSING MARKET.

With low interest rates, rising home prices, steady job growth and fewer than five months of inventory, St. Cloud’s real estate scene has all the earmarks of a sizzling hot seller’s market. But try telling that to many of the long-time homeowners realtor Jesse Godzala has been working with over the last year. Most of them have spent months on the market trying to attract the first-time buyers they need to make their next move. “I had a client who’d raised eight kids in a solid 1950s rambler in north St. Cloud,” Godzala said. “The house needed work, but the bones were good, and with four bedrooms and one bath, it would look like a pretty attractive package to a working couple with kids.” Priced under $100,000, the monthly payment was below $500—less than half the going market rate for a two-bedroom apartment in the St. Cloud area, which, like many communities in Central Minnesota, is short on affordable housing. Though some potential buyers walked through wondering how a family of 10 had ever managed with just one bathroom, the home’s only serious structural problem was a sagging roof, an estimated $10,000 repair the seller couldn’t afford on a fixed income. The roof ’s deteriorated condition also meant the property wouldn’t meet the Federal Housing Administration’s (FHA) loan insurance guidelines, the financing package most working families rely on for homeownership.

“Now you’ve got a seller who can’t afford to make these fixes, banks that won’t allow the buyers to pay for it, and a whole shadow inventory of homes that can’t move,” Godzala said, adding that he’s seen many such homes move into the rental market, turning traditional family neighborhoods into more transitory communities, and doing nothing to create more affordable housing options for working families looking for relief. “I can’t tell you the number of tough conversations I’ve had with sellers and buyers in the last year. When it comes to affordable housing, it’s a pretty challenging situation we’ve got here, and we’re going to need to find some solutions.”

EVERYBODY’S BUSINESS

It’s not just realtors like Godzala who are paying close attention to Central Minnesota’s housing market—real estate in rural communities is everybody’s business. “The value of your home is tightly linked to the economic vitality of your community, and so the private sector, the public sector and the individual homeowner all have a vested interest in one another’s success,” said Warren Hanson, president and chief executive officer of the Greater Minnesota Housing Fund (GMHF) and Minnesota Equity Fund (MEF). “We saw that in pretty sharp focus during the recession when the foreclosure crisis hit Central Minnesota harder than any other region in the state.”

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A COMPLICATED EQUATION

Americans between the ages of

18 and 35

are waiting longer to get married and start families.

Americans are launching their adult lives with more debt than ever—about

$30,000

per bachelor’s degree.

Though the subsequent recovery has helped home prices rebound, many households in the region are still feeling the aftereffects, whether they’re struggling to make mortgage payments with reduced incomes or scrimping on health care, groceries, childcare and other costs to afford increasingly competitive rental prices. According to Minnesota Compass, nearly 31 percent of households in Central Minnesota are now considered “costburdened,” spending 30 percent or more of their monthly gross income on where they live. There also is a significant gap in what’s known as transitional housing, according to Jon Ruis, president and CEO of United Way of Central Minnesota. “There’s a lot of good market-rate housing, but if you’re someone who’s lost your job, or become homeless for a period of time, it’s really hard to get settled again without truly affordable workforce housing.” Families aren’t the only ones feeling the pinch. Without a healthy mix of options—especially units that are attainable for workers earning average hourly wages in the region—employers have a hard time growing their businesses. That scenario already is playing out in regional centers like Thief River Falls, Marshall, Worthington and Roseau, where job growth has outpaced housing development for years. But it’s also challenging smaller towns such as Perham, where an estimated 4,100 jobs outnumber the town’s 3,000 residents, an imbalance that prompted local employer Barrel o’ Fun to bus workers in from Wadena, 24 miles away. Some relief is now on the way thanks to $75 million in state funding that will help support a number of housing projects, including a 28-unit complex for Mille Lacs gaming industry employees and a 48-unit supportive and workforce housing project in St. Michael. But building new units may not be the only solution, according to Ben Winchester, a senior research fellow at the University of 24 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

Millennials may not be

interested in or able

to own a home until much later in life.

Minnesota’s Extension Center for Community Vitality—especially with a coming wave of Baby Boomer retirees likely to make some moves in the next decade. “When we talk about the housing shortage in Greater Minnesota, it has yet to incorporate the demographics that we’re going to see in this transition,” said Winchester, whose research shows that 78 percent of homes in Greater Minnesota are owned by Baby Boomers, with nearly 33 percent owned by individuals 65 and up. “That means we’re going to be seeing major turnover in housing stock and ownership in our small towns. The next 25 years are poised to be one of the greatest demographic shifts we’ve witnessed across rural Minnesota since the mechanization of agriculture.”

FORECASTING NEEDS

What these moves will mean for Minnesota’s small towns is a question communities are just starting to consider. “As we look at the Baby Boomers retiring and the Millennials settling down, we know that there will be a lot of people in Central Minnesota making some transitions,” said Dan Frank, senior program manager for community development at the Initiative Foundation. “But what we don’t know are the choices they’re going to make at the end of the day when it comes to housing, or careers, or the communities they prefer to live.” To help communities get ahead of those trends, the Initiative Foundation has awarded a series of grants to fund housing feasibility studies and action plans, a useful first step for communities trying to assess the current condition of housing stock, rental rates, property values and future needs in the housing ecosystem. Lakes and Pines Community Action recently spearheaded one such feasibility study for 17 communities in the organization’s service area, which confirmed some trouble spots, said Lezlie Sauter, Lakes and Pines’ community services director and agency planner. “Our

“ BUT I’D STILL SAY THE DREAM OF HOME OWNERSHIP IS ALIVE AND WELL. Even though these young adults have seen what happened during the housing collapse, they still see owning a home someday as a vehicle to wealth.”

