IQ Magazine - Summer 2011 by Initiative Foundation

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IQ Magazine

SUMMER 2011

Contents

ABOUT THE COVER: On June 17, 2010, the Wadena area was devastated by an EF4 tornado. The cover image depicts the community’s one-year journey from its darkest moment to a hopeful recovery.

OUR MISSION:

Unlock the power of central Minnesota people to build and sustain thriving communities. INITIATIVE FOUNDATION STRATEGIC PRIORITIES:

– Resilient Businesses – Thriving Communities – Effective Organizations – Local Philanthropy

D E PA R T M E N T S

F E AT U R E S 18

Twists of Faith A year after a powerful tornado devastated the Wadena area in central Minnesota, the community is taking stock of what went right—and the hard lessons learned.

A Community of Heroes

After Shock

After the Wadena tornado, no one claimed to be a hero. They reserved that title for each other.

Natural disaster survivors often find that the inner road to recovery is more difficult than the physical rebuilding.

Once and Again

44 52

Initiative Foundation Annual Report

Much comes with disaster, including the rare opportunity to rethink and rebuild.

Before & After What can we do now? Who should we call later? A quick reference guide for disaster preparation and response.

Kathy’s Note 4 6.17.10 IQ Points 8 Your Two-Minute Digest Signs of the Times 10 Emergency Generosity In a time of disaster, charitable giving moves as fast as the news cycle. Tip Sheet 14 Kindness Management Without planning and direction, disaster volunteerism can go to waste. 16

An Ounce of Preparation For businesses, basic disaster plans can lead to a swift recovery. And speed is the name of the game.

Brainiac 56 IQ & A Minnesota Homeland Security and Emergency Management director Kris Eide

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This book was an intergenerational, collaborative effort by seventeen students and adult volunteers, with interviews and assistance from countless other residents. Proceeds from the sale of this book will benefit the Long Term Disaster Relief Committee and Wadena County Historical Society.

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A NEW HOME FOR A GROWING FAMILY

Kathy’s Note

6.17.10 What were you doing on June 17, 2010? If you live in the Wadena area, you are likely to remember what you ate for breakfast, your plans for the evening parade, your conversations about the severe weather reports and where you took shelter at 5:02 p.m. In vivid detail, you can also describe the oppressive weight of the greenish atmosphere, the unnerving blasts of warning sirens, the sudden quiet, the devastation, the shock and the fear.

Lakes Area Habitat for Humanity and the Habitat for Humanity ReStore have relocated to 1110 Wright Street in Brainerd (Across from the Brainerd Armory in the old Lindy Manufacturing building)

For some, the calendar still hasn’t passed June 17. At the one-year anniversary of an EF4 tornado that assaulted Wadena and Otter Tail counties, we have chosen to dedicate an entire issue of IQ Magazine to honor the incredible loss and resilience of one community. But we are also repurposing these dramatic stories to convey lessons and advice to other local leaders. I’m proud to say that we can share these lessons because we were there to learn them. Within 24 hours after the tornado, the Initiative Foundation partnered with Wadena area leaders to offer grant support and raise charitable funds through GiveMN.org. Our staff members were at the community meetings, the prayer services and the planning table for recovery and rebuilding. We continue to work side by side with the Wadena area today.

Building Houses, Building Hope in Cass, Crow Wing and Hubbard Counties

Phone: 218-828-8517 info@lakesareahabitat.org www.lakesareahabitat.org

The past year has proven that no city—not even the mighty Minneapolis—is safe from natural disasters like tornadoes, floods and fires. A myriad of recent disasters have also shown that Minnesota is a special place of special people, who often look past personal needs and safety in order to help others. We hope you are inspired by these pages, but we also hope they challenge you to prepare for some future date that you, too, may never forget.

New ReStore Hours: Wed-Fri 9:30am-5:30pm; Sat 9:30am-1:00pm Phone: 218-454-8517

All the best,

Kathy Gaalswyk, President Initiative Foundation Proceeds from the ReStore help Lakes Area Habitat for Humanity build homes with families in need of decent housing.

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P.S. If your central Minnesota community experiences an emergency situation, please remember to contact the Foundation for assistance. That’s why we’re here.

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Skilled medical care for total peace of mind.

Initiative Quarterly Magazine www.IQmag.org Volume 9, Summer 2011

For complete home health services, including skilled medical care, trust the people who’ve been here helping your neighbors since 1984. Remember, there is a difference.

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405 First Street SE Little Falls, MN 56345 320.632.9255 | www.ifound.org

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Published in partnership with Range, IQ Magazine unlocks the power of central Minnesota leaders to understand and take action on regional issues. Printed with Soy-Based Ink on Recycled Paper at Range, Inc.

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Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re ready. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grow!

Expanding Business, Building Community, and Growing Jobs in Crow Wing County.

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Intelligence ❍ While the good intentions and hard work of generous individuals are crucial to any natural disaster recovery effort, managing volunteers can be complicated, especially in a time of crisis. People hear about the tornado and they want to get in their car and help. It’s a huge hindrance if there is not a system in place to handle the flood of people coming. Learn how to manage volunteers responding to a natural disaster on page 14.

❍ Like many here, Wadena mayor Wayne Wolden sees a divine hand at play in seemingly random mercies. But if the citizens of Wadena owe their collective survival to some act of providence, plain old human prudence also played a critical role. To read about the lessons learned from the Wadena tornado, turn to page 18.

❍ Research has found that after a collective disaster like a tornado or a flood, a common emotional pattern emerges. Psychologists point to a “heroic” period, where adrenaline flows freely and helps people meet immediate needs like food, clothing and shelter. Then, after about two months, people may begin to fall apart. Understand more about the emotional toll of natural disasters on page 34.

❍ For both private residences and larger organizations, it’s a good idea to have disaster preparedness kits at the ready. They should be easily accessible and portable, so you can grab them and go to a designated disaster shelter area, or they should be already located in the shelter. Get essential disaster preparedness and response tips and resources on page 52.

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“The needs still exist in Wadena. Our GiveMN site is still up, and we’re still getting donations. That says a lot about Minnesota generosity.”