office helps to weatherize homes in the area, so we knew that many of our homes are in rough shape and in need of major repairs,” she said. Sauter also discovered that there’s no single place for people to go to find Section 8 housing—a program of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that provides rental housing assistance to private landlords on behalf of low-income households. There’s also no assistance to help people who are trying to figure out how to buy their first home, are facing foreclosure, or make improvements or repairs on a fixed income. As a result of the study, Lakes and Pines gathered a group of organizations from around the region to establish a regional housing website that can become that one-stop shop. One early trend that nearly every part of the country can confirm is that Baby Boomers appear to be in no hurry to downsize after children leave home or they hit retirement age. “Definitely more seniors are going to be interested in aging in place,” particularly if they find amenities such as health care and transitional housing close to their roots,” said Deanna Hemmesch, the executive director of the Central Minnesota Housing Partnership. “The other thing we see is that the new generation coming up may not be interested in or able to own a home until much later in life.” Not only are Americans between the ages of 18 and 35 waiting longer to get married and start families, they’re also launching their adult lives with more debt than ever—about $30,000 per bachelor’s degree, or about 80 percent of the average annual income for a young adult in the United States. “That kind of payment wipes out what you used to be able to save for your first home,” said Godzala, adding that it’s little wonder Millennials are swelling the ranks of apartment dwellers by nearly a half million every year—a demand seen in the development of many new market-rate apartment complexes in St. Cloud. “But I’d still say the dream of home ownership is alive and well. Even though these young adults

have seen what happened during the housing collapse, they still see owning a home someday as a vehicle to wealth.”

FIXER UPPER FINANCING

Building new housing is now an emerging need in regional centers such as Duluth and Rochester, which are forecasting a demand for nearly 3,000 new units each in the next five years. But breaking ground is a bigger economic risk in rural communities, where construction costs can exceed appraised property values— an imbalance that makes lenders leery. “You also have to be mindful of what the needs are today but also in the future,” said Jennifer Bergman, executive director of the Brainerd Housing and Redevelopment Authority. “You don’t want to build 2,000 housing units and be left with 1,500 of them vacant in 50 years.” That’s one reason the Brainerd community is taking a more measured approach to its housing needs, concentrating on giving downtown commercial and rental property more curb appeal. “We have 117 units in downtown Brainerd, which surprises a lot of people,” Bergman said. “With one bedroom units that rent for around $325 a month it’s some of our most affordable housing, but they’re definitely in need of some upgrading.” The community has combined forces to apply for a just-released round of Workforce Housing Development Grants from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, which are aimed at communities with 18,000 residents or fewer that have a demonstrated need for more workforce housing. With major employers like Grand View Lodge gearing up to grow, Bergman is hopeful Brainerd can compete for the funding, which would provide a mix of fix-up funding and owner equity incentives to encourage the community to reinvest in its prime downtown real estate. Finding more flexible financial tools to encourage homeownership and property upkeep has also been a focus in

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“ You also have to be mindful of what the NEEDS ARE TODAY but also in the FUTURE.”

St. Cloud, where a comprehensive housing study found that there were many retirees in St. Cloud’s core neighborhoods eager to make a move in the decades ahead, and plenty of young families and new immigrants poised to assume more affordable housing with Federal Housing Administration loans. “The problem is that no one on either side of the transaction has the money necessary to make the updates” mortgage lenders would demand, said the United Way’s Ruis, who meets regularly with other community leaders focused on workforce housing, and serves as the Greater St. Cloud Community Pillars coordinator for housing. “It’s not just about building more affordable apartment units—it’s also about upgrading existing housing stock and giving sellers and buyers some incentive to do that.” In the short term, Matt Glaesman, community development director for the city of St. Cloud, says his department is making a concerted effort to point potential buyers toward some of St. Cloud’s core neighborhoods, made up of affordable and wellbuilt ramblers and split-levels from the fifties, sixties and seventies. “We’ve even made more of a conscious effort to let realtors know these are neighborhoods you might pass by, but they’re viable options and very marketable to families,” he said. The city also encourages potential buyers to check out several St. Cloud Housing and Rehabilitation Authority (HRA) loan packages for the city’s 11 core neighborhoods, ranging from zero interest fix-up loans, deferred interest loans for basic improvements CONTINUED ON PAGE 48

HOUSING HELP If you are a homeowner or landlord:

• T HE MINNESOTA HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY (MNHousing.gov) offers products and services to help Minnesotans buy and fix up their homes and to stabilize neighborhoods, communities and families. It also supports the development and preservation of affordable rental housing through financing and long-term asset management. • U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE – Rural Development (rd.usda.gov/programsservices), has several housing-related programs including:

– Loan guarantees to approved lenders to finance construction or rehabilitation of affordable housing in income-eligible rural communities.

– A direct loan program, which assists low- and very-low-income applicants in obtaining decent, safe and sanitary housing in eligible rural areas by providing payment assistance to increase an applicant’s repayment ability.

– Multi-housing loan guarantees, which are available to private-sector lenders to provide financing to qualified borrowers to increase the supply of affordable rental housing for low- and moderate-income individuals and families in eligible rural areas and towns.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 48

26 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

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4/23/15 9:33 AM

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By Andy Steiner | Photography by John Linn and Paul Middlestaedt

28 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

HEALTHY GAINS: Thanks to her company’s wellness initiatives, Granite Equity’s Cindy Lamp swims three days a week with her local YMCA swim team.

Central Minnesota’s commitment to wellness has a direct effect on employees—and the region’s economy. Cindy Lamp has gained a lot from her job as the board administrator at Granite Equity Partners in St. Cloud. But she's lost a lot, too. “I weigh 40 pounds less than I did when I started here three years ago,” Lamp said with a proud chuckle. She credits the weight loss, which came gradually and has proven to be lasting, with lifestyle changes brought about by Granite’s extensive and company-wide well-being initiatives. The program includes nutritional coaching, group exercise programs, financial tips, community volunteer opportunities and a complimentary health-club membership. “The wellness program helped me look at my life differently,” said Lamp, who now

swims three days a week with the local YMCA’s masters’ swim team. “It helped me realize that being physically healthy and strong of spirit rolls into everything else in my life.” Granite Equity Partners, whose private equity firm owns a portfolio of nine Midwestern companies that employ some 1,400 workers, is just one of many Central Minnesota employers that have developed wellness programs designed to help their employees live healthy, fulfilling lives. Though some of the programs were initiated as a way to limit rising healthcare costs, they’ve evolved over the years, expanding the definition of wellness to include wellbeing categories such as building social relationships, understanding finances and fostering community involvement. It’s a trend that’s been embraced by employers and employees across the region. It’s also sorely needed. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation reports that

“Our region’s focus on wellness attracts and retains muchneeded talent.”