“Quotations” “When a tornado happens everyone starts asking ‘Where is FEMA?’ We should not be asking that the day after a disaster. They are there to fill a very small gap. Your house is wiped out and you have lost your belongings and the most you will get from FEMA is $30,300. That’s not enough. The programs for communities are much better than the programs for people.” — Kris Eide Director, Homeland Security and Emergency Management

“In community planning of any kind, there are usually a million different ideas and they’re all good. Communities need to have an open process so that every person gets their voice heard. The large group gives input on what the highest priorities should be, and then it’s up to smaller task forces and leaders to bring the ideas to action.” — Dan Frank Program Manager for Community Development, Initiative Foundation

— Matt Kilian Vice President for External Relations, Initiative Foundation “We didn’t do it alone. We had help from across the state, including 38 fire departments and 46 law enforcement agencies. Each day, 300 volunteers came to offer their services.” — Bruce Uselman Wadena Police Chief

“When it came to putting together a plan for rebuilding, Wadena had three core principles from the start: Collaboration, openness and accountability.” — Don Niles Wadena 2.0 Steering Committee Chairman

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Signs of the Times

Emergency Generosity In a time of disaster, charitable giving moves as fast as the news cycle. By Tyra Novic Wahman | Photograph by John Linn

he images flood our television screens, websites and newspapers: displaced families canoeing down flooded suburban streets; schools reduced to rubble by torCRUCIAL CONNECTIONS: Diane Leaders’ contacts from being the family nadoes and hurricanes; lines of traumatized children waitservices director for the Otter-Tail Wadena Community Action Council ing to be fed at emergency shelters. allowed her to solicit immediate help for Wadena residents. The viewer wants to help. Fortunately, the news media also understand that these scenes inspire us to take action. That’s why phone numbers, websites and texting instructions scroll across the communities are struggling to feed and house their residents. And screen and are given prominent placement in articles. Within most small towns aren’t set up for the instant gratification that donors moments, generous people and businesses can make charitable gifts expect today. Many, according to Kilian, often rely on a local bank to that provide immediate relief. It’s the power of the digital age that step forward and manage funds for relief efforts. Unfortunately, that broadens the borders of a caring community. approach requires people to write a “We feel we're every bit the first check, address an envelope, lick a stamp responders as EMTs or police,” said and find a mailbox. John Bodette, the executive editor of the When disaster strikes, many That’s often too labor-intensive for St. Cloud Times. “But instead of loading government officials don’t a society that’s grown accustomed to people into ambulances or running into making major purchases—not to menburning buildings, our job is to provide immediately know how to set tion texting a $10 gift to Haiti—without people with information they need to up a charitable relief fund. leaving their easy-chairs. cope or to help.” To help the Wadena community, When a disaster strikes, many govthe Initiative Foundation teamed up ernment officials don’t immediately with GiveMN.org, a nonprofit giving portal for Minnesota charities, think about or know how to establish a charitable relief fund to help to establish a tornado relief fund and provide donors with an opporlocal victims. Facilitating donations should be among their top priortunity to make donations right away. The collaboration also allowed ities, according to Matt Kilian, Initiative Foundation vice president for the Initiative Foundation to conduct a matching program with external relations, “Natural disasters are not local tragedies anymore,” Minnesota Power and the West Central Initiative. It took just three he said. “They are state and national tragedies. People from thousands days for the first $17,000 in contributions to be matched dollar for of miles away, some who have local ties and some who don’t, are dollar by the three partners. inspired to help in that golden moment. If sending that donation isn’t “In total, we helped the community raise about $340,000 for toreasy, the motivation to give quickly fades into a good intention.” nado relief, and later, for tree replanting,” said Kilian. “We didn’t Making effective fundraising a priority can be a challenge when

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HOW TO REMOVE BARRIERS

to Disaster Relief Giving

FORM A FUND

SPREAD THE WORD

Immediately after a natural disaster, contact a local community foundation or other experienced charity that can host a disaster relief fund and accept taxdeductible gifts. Make sure the organization can accept online donations through a giving portal like GiveMN.org.

Communicate how-to-give information in every news release and interview. Ask media outlets to include the giving information at the end of news stories. Send giving links and community needs through e-mails and social media sites like Facebook and Twitter that allow people to share with others.

PROVIDE MATCH INCENTIVES Ask larger donors to consider sponsoring a giving challenge in which smaller donations are matched dollar for dollar. This provides an extra incentive for people to contribute immediately and leverage their gift. It also provides positive buzz for the sponsor.

Establish a volunteer committee to prioritize needs and distribute funds. Ensure that there are no conflicts of interest and that funds are distributed in a timely manner. Communicate funding decisions transparently and immediately through websites and news releases. Donors need to trust that their money is helping people in need. And never miss an opportunity to say thank you. Source: Initiative Foundation

Photo courtesy of Wadena Pioneer Journal

employ a lot of fancy or sophisticated marketing campaigns. We simply did our best to act quickly, make giving easy and share the information with the news media, which were already covering the story. One e-mail or Facebook post led to another.” Kilian said that the Initiative Foundation will partner with GiveMN.org to host disaster relief funds for any central Minnesota community that is impacted by a natural disaster. The Foundation also helps with community planning and grants for recovery and rebuilding. The connection between donors and victims was evident to Diane Leaders, family services director for Otter Tail-Wadena Community Action Council. In the aftermath of the Wadena tornado, Leaders’ cell phone rang every few minutes with calls from people who needed shelter. Because Leaders’ work with the Community Action Council involves raising funds to help people with housing issues, she was able to solicit immediate help for Wadena people by leveraging her contacts. “It had to do with the connections we had in place before the tornado,” she said. Those connections can also make a difference in the months and years after a community has been hit by a natural disaster. In her work as the communications marketing officer of the American Red Cross in the Twin Cities, Carrie Carlson-Guest works to keep circulating news stories that may pique a donor’s interest. The humanitarian organization’s blog profiles clients and volunteers who continue to help those in need long after the first responders have left. “We get that information out through various media outlets and keep the story alive,” she said. Follow-up is key to successful fundraising in the wake of a nat-

DEPLOY THE FUNDS

LEMONS INTO LEMONADE: Eric and Emily Carlson, the grandchildren of Dale and Liz Miller of Wadena, enlisted the help of other Two Harbors kids in a lemonade stand fundraiser that pulled in $1,856.62 for Wadena tornado relief.

ural disaster. The Red Cross distributes periodic stewardship reports to thank fundraisers and makes sure to let donors know how their money is helping those in need. In all their communications, they emphasize that the disaster is not over when the news cycle is. Anniversaries, according to Carlson-Guest, are particularly effective times to remind donors of a community’s ongoing needs. “The needs still exist in Wadena, even a year later,” Kilian added. “For all the positivity about the future, there is a lot of uncertainty, pain and loss for many people. Our GiveMN site is still up, and we’re still getting donations. That says a lot about Minnesota generosity.” EDITOR’S NOTE: IQ readers who are interested in supporting the Wadena tornado recovery and rebuilding effort may visit www.givemn.org/story/Wadena-Tornado-Relief-Fund. IQ

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The

B usiness DOCTOR A community-driven, university-assisted partnership to create a plan that integrates housing, transportation, land use, and economic development. The process develops strategies to provide opportunities for the region and improve the quality of life for all residents in Cass, Crow Wing, Morrison, Todd, and Wadena counties. Championing regional resilience in economic and environmental vitality. Schedule for the 2 year project round 1.................... December 13, 2011 round 2 .............................. may 8, 2012 round 3 .......................... June 12, 2012 final meeting ................ august 14, 2012 collage of Sustainability Symposium ..................october 13, 2011 F o r m o r e i n F o r m aT i o n

www. i ncommons. or g or www. r egi onf i ve. or g The work that provided the basis for this publication was supported by funding under an award with the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development. The substance and findings of the work are dedicated to the public. The author and publisher are solely responsible for the accuracy of the statements and interpretations contained in this publication. Such interpretations do not necessarily reflect the views of the Government.

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Tip Sheet

Kindness Management Without planning and direction, disaster volunteerism can go to waste. By Rachel Reabe Nystrom | Photography by John Linn

ast June, Duane Hanson was planting parsnips at his home 40 miles west of Wadena when his Lutheran bishop put out a call for volunteers to help Otter Tail County communities devastated by tornadoes. He alerted his men’s group from Zion Lutheran of Amor in Battle Creek. The next day—just two days after the tornados exacted their toll—40 men armed with chain saws, skid steers and tractors reported for duty in Wadena. Over the past decade, the group of retired men, some in their 80s, have responded to hurricanes, floods and tornadoes across the country. “We do it because we can,” said Lowell Wilcox, a retired teacher. “Our motto is ‘God’s work, our hands.’” Del Moen, a Lutheran pastor of three local congregations, said the group arrived with big hearts and huge spirits. “They mean serious business and take on big tasks,” he said. “One of the farmers had two miles of fence line to get clear with trees down every inch of the way. These guys cut a 10-foot corridor through huge trees in short order. They accomplished amazing things.” They were not alone. In the last year, nearly 4,000 volunteers helped put the community of Wadena back together. They came in cars and buses from across the upper Midwest and beyond. While the good intentions and hard work of generous individuals are crucial to any natural disaster recovery effort, managing volunteers can be complicated, especially in a time of crisis. “People hear about the tornado and they want to get in their car and help,” said Seth Gardner, past president of Minnesota Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD). “It’s a huge hindrance if there is not a system in place to handle the flood of people coming.” Wadena moved quickly to set up a volunteer center in an empty building on the edge of town. Staffed by the sheriff ’s department, volunteers checked in and were assigned duties, according to Tanya Nelson, volunteer coordinator for the Wadena Ottertail Long Term Recovery Committee. “First we have to identify the projects and match them with the volunteers’ skills,” she said. “We have to make sure the site is ready and the materials are there so they can get to work quickly.” Some volunteers need to be housed and fed and all of them have to

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GOOD WORKS: Replacing thousands of lost trees has been a lesson in the rewards of volunteering for a group of Minnesota Boy Scouts.

fill out paperwork, which is required for tracking, liability and federal reimbursement for the community. A single volunteer checkpoint seemed to make sense—until it was overwhelmed by hundreds of eager workers. “We had people standing in line for hours to register and others left because they weren’t put to work right away,” said David Evert, a Wadena businessman who helped manage volunteers. “We should have set up several checkpoints across the disaster area to process volunteers. We want the volunteers to have a positive, productive experience so they will want to do it again and again.” Although the recovery effort was managed locally, the community took advantage of national emergency relief organizations. Within a day, the Salvation Army set up a kitchen in Wadena to provide food and water. The Red Cross arranged for housing for the suddenly homeless as well as the volunteers. Their work made a crucial difference to Jim and Sandy Maloney. On the day of the tornado, their soybeans were already a foot tall in the rich black fields of their farm in rural Wadena. The Chinese elm trees lining the long driveway were blooming and the sweet smell of lilacs filled the air. The tornado decimated their 100-year-old farm. “Our house had moved off the foundation, two silos were down and the top half of the barn was gone. So were the shop and garage,” said Sandy. “Our trees stood there like skeletons with the bark stripped right off.” Within a half hour, friends and neighbors showed up asking what they could do to help. “It’s overwhelming, the kindness of people,” said Sandy. “By Saturday (two days after the tornado) we had 70 people

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SERIOUS BUSINESS: Wadena mayor Wayne Wolden (left) works with one of the 4,000 volunteers who helped put the community back together.

here. I don’t know who they were or how they heard about it.” Jim Maloney put them to work cleaning hundreds of acres of debris while Sandy’s friends and relatives helped her salvage what they could in the house. “It’s so overwhelming you can’t even think straight,” Sandy said. Over the next weeks and months, hundreds of volunteers worked with the Maloneys to rebuild their farm. “We could not have done it without them,” she said. “They came back day after day and helped us keep going. What they really gave us was hope.” That hope continues to grow. Last summer’s tornadoes not only destroyed houses and businesses, they decimated the landscape. Some 10,000 trees were uprooted in the storm, according to Molly Costin with the Wadena Soil and Water district. “Wadena had beautiful, mature trees that provided a habitat for birds and animals as well as noise buffering,” she said. Replacing those trees has been a lesson in the rewards of volunteering for a group of local Boy Scouts, who planted thousands of young trees purchased by donations to the Wadena Area Tree Replant Project. “It was an incredible project for TANYA NELSON: “We are grateful for our boys,” said Wade volunteers who understand that long-term Bastian with the Central recovery is long term. Minnesota Council of Boy Scouts of America. “One group took pictures of the homeowner with his new trees and plans to stop on the way to camp this summer to check up on both.” The recovery effort in Wadena is expected to take several more years and the need for volunteers continues. “We are grateful for volunteers who understand that long-term recovery is long term,” said Nelson. “We need their rebuilding skills now, a year after the disaster, when things are safe and secure and people can take a breath.” IQ

Helping the Hands

tips

for managing volunteers after a natural disaster.