1ST QUARTER 2016

poor employee health accounts for some 45 million avoidable sick days each year and lost annual revenue of between $1,900 and $2,250 per employee. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 86 percent of all health care spending in 2010 was for people with chronic medical conditions, some of which may be improved through diet, exercise and other activities. Much of the St. Cloud area’s enthusiasm for wellness can be traced to the comprehensive Workplace Well-being Initiative developed by the Initiative Foundation-sponsored Greater St. Cloud Development Corporation (GSDC), in partnership with CentraCare Health and St. Cloud State University. One key element of the initiative, which is supported by a three-year, $525,000 CentraCare Health Foundation grant, is the well-being pledge, a public commitment to promoting healthy, well-rounded lifestyles. The pledge has been signed by nearly 240 area business leaders so far. This strong business-led commitment to well-being sets the region apart, according to Patti Gartland, GSDC’s president. And the changed attitudes it promotes extend beyond the Central Minnesota business community—to area schools, churches and nonprofit organizations. “When it comes to wellness, our region is many steps ahead of much of the rest of the state,” said Gartland. The focus distinguishes the region, attracting and retaining much needed talent. “I think this is going to be a game changer in a positive way.”

GRANITE MEN AND WOMEN

One of the early advocates and signers of the well-being pledge is Rick Bauerly, managing partner at Granite Equity Partners and a member of the Initiative Foundation’s board of trustees. He said that while companies used to view wellness initiatives solely as a way to manage healthcare costs and to boost general public health, there’s a growing awareness that they serve an economic development role, too. “We’ve all become more aware that we, as human beings, operate at about two-thirds of our capacity,” Bauerly said. “When

RICK BAUERLY: ”When we are healthy, we are also more creative and productive.”

we’re healthy, when we’re creative and more productive, it’s the equivalent of expanding our workforce.” At a time when the nation’s unemployment rate is at 4.9 percent—and an even lower 3.5 percent in Minnesota—focusing on health and wellness to increase innovation, productivity and performance makes great sense. Tracy Schulte is Granite Equity’s well-being director. She manages the home office’s wellness program and helps guide the portfolio companies—primarily manufacturing firms—in the operation of their well-being programs, including participation in the Graniteman Triathlon, an annual event that Granite Equity opens to its partners, employees and their families. In the home office, wellness programming is a regularly scheduled part of the workday, including a free healthy lunch that coincides with team meetings. “In addition to the meal, we’ll schedule a speaker to present on a wellness topic,” said Schulte. Those topics have included anything from the importance of a healthy diet to financial wellness and budgeting. Granite’s commitment to wellness isn’t limited to its own employees. The firm’s portfolio companies have also gotten on CONTINUED ON PAGE 40

BLEND FOR GOOD

A regional obesity-prevention initiative helps kids get a healthy start. Back in 2008, workers at CentraCare Health were disturbed to learn that obesity among St. Cloud’s children had reached 17 percent. And similar to the rest of the country, that rate was on the rise. To counter that trend, CentraCare launched BLEND (Better Living: Exercise and Nutrition Daily), a comprehensive community initiative designed to encourage physical activity and healthy lifestyles as part of children’s daily lives. The BLEND program offers initiatives that are designed to be long-lasting, including working with city planners and schools to develop bike lanes and safe walking routes to school. Other achievements include: encouraging local grocery chain Coborn’s to adopt a healthy-food rating system; working with schools to encourage healthy fundraising options like sponsored runs and walks rather than candy sales; sponsoring a Fit Kids Club series,

30 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

where area children are offered incentive prizes for participating in health-conscious events. Those initiatives appear to be working: As of 2015, there has been a 24 percent reduction in the rate of obesity among children in the St. Cloud area. Organizers are so pleased with this result that they are expanding the program to other communities served by CentraCare Health. “The longer BLEND is in a community, the greater the impact,” said John Inkster, the BLEND program coordinator. “We’re focused on changing attitudes and behaviors to counter the childhood-obesity trend, and so far, it’s working.” blendcentralmn.org

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A LEGACY OF SERVICE V I S T A

By Lisa Meyers McClintick | Photography by John Linn

MOLLY TOZSMANN VISTA service addresses "poverty and inequity in Minnesota and beyond."

AmeriCorps VISTA program LAUNCHES CAREERS and STRENGTHENS COMMUNITIES across our region. Six years ago, Forest Lake native Molly Tolzmann was eager for her first job, having just graduated from the University of Minnesota with degrees in global studies and political science. The recession was still dampening the hopes of

“ WE KNOW THAT CENTRAL

graduates across the country, but Tolzman was lucky enough to be offered a

MINNESOTA IS

position at Cart to Cupboard, an Isanti County program that provided support

INCREASINGLY

to disabled adults and homebound seniors who wanted to live independently but

IN NEED OF

needed help with transportation to doctors’ appointments and essential services such as grocery and medication deliveries. Tolzman didn’t land the job through networking or Monster.com. Instead, she joined the yearlong AmeriCorps VISTA program. Founded more than 50 years ago by President Johnson as Volunteers in Service to America, the organization provides life-changing experiences through service with nonprofits, government agencies and schools that support Americans living in poverty. “I was looking for something meaningful to do before grad school,” said Tolzmann. While her living stipend of $900/month was intentionally set at poverty level during her 2009-2010 VISTA year, her job offered a wealth of experiences far beyond a typical entry-level office position. It also forced her to solve problems and provide services with limited resources as she recruited and trained volunteers for rides, marketed the program in the community, sought funding and set up a service learning partnership with Cambridge’s Alternative Learning Center. Most of all, Tolzmann’s year at Cart to Cupboard solidified her interest in worldwide poverty and social issues. She used her $5,000 education award for completing her VISTA program for her master’s in social sciences at the University of Chicago and moved to Washington, D.C., where she recently landed a position with The World Bank. She’ll be an online communications associate for the Consultative

COMMUNITY LEADERS.”