COMMUNICATE Provide a clear and consistent public message about when and where volunteers are needed and how they can sign up. Designate a public information officer to distribute current information to the media.

REGISTER Keep track of volunteers by registering them at a single site. In addition to name, contact information and a sign in/sign out log, you need to know where they are and what they are doing.

SUPERVISE To be safe and effective, volunteers need adequate supervision. After identifying work projects, assign team leaders to groups of volunteers and monitor their progress.

ORGANIZE Provide clear instructions for each work project. Have the materials and tools needed on site.

SUPPORT Arrange food and water for volunteers as well as transportation to the site so they can concentrate on the work assignment. Find out in advance if they require additional support such as housing.

Tips courtesy of Seth Gardner, a veteran of 53 disaster recovery efforts across the country and past president of Minnesota VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster). Gardner currently volunteers with NECHAMA, the Jewish community’s disaster response organization.

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Tip Sheet

An Ounce of Preparation For businesses, basic disaster plans can lead to a swift recovery. And speed is the name of the game. By Lawrence Schumacher | Photograph by John Linn

ife still hasn’t returned to normal for Harry Merickel. A partner in two Wadena businesses affected by the 2010 tornado—Merickel Lumber and Express Central Wholesale Plumbing and Heating—he’s had to work long hours to win back business lost to the storm. “You lose your relationship with your customers,” said Merickel. “They have to go elsewhere to get their products and they don’t always come back.” Most businesses damaged in the Wadena tornado had to quickly figure out how to pick up the pieces and reopen to the public before customers found new vendors, said Dean Uselman, executive director of Wadena Development and the city’s Planning & Zoning Department. A total of 22 businesses sustained significant damage from the tor-

BACK TO WORK: Wadena business owner Harry Merickel (left) with Dean Uselman, executive director of Wadena Development/Planning & Zoning Department.

nado, with most businesses reopening their doors within a week. A few—the totally destroyed Wadena Inn and Leaf River Ag Service among them—reopened in the winter after moving to new locations. The Initiative Foundation administered a $150,000 emergency loan fund in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) and the Blandin Foundation to help Wadena business owners repair and reopen following the tornado. “The emergency loan fund was very helpful to several businesses,” said Uselman. “It made the difference between staying in business or not for several companies.” IQ

Beyond financial assistance, there were steps many Wadena businesses took before and after the tornado that allowed them to get back to business. Here are some of the tips FEMA and other experts recommend to help minimize the disruption to a business damaged by any natural disaster: • Keep a master list of emergency documents including insurance coverage, financial records, equipment and inventory, employee information, customer and vendor lists. • Store one copy of those crucial documents in a waterproof, fireproof, portable container and another off-site. • Create a crisis communications plan with an eye toward

16 Initiative Quarterly Magazine

communicating with customers, vendors, employees, the public and government.

operation plan” for serving customers if your facility is not available.

• Review insurance policies on a regular basis with an eye toward physical losses, flood coverage and business interruption.

• Keep an eye on suitable vacant industrial and commercial buildings and real estate contact information.

• Contact FEMA, the Small Business Administration or the Farm Service Agency following a disaster to learn more about low-interest business disaster loan options.

• Establish a plan for paying employees and vendors during a disruption.

• Keep first aid kits on hand and have an emergency response and evacuation plan in place. Practicing that plan helps business owners

For more information on disaster preparation tips and recovery assistance programs, see www.minnesotarecovers.org.

• Prepare a “continuity of

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minimize employee injury.

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The Region Five Development Commission has partnered with Cass, Morrison, Todd, and Wadena counties to develop their County Hazard Mitigation Plans. Crow Wing Countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plan is currently underway. The plans contain historical hazard information and a series of mitigation measures. These goals and strategies will ensure that the impacts of hazards in these areas are reduced or eliminated. FEMA requires and pays for this planning for some jurisdictions and R5DC has completed Hazard Mitigation planning for the five counties we serve.

If cities or tribes would like to complete this planning, contact:

TAD ERICKSON Community and Economic Development Planner terickson@regionfive.org 218.894.3233, ext. 24

Future focus will include accessing implementation funding for the communities we assist with the planning.

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By Mike Mosedale | Photography by John Linn and Wadena Pioneer Journal

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A year after a powerful tornado devastated Wadena and Otter Tail counties in central Minnesota, the community is taking stock of what went right—and the hard lessons learned. As he piloted his pickup truck through the familiar streets of southwest Wadena, just a few blocks from the century-old farmhouse where he lives with his family, Mayor Wayne Wolden gestured broadly. “This is Tyvek Town,” he said. That’s the favored turn of phrase for the Wadena neighborhood that has the most visible Tyvek, the ubiquitous brand of plastic house wrap that is often left exposed during construction or remodeling. The din of carpentry filled the air. A steady parade of work trucks rumbled down shadeless residential streets. It almost felt as if this north central Minnesota city of 4,000 had somehow gone back in time and landed smack in the middle of the great American housing bubble, back when everyone was swinging a hammer. Sadly, that’s not the reality. “Right now, it’s difficult to find housing in this town,” Wolden said. He admitted that all the construction has been a boost to the local economy. But while Wadena may be enjoying a stimulus effect from all the bustle of the hard hats, it came at a brutal price. For Wolden, and virtually everyone else who lives in Wadena or parts of nearby Otter Tail County, June 17, 2010 is a day writ large in memory. June 17 produced the biggest one-day outbreak of tornadoes—48—in Minnesota history. The most destructive of those tornadoes—an EF4 twister a mile wide and packing 170 miles per hour winds—called on Wadena. It entered near the future Tyvek Town, or the southwest corner of Wadena, where it devastated the once grand canopy of old oaks. It ripped off roofs, flattened houses and wrecked a senior apartment complex. It then blew north into the town cemetery, toppling hundreds of granite headstones. Some of the headstones left marks as they were dragged across the lawn, others cracked. One, Wolden said, simply vanished. From there, the tornado veered toward the WadenaDeer Creek High School. The roof was blown off, rendering the building a total loss and exacting the disaster’s biggest toll in dollar terms. But the damage to both private and public property was widespread in both the southwest and northwest parts of the city and in the farm country of neighboring Otter Tail County. At the former site of the Leaf River Ag Services (a fertilizer co-op that recently relocated on land donated by the city), Wolden studied a cement-lined vault that sits in a mostly blank field. “They leave that there for a reason,” he explained. Just before the twister leveled the co-op, five employees sought shelter in the vault. “It saved their lives.”

Random Mercies and Proper Planning As astonishing as all the carnage of that day was, something even more remarkable happened on June 17, 2010 in Wadena: No one died. SUMMER 11

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LOST AND FOUND: Wadena Mayor Wayne Wolden holds a photo of his son that was recovered in a field miles away from town.

The sirens were critical . . . blaring 36 minutes before the tornado hit town, residents had ample time to head for a basement or, at the very least, seek some sort of cover.

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The mayor still can’t believe that none of the storage tanks holding highly flammable anhydrous ammonia blew up or that the city’s water tower wasn’t toppled. And he is thankful that the tornado spared the city’s picturesque main drag, with its art deco movie house and old brick storefronts. Like many here, Wolden sees a divine hand at play in these seemingly random mercies. But if the citizens of Wadena owe their collective survival to some act of providence, plain old human prudence also played a critical role. At about 3:30 in the afternoon of June 17, about 90 minutes before the calamity struck, Wolden convened an emergency meeting with Monty Johnson, the dean at the Minnesota State Community and Technical College at Wadena, police chief Bruce Uselman and Chamber of Commerce executive director Shirley Uselman. It was the weekend of the big Wadena-Deer Creek All-School Reunion and a parade was in the works. The previous year, hail and rain ruined the same summer Jubilee. With severe weather again in the forecasts, the four officials got together to settle on a course of action. During the discussion, Wolden recalled, a call came over the chief ’s radio. A tornado warning had just been issued. All agreed the parade ought to be cancelled. It was a decision Wolden thinks saved lives. While the tornado struck a little after 5 p.m., and the parade wasn’t scheduled to begin until 7 p.m., floats and parade participants would have begun lining up much earlier—right in the storm’s bull’s-eye. The sirens were critical, too. Blaring 36 minutes before the tornado hit town, residents had ample time to head for a basement or, at the very least, seek some sort of cover. One woman survived, Wolden said, because she crawled under a sturdy china hutch. The big test for both the citizenry and city leaders came in the aftermath of the tornado. Much of the response was textbook perfect. By 7 p.m., ten different fire departments from neighboring communities had arrived to assist.

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An emergency command center was established at the Wadena County Sheriff ’s office, which, fortuitously, is located in downtown Wadena. A curfew and security perimeters were imposed in the hardest hit parts of town, which prevented any serious looting and kept residents safe from hazards such as leaking gas lines and downed utility lines. In the final count, according to the mayor, representatives of 46 different local, state and federal agencies (including 38 outside fire departments) ultimately assisted the stricken city. David Evert, a member of the Wadena Otter Tail Long-Term Recovery Committee, was impressed by the collaborations he witnessed. “In the two or three weeks following the tornado, the leadership that was provided by the department heads of the city of Wadena and the county of Wadena, and the willingness of their counterparts to follow the lead, was seamless,” he said. “It was choreographed like the finest ballet you can imagine.”

SHATTERED: An estimated 234 homes were damaged by the tornado. Many homeowners found themselves at odds with their insurance companies.

Room for Improvement Still, Evert and others acknowledged, there is always room for improvement. One example: With the widespread loss of cell phone service, dispatch lines jammed by high traffic and incompatible radio frequencies, communications were sometimes problematic, even between public agencies. In post-tornado discussions, city officials learned that for ten dollars a month, the city could have purchased phone cards that would have provided them with priority access to any functioning cell tower. Another challenge: the failure to efficiently coordinate the more than 3,000 volunteers who came in the early weeks to assist in the cleanup. Because many areas of the city remained hazardous, some volunteers were left to sit on their hands. (For more on how to coordinate volunteers after a disaster, turn to page 14.) Not all relief agencies shared the data they collected from storm victims, forcing some of those victims to repeatedly provide their personal information. And while public officials were quick to

DAVID EVERT: “The leadership that was provided by the department heads of the City of Wadena and the County of Wadena was seamless.”

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recognize the extent of the damage in Wadena— you couldn’t miss it—they were slower to see the havoc twisters caused in the more remote farm country in neighboring Ottertail County. Part of that had to do with the stoicism or pride that kept some farmers from asking for help, said Wendy Molstad, the caseworker for Wadena Otter Tail Recovery Committee. “There were a lot of people that had never signed up for any sort of assistance before.” In her job, Molstad meets with storm victims who suffered damages and formulates lists of “unmet needs” for the committee. In a blind process designed to ensure privacy and fairness, the 20-odd member committee votes on dispersal of funds, awarding up to $5,000 per family. Molstad enters the cases into a spreadsheet, with a dollar value assigned for each client’s “unmet needs.” Eleven months after the tornado, the total tally stood at $872,478. The case narratives read like a chapbook of disaster haikus:

Representatives of 46 different local, state and federal agencies ultimately assisted the stricken city.