1ST QUARTER 2016

LINSEY McMURRIN “ VISTA is crucial to being successful in more rural areas.”

Group to Assist the Poor, creating website work, podcasts, publications and more to raise awareness of international poverty and vulnerable populations. “I definitely had VISTA on my mind during the job interviews and talked about how it was a springboard for everything,” she said. “Those experiences were foundational.” In Central Minnesota, the Initiative Foundation has facilitated the region’s VISTA program for the past 15 years, providing 190 VISTA members to more than 75 nonprofit organizations, schools and government agencies across the region. Instead of direct service positions, VISTAs work to build the capacity of their host organizations by setting up volunteer networks and seeking donations and grants so that their efforts to expand services can continue once their year is finished.

developing new fundraising strategies, building donor relationships and creating outreach campaigns. “VISTA is solely focused on alleviating poverty,” said Fastner. “This partnership has been a huge benefit to the communities we serve.”

DEVELOPING LEADERS

The Initiative Foundation’s role as a VISTA sponsoring organization includes training and supporting each year’s cohort of VISTA members, who say that monthly leadership and professional development workshops leave a lasting impact above and beyond the work experience. “We have a dual purpose,” said Amanda Whittemore, VISTA program specialist for the Initiative Foundation. “We provide them with training in grant writing, running effective

“ I CREDIT WHERE I AM TODAY TO MY EXPERIENCE WITH VISTA.” Initiative Foundation-sponsored VISTAs have helped recruit more than 8,700 volunteers throughout the region, according to Chris Fastner, the Foundation’s senior program manager for organizational development, who has worked with the program since 2005. They’ve also generated more than $2.4 million in cash resources and an additional $1.4 million in non-cash or in-kind donations by leveraging grants,

meetings and community-building because we want them to be effective in their positions. The longer-range goal is to help them develop their abilities as future leaders—no matter where that may take them.” While many VISTA members are young or fresh out of college, some are making career changes or navigating through a life transition. While the VISTA living allowance can make it challenging for

participants to find affordable housing and transportation in rural areas, the Initiative Foundation tries to keep participants near their home communities or in other areas where they have support. In a typical year, the Initiative Foundation sponsors at least a dozen year-round participants in Central Minnesota. The Foundation has also sponsored a VISTA Summer Associate program since 2012, where members serve eight-week terms and primarily focus on filling the gaps created during out-of-school months for low-income children such as summer meal programs for children who would otherwise qualify for free and reduced school lunches or educational enrichment programs to help students gain and retain knowledge they learned during the school year.

CREATING TIES

Linsey McMurrin, a University of Minnesota-Morris graduate with degrees in American Indian studies and anthropology, spent her 2012-13 VISTA year with Walker’s HOWA Family Center, a now-dissolved organization that provided support for children, teens and their families in the Hackensack, Onigum, Walker and Akeley areas. The experience allowed her to use her insight and connections to the native community as an enrolled member of the Leech Lake Reservation. During her VISTA year, McMurrin sought support for coat drives, made snack packs for students who didn’t have enough CONTINUED ON PAGE 42

34 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

Improving their stock. A quick walk around the Bartchelle Dairy reveals a pretty typical Central Minnesota farm — until you reach the barn and chat with owners Greg and Michelle Blaine. There you’ll discover a visionary couple who took their farm, the health of their herd, and their commitment to community to the next level thanks to high-tech robotic milking technology. Between their farm, full time work, and community commitments the Blaines are always on the go. So when they were looking to expand, they researched the up-and-coming technology of robotic milking systems. They also turned to Farmers & Merchants, where they found a bank with an equally strong sense of community and the hands-on approach they needed to finance the hands-off business plan they’d envisioned. Today the Blaines enjoy the success of healthier, more productive cows and a flexible milking system that fits their schedule. If you’ve got a unique business plan that needs a hand, we’re eager to listen.

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As companies across Minnesota struggle to fill open positions, several Central Minnesota businesses have found solutions to the workforce shortage. By Gene Rebeck | Photography by John Linn

Before she was hired as a metal finisher at Wyoming Machine, Inc., Jenna Anderson was working at a local QuikTrip store. Anderson knew about the Stacy-based metal-parts manufacturer through her uncle, who had enjoyed a long career at the company. A friend also worked there and loved that she was constantly learning new skills. Intrigued, Anderson decided to apply for a full-time job. The fact that Anderson had no manufacturing experience didn’t deter Wyoming Machine co-president Traci Tapani. “In 36 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

manufacturing, you struggle to find people who want to follow processes consistently,” said Tapani, a member of the Initiative Foundation’s board of trustees. But someone who knows how to adapt to a workflow can be found in a number of industries, including fast food or convenience stores. “It’s easier for me to teach someone how to run a machine than to teach them how to follow a process,” Tapani said. That Wyoming Machine prioritizes adaptability and trainability over specific experience is the reason, Tapani believes, that her company hasn’t struggled to find employees in a tight labor market. “We have developed a reputation in the area as being a good place to work,” said Tapani. “Manufacturing jobs offer some of the best wages in a community,” she said, “and I think people stay with us because of the overall environment. They feel good about being here.” Most Minnesota communities and businesses know how difficult it is to attract good workers. Not only are many baby Baby Boomers who put off retirement during the recession finally able to

employer says that the need for skilled workers “isEvery the primary factor limiting business growth. ” TRACI TAPANI: “Manufacturing jobs offer some of the best wages in a community.”

say farewell to a life of working, but a strong state economy means that the competition for talented employees can be grueling. It’s a situation that doesn’t show signs of improving, despite a large cohort of Millennials—the largest generation since the baby boom—who are entering the job market. Fortunately, employers and community organizations in the region do see opportunities, not just in long-time residents like Anderson but also from the region’s emerging immigrant workforce. “Central Minnesota has always received recognition for its quality of life, including strong communities. It’s a great place to raise a family and provides access to a wide range of recreational opportunities and other amenities. I believe that employers who recognize that they’re selling their firm or organization as part of a larger community, and who are helping newcomers feel welcomed, should have great success in attracting talent,” said Don Hickman, Initiative Foundation vice president for community and workforce development.

A NEED FOR NEWCOMERS

For employers, the data are daunting. The number of unemployed Minnesotans fell in October 2015 to 89,793—fewer than the 97,977 job openings the state reported for July. In Stearns and Benton Counties, the unemployment rate is as low as 3 percent in recent state reports. At the same time, the labor force is currently growing by about one-half of 1 percent a year, and that’s projected to drop to one-tenth of 1 percent by the end of this decade. “Our region—in fact, Minnesota as a state—is thriving in terms of economic recovery, particularly in skilled workforce positions” such as those in manufacturing and information technology, said Hickman. “Every employer we talk to says the need for skilled workers is the primary factor limiting business growth.” To fill this need, some companies are tapping a growing pool of potential hires: immigrants. In most cases, these newcomers are Somali, though some are Hispanic or emigres from other African nations. As the state’s population ages and many younger Minnesotans pursue opportunities elsewhere, people from other

1ST QUARTER 2016

countries can and will help fill the gap. One organization that has successfully attracted and hired immigrant employees is St. Cloud-based CentraCare Health. “We’ve been able to employ a number of the Somali population in this community, bring them into the organization, help them learn and grow and become an active part of our success,” said Dave Waage, CentraCare’s director of recruitment and employment. Todd McSorley, coordinator of environmental services at CentraCare’s St. Cloud Hospital, said part of his success in hiring new immigrants is that he actively encourages referrals, with friends and family members making the connections. “I try to make it as welcoming as possible,” said McSorley, who works with the new hires to support their needs on a range of issues, including dress codes and prayer times. Waage said CentraCare has been partnering with the local school district to do mentoring as early as middle school to get students interested in health care careers. His organization has introduced a program called “e-mentoring,” in which CentraCare professionals make an initial face-to-face visit, following up with regular digital meetings that allow young people to ask questions and learn more about healthcare career possibilities. “The initial impression among most students is that hospitals employ only nurses and doctors,” Waage said. What CentraCare mentors wish to impart to these young people is that there are numerous support and non-clinical opportunities. Waage noted that if immigrants or their children weren’t available, filling positions at CentraCare would be much more difficult. In addition to CentraCare, major companies that have successfully attracted the immigrant workforce include Gold’n Plump, Electrolux and Jennie-O.

BEYOND RUMORS

Still, barriers between employers and potential employees remain. Last March, the Immigrant Employment Connection Committee—a consortium of St. Cloud area business, education and community leaders—held an event intended to help bridge the gap. The event, “Hiring Immigrant Workforce 101,” included a panel discussion of employers who have had success engaging the immigrant workforce. It’s the first of what the committee hopes will become a series of career fairs and educational opportunities where both businesses and newcomers can get to know each other better. “With the immigrant population increasing in our community, it can help fulfill our workforce needs,” said Tammy Biery, executive director of the Minnesota WorkForce Center-St. Cloud and the Stearns-Benton Employment and Training Council in St. Cloud. Based on surveys committee members have conducted, “we do know that businesses are willing and already do hire the immigrant population,” said Biery, who, along with the Initiative Foundation’s Hickman, is a member of the Immigrant Employment Connection Committee. But language and other barriers have made those connections challenging. Some area businesses, in addition to CentraCare, have devised their own means of breaking down those barriers. For instance, Gold’n Plump offers two levels of onsite English Language Learner CONTINUED ON PAGE 44

38 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

MINNESOTA’S ARRIVALS/LEAVERS MINNESOTA’S ARRIVALS

MINNESOTA’S LEAVERS

AT-A-GLANCE

An average of

people move to Minnesota from another state each year.

people each year move from Minnesota to another state.

Another

(An unknown number leave for other countries.)

move to Minnesota from another country.

Of all known leavers in recent years:

101,000

24,000

Of all known arrivals in recent years:

19%

moved from another country

28%

moved from a bordering state

53%

moved from a non-bordering state

113,000

16% moved to Wisconsin

12%

moved to North Dakota

6% moved to Arizona

6% moved to Texas

6% moved to Iowa

Another 54 percent move elsewhere in the United States or out of the country.

Source: Minnesota State Demographic Center

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board. One company designed its own triathlon for employees and their families. Another purchased Fitbits for employees who log more than 10,000 steps a day, a move that turned out to be surprisingly popular on the company’s manufacturing floor.

A SENSE OF PURPOSE

Smaller Central Minnesota employers have also picked up the torch for workplace wellness. The 42 employees of the family-owned Mahowald Insurance Agency in St. Cloud are enrolled in a community involvement campaign that they’ve dubbed Mahowald Cares. The company sponsors several community-based volunteer opportunities—and employees are offered 20 paid hours of volunteer work each year. Robert Mahowald, the agency’s managing partner, believes providing opportunities for community involvement makes for more satisfied and engaged employees. While his company also offers traditional wellness programs like a “Healthy Happy Hour” at the local Y, a BMI-reduction challenge and lectures from a local nutritionist, he believes it’s the volunteer opportunities that hold some of the greatest potential for workplace satisfaction and well-being. “‘Wellness’ as a term was way overused in the past,” Mahowald said. “It was code for reducing health insurance costs. But we understand now that it is more than that. Well-being is about helping people feel happy about coming to work, about building a real sense of purpose and commitment to a larger mission. That’s one of the best ways to attract talent.” WORKOUT AT WORK: A United Way of Central Minnesota employee does stretching exercises at her desk.

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SELLING POINTS

Central Minnesota employers know the crucial role young workers play in a healthy regional economy. The popularity of wellness campaigns like GSDC’s Workplace Well-being Initiative may attract health-conscious Millennials to the region. “The next generation of workers is looking for a workplace that is as attuned to health and wellness as they are,” said Initiative Foundation President Kathy Gaalswyk. “That theme is central to two of our newer programs: our Emerging Leaders program and our in-development Initiators Fellowship program, both of which focus on building new leaders and new and diverse business opportunities in Central Minnesota.” Mahowald agrees. Wellness programs like the one offered by his firm are a selling point in conversations with prospective employees who believe that workplace benefits need to extend beyond dental and medical plans. That approach has certainly been good for Cindy Lamp. “When you eat healthy and live a healthy lifestyle, you feel more energetic and engaged,” she said. “My engine starts firing on all cylinders. When I get into work, I’m clear-headed and excited to get going and jump right in.”