“stump removal, inventory of house, ok for now, waiting on insurance” “lost all my personal belongings from my apartment” “doing very well, better than our neighbors” “don’t live here but car was totaled at high school reunion” “unemployed after tornado, couldn’t keep job due to stress, difficulty with bills”

Insurance Woes Molstad said the most common problems she encounters during her work with storm victims are related to insurance. Many clients are underinsured, while others, especially renters and lowincome residents, have no insurance at all. “A lot of people think they don’t need renter’s insurance, but if your building is wiped out, you have to start from scratch,” said Molstad. After the tornado, many homeowners found

TOP DOWN: The roof was blown off the Wadena-Deer Creek High School, rendering the building a total loss and exacting the disaster’s biggest toll in dollar terms.

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the

Initiative Foundation Response In central Minnesota, the Initiative Foundation invests nonprofit grants, business financing and citizen leadership programs to build thriving communities and a strong regional economy. Within 24 hours after Wadena’s tornado, the foundation deployed of all of its tools and partnerships to help. “on June 18th, one of the most reassuring phone calls I received was from Kathy Gaalswyk, the foundation’s president,” said Wadena Mayor Wayne Wolden. “they were there for Wadena in the good times, and I knew they’d be there for us in that moment as well.” Here's how the Initiative Foundation helped:

establIshed the Wadena toRnado RelIeF Fund

in partnership with GiveMN.org, Minnesota power and West Central Initiative. helped to raise a total of $118,626 for family recovery needs with no fees to donors or the community.

establIshed the Wadena toRnado loan Fund

in par tnership with the blandin Foundation, Minnesota department of employment & economic development, and City of Wadena. awarded three no-interest loans totaling $150,000 to help local businesses recover quickly.

establIshed the Wadena aRea tRee Replant Fund

in par tnership with GiveMN.org, Wadena soil & Water Conservation district, City of Wadena, and the boy scouts of america. helped to raise a total of $69,889 to replant 10,000 shade trees destroyed by the tornado.

helped Wadena plan FoR sMaRt RebuIldInG.

partnered with the Minnesota design team (a volunteer task force of city planners, architects and designers) to engage leaders and citizens in rethinking the devastated commercial and residential areas. built upon existing relationships and plans through the foundation’s healthy Communities partnership and Wadena County early Childhood Coalition. provided follow-up grants and hundreds of staff hours. For community and economic planning support or disaster-related assistance, contact the Initiative Foundation at 877-632-9255 or www.ifound.org. Source: Initiative Foundation

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themselves at odds with insurance carriers. Molstad referred those dissatisfied clients to the Department of Commerce, which regulates the insurance industry. But, she said, most would have been better off had they known the particulars of their policies before disaster struck. Because FEMA declared the tornado a public disaster, the city of Wadena qualified for ample federal assistance. But FEMA did not declare a disaster for individuals, meaning private citizens could not access federal aid. It’s not an unusual occurrence; most recently repeated after the May 22 tornado that devastated north Minneapolis. Some of those hardest hit were people like Don Goeden, who operates a 1,000-acre beef and crop farm in Otter Tail County, between Wadena and Deer Creek. Now 55, Goeden bought his place in the early 1980s, at an 18 percent interest rate. In addition to farming, he worked at John Deere for two decades and, later, ran a large-equipment repair shop on his farm. Having finally shucked off his debts, Goeden said he was looking forward to a more relaxed work life. “No way on God’s green earth did I believe I’d get hit,” he said. When the sky turned the color of a bruised ankle, Goeden headed for the basement below his trailer. He heard the rain and then the window glass popping. Suspecting it was hail, he started worrying about his crops. Then he heard that stereotypical locomotive roar. Very quickly, he says, it was all over. “The house was blown apart. That didn’t bother me too much. Then I saw all my beautiful shade trees, 150 mature oaks, all laying flat,” Goeden said. He remembers feeling sickened at that sight. When he surveyed the damage, he found that his crops, still young, survived the winds. The farmstead, however, was a disaster. His big barn was gone, along with his hay shed and grain bins. Goeden had paid his insurance premiums to a township mutual and kept his policies at the

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maximum allowed. But after the tornado, he called about his coverage and was shocked to learn that his policy wouldn’t pay anything close to replacement value, only the assessed value. His outbuildings were functional, but they were older structures and therefore depreciated. His home was a trailer and, therefore, insured as personal property. In the end, Goeden said he received a $22,000 payout—a virtual pittance compared to the approximately $200,000 he has since borrowed on a 30 year loan to rebuild. It has been an embittering experience—and most of his bile is directed toward his insurer. Goeden has no interest in spending money on lawyers. “The insurance company paid the limits of what the buildings were insured at,” he said. “Any court would say, ‘This is your policy. This is what you agreed to.’ I’ve worked goddamn hard and now I’ve lost everything and my insurance company don’t do squat for me. Sometimes this thing gets a hold of me and I just get unglued. Now I get to work another 50 years.” But like just about everyone affected by the storm, Goeden was also touched by the kindness he encountered in the storm’s aftermath, particularly from the volunteers who helped clear his farm of debris. “The people who helped me most were complete strangers. People from St. Cloud, Minneapolis, a group of six Baptists traveling the country,” Goeden said. “They were a godsend.” That’s a sentiment amplified by Pastor Del Moen, the chair of the Long Term Recovery Committee. He was inspired by the neighborly spirit from people who weren’t necessarily neighbors, such as the parishioners from the People’s Church in Bemidji “who didn’t have a dime but came by the van load” and the Buddhist group that donated $72,000 to relief with no strings attached. “In this town, we’ve got 14 churches and half of them never talked to each other,” Moen said. “Now we’ve got them working together.” IQ

PASTOR DEL MOEN:“In this town, we’ve got 14 churches and half of them never talked to each other. Now we’ve got them working together.”

HOCKEY HOMELESS: The roof at the ice arena "crumpled like aluminum foil,” according to Wadena Mayor Wayne Wolden.