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At the United Way of Central Minnesota, President and CEO Jon Ruis has developed a wellness program for his 16 employees based on the five central elements of well-being outlined by the GSDC initiative: career, social, financial, physical and community. In recent months, his employees, who are offered four hours a month paid volunteer time, have also had the opportunity to hear a talk on fraud protection, learn more about a local grocery chain’s new healthy food labeling system and brush up on exercises they can do at their desks. Keeping in mind there is no one-size-fits-all solution to wellness, East Central Energy (ECE) in Braham has tailored its programs to the different kinds of workers on their payroll. “We have a workforce with two sorts of workers,” said Steve Shurts, the company’s president and CEO and a member of the Initiative Foundation’s board of trustees. “With our field employees, wellness is shaped around working safely and efficiently. With office employees, our wellness practices include encouraging walking and using our workout facilities so they aren’t sitting at their desks all day.” But wellness isn’t just about heading to the gym. “We’ve turned some of our flower gardens into vegetable gardens,” Shurts says. Employees maintain and weed them and get to harvest all the vegetables in the fall and take them home.

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1ST QUARTER 2016

A Legacy of Service CONTINUED FROM PAGE 34

food and providing afternoon programming that helped students work on leadership skills. Networking in her hometown region through the VISTA program was especially important, she said, to expand her personal views and creatively tackle a variety of needs in the community. “It’s so crucial to being successful in more rural areas like we live in,” she said. “I still find that network very helpful.” After her one-year term, McMurrin was able to stay on staff for a year. The experience and Initiative Foundation training sessions sparked her interest in emotional intelligence, which she nurtures in her work with Bemidji-based Peacemaker Resources, an organization that offers programs and training to support compassionate classrooms, build social skills among youth, improve parenting, resolve conflicts and improve communication in the workforce. “I credit where I am today to my experience with VISTA,” said McMurrin, who also is participating in the Initiative Foundation’s year-long Emerging Leaders program.

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FINDING STRENGTHS

“ My VISTA year involved a lot of growth.”

The Initiative Foundation’s workshops and professional coaching allow VISTA participants to polish their professional skills and identify their own strengths and weaknesses—something many rank as one of the best rewards of the program. “Having those trainings was tremendously helpful,” said Sadiq Dahir, a 20092010 VISTA graduate. “That year involved a lot of growth.” Somali-born Dahir chose St. Cloud State University for its business degree and focused on accounting. To sharpen his skills, he volunteered with AccountAbilityMN.

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HOST A VISTA After graduation, Dahir’s VISTA assignment allowed him to stay in St. Cloud and continue with AccountAbilityMN, a St. Paul-based organization with a mission to help income-eligible families and individuals with tax returns and tax questions. Through trainings he was able to identify self-assurance as his biggest strength. He likewise learned he’s not a natural when it comes to building relationships. Recognizing that weakness helps him be conscious of it and work harder to make connections with others and more effectively work in team settings. That kind of in-depth personal insight wasn’t something he could have learned in his college classes, but was every bit as important as he finished his VISTA year and went to work for CBRE, a commercial real estate company in the Twin Cities, and then for Patterson Companies, where he’s been since the fall of 2013. “I’ve used so many of those skills,” agreed Tolzmann in Washington, D.C., “especially knowing my own strengths and how to complement the styles of other teammates.” She said she could not have been as effective in seeking global solutions without the face-to-face life experience of VISTA and seeing the daily challenges of senior citizens and vulnerable adults while she worked in Cambridge. “I’m very grateful for the role of the Initiative Foundation in supporting VISTA members and sites,” Tolzmann said. “It has empowered us personally—translating into stronger projects, stronger communities, and progress in addressing poverty and inequity in Minnesota and beyond.”

Nonprofit organizations, government agencies and educational institutions can apply to host a VISTA member by early February each year. By June, host sites select and interview local and national VISTA applicants to find the best match. VISTA members begin service in August.

BECOME A VISTA AmeriCorps VISTA members receive benefits and training valued at close to $30,000: • A living allowance of $973/month, which is 105 percent of local poverty level in Central Minnesota. • Up to $6,600 to help with out-of-pocket healthcare expenses. • Relocation assistance. • Training, coaching and mentorship.

MORE INFORMATION Go to ifound.org, click on the Community tab and drop down to VISTA. For additional information, contact Amanda Whittemore at awhittemore@ifound.org or Katie Spoden at kspoden@ifound.org.

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(ELL) classes for its immigrant employees. For those who already have basic English skills, classes offer additional language instruction specific to their work environment. Several ELL students also have participated in the new “GNP Company Academy,” which helps employees earn manufacturing and production certification through St. Cloud Technical and Community College. “There’s a lot of miseducation, misinformation or just plain unknowns among employers about hiring the immigrant workforce,” said committee member Jennifer Jimenez-Wheatley, program manager for RESOURCE, a St. Cloud organization that provides employment and career education services to immigrants and others. “And it’s the same in the immigrant community, too.” According to Jimenez-Wheatley, one of the goals of the March employer panel was to talk more openly about those areas of misunderstanding. “We have a few employers who say, ‘If I ask a question, will I sound racist or stupid?’” said Jimenez-Wheatley. “There’s a real concern about that.” There were a host of other questions, including what accommodations a business would need to make for religious issues, such as prayer time. The goal

of the Immigrant Employment Connection Committee, JimenezWheatley said, is to get beyond anecdote and rumor. There’s a tendency to “see an immigrant community as a monolith, that one person can speak for all,” said Jimenez-Wheatley. “But like Americans, there are different nuances within a culture.” The key to address workforce needs, experts agree, is being open to learning about those nuances and remembering that the perfect fit for an open position might not follow a traditional path to employment—whether the differences are generational or cultural. That’s certainly what happened with Wyoming Machine and Jenna Anderson, who had never thought of manufacturing as a career when she was younger. In addition to her work grinding the sharp edges off metal parts, she is learning computer programming and performing testing on materials to determine whether there are any small holes or cracks that need to be filled. “It wasn’t what I expected at all,” she said of her job. “But it’s just been great. I love it. There are so many opportunities.”

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philanthropy

S’MORE GOOD: Three Rivers Community Foundation supporters hand out free s’mores and generate good will during the February Shiver Elk River Polar Plunge.

Let Local Leaders Lead Hosted funds like the Three Rivers Community Foundation give local leaders the opportunity to use their talents to benefit their communities. By John Reinan | Photography by John Linn

Every community organization hopes to attract energetic, accomplished community leaders to fulfill its mission. But these same go-getters often are so busy that they find it difficult to handle the nuts and bolts of running the group. Who’ll keep the books? Who’ll monitor compliance? Who’ll file all the forms and reports? For a growing number of community coalitions, the answer to those questions is community funds, which are hosted by a community foundation such as the Initiative Foundation to provide accounting, technical assistance and other back-office functions. Services provided by community foundations allow local leaders to do what they do best: guide the organization’s long-term development, increase community awareness and leverage their personal and business connections to raise funds and identify volunteers. The Initiative Foundation hosts a range of Turn Key partner funds, including eight community funds and five education funds. That includes a 27-year partnership with Three Rivers Community Foundation (TRCF), which serves Elk River, Rogers, Otsego, 46 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

Zimmerman and Independent School District 728. With an endowment of more than $1 million, and annual grants and scholarships totaling more than $50,000, TRCF has carved out an enviable record. trcommunityfoundation.org But the TRCF team has set its sights even higher. Community leaders are mapping out a plan to triple TRCF’s endowment to $3 million. That’s going to require some bold action, said David Monroy, whose term as TRCF chair ended in January. “We’re going to go for the big ask in the traditional ways: the corporate donors, the people who are looking to leave a legacy,” Monroy said. “But I’m open to looking at other ways we can ask, and we’ve been brainstorming with the Initiative Foundation about that.” Monroy said TRCF’s long association with the Initiative Foundation is a strategic partnership that simply makes sense. “The advisory board is released to do what we do,” he said. “Our

sole function is to be the eyes and ears, the hands and feet in understanding how to benefit the community.”

Magnifying Impact

Community foundations play a critical role in focusing and magnifying the impact of local giving, Monroy said. That goes for board service, too. “For me, serving on the community foundation advisory board is really a wonderful investment of time,” he said. “We impact many nonprofits through our grants, and serve our schools through scholarships. I don’t have to say no to my other friends and colleagues serving nonprofits. What I’ve been able to say is, ‘Let’s find ways to partner. Let’s find a way to serve your cause.’” Serving community causes has always been at the core of TRCF’s mission. Some of the early TRCF founders and visionaries, including Ed Babcock and the late Chuck Christian, were committed to creating a fund that would help to improve people’s lives in the region. Their legacy lives on through their children and grandchildren—some of whom serve on the TRCF advisory board or support the foundation through other means. “There’s hidden poverty in Elk River and the surrounding area,” said John E. Babcock, president and CEO of the fifth-generation The Bank of Elk River and a member of the Initiative Foundation’s board of trustees. “There’s a lot of need, but it may not be talked about because it isn’t seen. And I think this is where a local foundation can really identify need and have a lasting, positive impact.” Like Three Rivers, local funds get an extra benefit from partnering with the Initiative Foundation. “We do it to keep philanthropy local,” said Carrie Tripp, vice president for external relations at the Initiative Foundation. “The donors know these community advisors are in touch with what’s needed, and that they will fulfill the local priorities.” It’s a service that’s sorely needed. “Almost everyone on these advisory boards has a full-time job,” said Kristi Ackley, Turn Key specialist and fund liaison for the Initiative Foundation. “Aligning with the Initiative Foundation allows them to work on the fun stuff, to use their unique skills and tap into their passions to move the organization forward.’” Ackley went to nearly every meeting last year of the eight community funds and five education funds that have endowments hosted by the Initiative Foundation. “By being at their meetings, we’re able to provide an extra level of service,” she said. The key is to look at advisory board service as an extension of the skills and passions of each board member—not just as a fundraising job, she said. “If you have passionate people, they’re going to draw other people to them. And as they draw those people to them, they will become supporters.”

DELANO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION BACK ON TRACK Lloyd Griep isn’t afraid to make “the ask.” “A community like Delano has quite a number of people in comfortable shape financially,” said the straight-talking dynamo who ran an insurance agency for 42 years and is also the advisory board chair for the Delano Area Community Foundation (DACF).” If we can get them to part with some of that comfort, we’ll be in good shape.” But even the boundless energy of someone like Griep isn’t enough to ensure a successful community fund. The fallout from the 2008 recession hit DACF hard. The fund eventually was transferred to the Initiative Foundation in 2012, and in the ensuing years work has been done to recruit new board advisory members, provide administrative support and get DACF operating smoothly again. “We worked closely with Lloyd to identify people from a cross-section of the community and we invited them to participate,” said Kristi Ackley, Initiative Foundation Turn Key specialist and staff liaison. “The response was phenomenal. The local advisory board is so passionate about their community that watching them grow has been exciting.” DACF now has assets of about $150,000—and the plan is to grow it even larger. “We have a wonderful community, and I want to see it stay that way,” said Griep. “I made my life here. Why shouldn’t I give something back?” —John Reinan

For more information, visit delanocf.org

3 Tripp to Lead External Relations Carrie Tripp, a longtime friend of the Initiative Foundation, has joined the organization as vice president for external relations. In addition to fundraising and donor relations, Tripp will oversee the management and expansion of the Foundation’s 80-plus Turn Key partner funds that provide a simple yet powerful approach to community giving. Contact Carrie at ctripp@ifound.org. 1ST QUARTER 2016

NO PLACE LIKE HOME CONTINUED FROM PAGE 26

“ Housing is such a CRITICAL PART OF THE MIX when it comes to building a THRIVING community.”

and even a homesteader incentive program that contributes up to $3,000 toward a down payment with the aim of increasing owneroccupied homes in St. Cloud’s core neighborhoods. While no approach has emerged as the answer to all of the housing challenges Central Minnesota faces, the Initiative Foundation’s Don Hickman is encouraged to see how many communities are coming together to consider the future of housing. “Housing is such a critical part of the mix when it comes to building a thriving community. It’s in everyone’s interest to take a close look at the trends we know are coming our way,” said Hanson. “We’re at a point where we may not have all of the answers that are going to work for rural Minnesota just yet, but communities are clearly starting to ask the right questions.”