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As astonishing as all the carnage of that day was, something even more remarkable happened on June 17, 2010 in Wadena: No oNe died. 26 Initiative Quarterly Magazine

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By Sarah Colburn Photography by John Linn

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mariah wood lifeguard Sixteen-year-old Mariah Wood watched over seven children at the Wadena outdoor pool with fellow lifeguards, Emily Fuhrman, Neil Janson, Keeley Timm and Hannah Toedter. Trusting instinct over protocol, one snap decision may have saved them all. Take us through the moments before the tornado. A mother came to the pool and said we were under a tornado warning. We blew the whistles, got the kids out and called everyone’s parents to come and get them. The evacuation spot was the maintenance building outside. I didn’t feel comfortable going there, and I knew my house was right across the street. I could hear it raining, and then we heard the sirens go off. I called my mom and told her there were seven of us crammed in this little closet and it didn’t feel safe. We locked up the building and ran to my house. By the time we got to my yard, we were drenched and the sky had this eerie green to it. I dropped my stuff at the front door, and we ran downstairs. The power went out, and the phone went dead. My mom came over to us, held a blanket over the girls and covered them with her body. Our ears were popping, and we just heard this big loud roaring around us. My mom was yelling and praying. What was the scene outside? It was really still, but we saw this light shining down the steps. My mom walked over and went up the stairs. We had an attached garage and it had been just taken away. We ran up there and looked at the school. The community center roof was on top of it. The maintenance building was like a pile of LEGOs. If we had gone there like we were supposed to, we wouldn't have made it out. How has this experience changed you? I’ve learned that you have to trust your gut instincts and know when God is speaking to you and through you in situations. I wasn’t supposed to work that day, and nobody else’s house is as close as mine. I don’t know where they would have gone. I’ve also learned to be grateful for what I have. Our lives can’t be replaced.

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“I’ve learned that you have to trust your gut instincts and know when God is speaking to you and through you in situations.”

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fr. donald wagner st. ann’s catholic church Wagner turned St. Ann’s Catholic Church into a command central for emergency responders—including the American Red Cross, The Salvation Army and emergency medical technicians, and leaders from other churches— all the while driving back and forth from the hospital to support people who were hurt in the tornado. Throughout, he continued to minister to the traumastricken members of his two parish communities—St. Ann’s in Wadena and St. John the Baptist in Bluffton— while keeping up with his normal workload of preparing homilies, counseling engaged couples and hosting a funeral and funeral luncheon that temporarily displaced the emergency crews who occupied the building. What did the tornado teach you about yourself? You can’t offer everything. Recognize what you can offer and do it. I realized in my position, I was really needed most to do my role in the hospital where I prayed with the injured. I needed to be available for counseling and I needed to be available to minister to people rather than working hands-on at a particular home. How did you get through those days? I went to a diocesan gathering of priests and was able to get the support of the brother priests. And I received emails from family and friends that were very uplifting. One lady emailed and said, “This morning when I went to mass I prayed for St. Ann’s, the community and you. You probably don’t know who I am, but I saw it on the news and felt like you might need to hear from people.” Those grace moments really help you out when you are exhausted. One unforgettable moment . . . I went out to my Bluffton parish, St. John the Baptist. On the way, I stopped at a farm of a parishioner and I couldn’t even recognize that it was their place because it was so obliterated. I turned into the driveway and some of the kids had posted a sign on a tree that’d had the bark stripped off in the tornado. The sign said, “God bless this mess.”

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“You can’t offer everything. Recognize what you can offer and do it.”

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unified command team wadena From the earliest sign that a storm was on the way, first responders and officers from all over Wadena and Otter Tail Counties sprang into action. Their efforts were successful in no small part to Wadena’s unified command team, who not only sounded the first alarm, but also coordinated with other community leaders to make sure people were getting the help they needed. Police Chief Bruce Uselman talked to IQ about the crucial role teamwork played before, during and after the tornado. When did you realize the situation was serious? By 2 or 3 p.m., the weather spotters were out. The National Weather Service was getting reports of a tornado spotted eight miles west of Wadena, then southwest. At 5 p.m. the sirens were blowing in Wadena. West of town I could see the debris flying through the air. Power lines down, trees blocking the streets, insulation every place, people out on their front lawns in shock. First responders and officers began responding immediately from their homes. We had officers not knowing if their own homes were destroyed, officers who became sick [from the stress and working conditions]. Some weren’t able to function. What’s your advice for other emergency responders? Develop and maintain your relationships with your counterparts. Know your emergency action plan. If you work well together in a small incident, you’ll work well together in a major incident. We value each other more in local government now. We’ve developed those relationships and the community as a whole responded and got to know one another, too. We didn’t do it alone. We had help from across the state, including 38 fire departments and 46 law enforcement agencies. Each day, 300 volunteers came to offer their services. How did you support each other? Sometimes we literally held each other up as someone would go into shock. We needed that regardless of how strong we were. We began to recognize when and how to give people breaks. As we dealt with emergencies, we tried to stay a step ahead and anticipate what the next problem might be. You tap into all those years of experience of responding.

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“Sometimes we literally held each other up as someone would go into shock.”

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TEAM PLAYERS: (Left to right) Mike Carr Jr., Wadena County Sheriff; Dean Uselman, City of Wadena Fire Chief; Bill Cross, Wadena County Chief Deputy; Tom Crawford, City of Wadena Police Department Sergeant; Bruce Uselman, City of Wadena Police Department Chief

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The Cronk family was among those who experienced emotional trauma after the Wadena tornado.

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By Martha Coventry | Photography by John Linn

The Inner Road to Recovery When the roaring winds stop and the ground swallows the last puddles of murky water. When the debris is piled up and hauled away on the same road the volunteers and news cameras traveled out of town. When all is scarred and silent, that’s when the most personal level of healing begins.

When Wadena, Minnesota, celebrated the resiliency of its community on June 17, 2011, one year after an EF4 tornado ripped through the west side of town, the Johnson family wasn’t there. Monty, Linda and two of their three children were several hundred miles away on vacation. “We had to get out of here,” Linda said. “We are reminded of the tornado every single day. Our family just needed time away from the whole subject.” A year later, talking of the tornado can bring Linda to tears. On that June day, a few minutes before 5 p.m., a colleague of Monty’s called him on his cell phone. He was on his way to Fergus Falls and spotted a huge funnel cloud heading toward Wadena. Get your family into the basement now, he urged Monty. Just as Linda, Monty, and their 12-year-old daughter hit the last stair, the power hook-up exploded off the side of their house. They dove under a table and held on to each other as the tornado battered their neighborhood. “We were screaming through the whole thing,” Linda said. “Our ears were popping, and trees and pieces of other people’s houses were crashing into our house.”