HOUSING HELP If you are a community member or developer:

JON RUIS: “It’s not just about building more affordable apartment units—it’s also about upgrading existing housing stock.”

•G REATER MINNESOTA HOUSING FUND (GMHF) provides financing in the form of loans and grants for affordable housing and community facilities throughout Minnesota, including pre-development and construction loans, 0% permanent gap loans and first mortgages. Through the Minnesota Equity Fund (MEF), a subsidiary, GMHF raises capital from socially motivated investors and provides equity investments to affordable rental housing. (www.gmhf.com) • CENTRAL MINNESOTA HOUSING PARTNERSHIP (cmhp.net) provides education and training for first-time home buyers, administers a rental rehabilitation deferred loan program, provides single-family rehabilitation and develops affordable housing units in cooperation with local communities. • Many communities in Central Minnesota also have their own Housing Rehabilitation Authority (HRA), which may have financing, tax credits or other resources to help increase the value of housing stock.

48 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

Simplifying Lending Flexible solutions for your business and personal needs Business Loans: Micro-lending and Revolving Loan (Gap Financing) Personal Loans: Household Well Water Loans and Individual Septic Treatment System Loans

OUR COMMUNITY, OUR HOME. ANDERSON BROTHERS Family Fund

Sandy Voigt With over seventy five years of fostering community growth, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve become attached to the communities weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve helped build. The Anderson Brothers Family Fund, administered in partnership with the Initiative Foundation, helps strengthen the regional economy, works to preserve the environment, and supports the children and families in central Minnesota. AndersonBrothers.com

Regional Business Specialist

svoigt@regionfive.org 218-894-3233 x2

The mission of the North Central Economic Development Association is to provide industry expertise for community development and lending programs offered or created.

www.regionfive.org

he help you need. T At your place or ours. For more information about our communities and agencies in the Brainerd Lakes and Pine River area, call (218) 820-8975 or visit good-sam.com/brainerdlakes.

All faiths or beliefs are welcome. 13-G0510

1ST QUARTER 2016

home made

Trussworthy Components Pine River, Minn. By Maria Surma Manka

The future can be uncertain for any new company, but Trussworthy Components had it especially tough when it began operations in April 2006: The truss manufacturer was starting up just as the housing market was winding down. President Craig Anderson put it matter-of-factly: “Our timing was bad.” While 25 percent of all truss plants in the nation closed during the recession, Trussworthy Components, which received financing from the Initiative Foundation to purchase equipment, survived and even thrived. In the last 10 years, its revenue has more than quadrupled and its year-round employees have increased from five to 25. “In a way I think the downturn was really good for us,” said Anderson. “We had to learn to scrape by and work really efficiently right from the start. That put us in a good place once the economy started to turn around.” We sat down with Anderson to learn what keeps Trussworthy Components going strong.

CRAIG ANDERSON: ”We had to learn to scrape by and work efficiently right from the start.”

• A truss is made up of several smaller triangles, and the geometry of those triangles makes the entire structure stable. The small metal connector plates are engineered to resist whatever force is at that particular joint in the structure. The higher the force, the larger the plate. • After the lumber is cut according to the design plans, other components, such as metal plates or smaller pieces of lumber, are added. Then the project moves to assembly: On a 100-foot long table, overhead lasers guide workers to where they need to attach the components. •N ext, a gantry machine set upon two tracks acts like a giant rolling pin. Weighing 12,500 pounds, it rotates over the top of the truss and presses the teeth of the metal plates into the wood. Two other rollers finish pressing the teeth from both sides. • Trussworthy provides residential and commercial floor and roof trusses to lumberyards throughout the Upper Midwest. High-end lake homes make up a good portion of its business. The oil boom in North Dakota has increased orders.

50 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

• Trussworthy procures its lumber—mostly a mix of spruce, pine and fir—from several wholesale suppliers in Minnesota and Canada. The lumber is mainly harvested from the western United States, with some pineoriginating from Missouri, Mississippi and Alabama.

• The wood for a project depends on its use. Southern yellow pine, for instance, has a very strong fiber that makes it perfect for roofs that must withstand a heavy snow load.

Comfort Cares With arch support and wood that absorbs moisture, wearers’ feet stay cool and dry. Any Size While Sven does a strong online and storefront business, they also take custom orders. Rivers’ teams of seamstresses and die cutters can make custom shoes that fit near any foot shape or size. “I have the most incredible staff I could imagine,” she said.

• Trussworthy employs both skilled and unskilled workers. Although a construction background is helpful, the company also takes the time to train workers on the use of saws, computers and design software.

• The shop was expanded last year to make room for a new automated linear saw for roof trusses. Compared with the older component saw that used six blades, the new saw uses one blade to accurately cut and label truss parts. •O ne building can have several trusses—even hundreds! Anderson estimates that Trussworthy worked on 1,000 jobs in 2015 and produced around 67,000 trusses.

1ST QUARTER 2016

where’s IQ?

THINK YOU KNOW? Send your best guess to IQ@ifound.org by April 15, 2016. Three winners will be chosen, at random, to receive a $25 GiveMN.org gift code to support the charity of their choice. HINT: Located in the “S’More Capital of Minnesota” and created from metal and fiberglass by artist Josh Porter of Avalon Sculpture. Congratulations to everyone who correctly recognized the statue of Vilhelm Moberg at Vilhelm Moberg Park in Chisago City. The statue is a tribute to Moberg, a Swedish writer, playwright, journalist and social critic and pays tribute to Swedish immigrants. Moberg spent the summer of 1948 in Chisago City and explored the area on bicycle. Karla Hoefler, Pat Menne-Hannigan and Jane Holmberg are the lucky winners of GiveMN.org gift codes.

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