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It was hard for the Johnson family to eat or sleep. That summer in Wadena, there were 11 more tornado warnings, each one bringing fear right to the surface.

When they came up from the basement, they found glass shards sticking out of walls and furniture. A bench from the basketball court across the street was impaled in their refrigerator. Tree limbs and branches littered the inside of the house. Their leafy, pleasant neighborhood had been destroyed. Monty, the dean of Academics and Student Services at Minnesota State Community and Technical College-Wadena, discovered that the tornado had seriously damaged the college and demolished the high school. Linda and Monty worked to exhaustion every day for weeks as they tried to put things back together at home and work. It was hard for them to eat or sleep. They had good friends by their side, but the trauma of loss ran deep. They moved three times in five months and their daughter just kept saying she wanted to “go home.” That summer in Wadena, there were 11 more tornado warnings, each one bringing fear right to the surface. The strain was enormous. “I’m not over the stress yet, but I’m getting there,” Linda said. “I didn’t seek professional help but I probably should have. I just prayed for strength an awful lot.” Nightmares 36 Initiative Quarterly Magazine

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tormented their daughter for months after the tornado. Storms continue to make her anxious. A year after the tornado, Monty wondered if he had yet to feel its real emotional impact. “I’ve been so focused on what has to get done at the college, that I wonder what will happen when things slow up a little,” he said. “What emotions are going to come out? Or have I coped with them already? I don’t know. I’ve never dealt with anything of this magnitude before.”

Suffering in Silence Each person’s reaction to trauma is his or her own, yet research has found that after a collective disaster like a tornado or a flood, a common emotional pattern emerges. Psychologists point to a “heroic” period, where adrenaline flows freely and helps people meet immediate needs like food, clothing and shelter. Then, after about two months, people may begin—or allow themselves—to fall apart. That falling apart can last for months, and truly recovering from a disaster can take three to six years. Or longer. Wendy Molstad is the case manager for Wadena Otter Tail Long-Term Recovery

(WOTLR). Molstad gets two to three new requests for assistance each week from those hard hit by the tornado. Sometimes that means finding housing, paying for heating oil, or lending money for repairs until the insurance check arrives. For her, meeting practical needs is far easier than helping people face post-tornado emotional damage. The barriers to seeking help are similar to those in small towns all across America. People are proud, it goes against their notion of self-reliance, and it can carry the stigma of mental illness. They also tend to downplay their problems in the face of greater suffering elsewhere. “When it comes to counseling, most people here won’t seek it,” said Molstad. “It is too big a hurdle for them.”

Staying the Course But the need for some kind of continuing help in Wadena and Otter Tail counties is clear. Nerves are raw, reactions unexpected and fatigue comes quickly. And as for everywhere disaster strikes, financial difficulties can exacerbate emotional stress.

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when life becomes

UNLIVABLE Know the signs of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Wendy Molstad

“The men here are historically strong and tough, but I had a 75-year-old farmer break down and cry on my shoulder.”

“The men here are historically strong and tough, but I had a 75-year-old farmer break down and cry on my shoulder,” said Molstad. “He asked me if he had done the right thing to rebuild after the tornado. He was now in debt, when he thought he would leave the farm to his kids free and clear.” The emotional effects of the tornado can be seen in children, too, though Christie Meier worked hard to lessen their impact. An associate in ministry at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Meier brought Camp Noah to Wadena two months after the tornado. A program of Lutheran Social Services, the five-day camp is designed to help children head off severe stress after a disaster. With a secular curriculum, the camp helped children tell their own stories and talk about their fears. In a follow-up session in December, Meier saw a difference. “Just under the surface, there were still open emotional wounds, but they were happy kids again,” she said. Tending to the obvious suffering in the community has been a full-time job for more than a year for many people. WOTLR is an organization that was set up after the

tornado to help community members get back on their feet. A 20-person committee including pastors, social workers, bankers, business people and volunteers from Wadena and Otter Tail counties runs the organization. The members’ dedication to the community has not wavered—nearly every one of them still shows up for the twice-monthly meetings.

Kitchen Table Counseling WOLTR has a sub-committee dedicated to spiritual and emotional needs. Some people come to the committee, but mostly one or two committee members go to them, knowing they’re depressed or that they’re living in a house badly in need of repair. They drink a lot of coffee around kitchen tables as they build the familiarity essential for allowing people to let down their guard and ask for help. Still, their efforts are paying off—and proving that the residents of Otter Tail County are healing. “I’ve had to ask some farmers in the area 10 times if I can come visit them before they say, ‘OK. Fine. Come over,’” said Molstad. “But once I get the trust of one, others follow.” IQ

Janine Cronk arrived in Almora, Minnesota, a few minutes after a tornado had roared up from the south and slammed into the village. She found her home, and the trees surrounding it, damaged beyond saving. At her in-laws’ farm across County Rd. 40, silos were down, cattle were missing, and their 80-acre oak woods was flattened. The clean up took weeks. By the time summer was over and the Cronks were nearly moved in their new trailer house, Janine was deeply fatigued. And each passing storm made her edgy. Although fatigue and anxiety can be normal after a disaster, they can also be signs of a more serious condition known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Symptoms of PTSD include:

• Reliving the event over and over, including nightmares and flashbacks. • Avoiding situations that remind you of the event. • Feeling numb and having a hard time expressing your feelings. • Feeling keyed up or irritable. • Clinginess in children, as well as experiencing sleep disruptions or difficulties with toilet training.

“To have PTSD, your symptoms have to cause significant impairment in your functioning,” said Patricia Frazier, Department of Psychology professor at the University of Minnesota. You can learn more about PTSD at www.ptsd.va.gov. If you think you might be experiencing symptoms, it’s important to seek help. Talk to your family doctor or call your local counseling center to find a therapist specializing in PTSD. Whomever you find to help you, make sure he or she makes you feel comfortable and safe.

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By Lawrence Schumacher

It was barely a week after the 2010 tornado devastated parts of Wadena and the surrounding towns, but the debate over replacing what had been lost was already in full swing. The high school was ruined beyond repair. The city’s community center and the area’s only indoor ice rink were also out of commission. The county fairgrounds sustained heavy damage, as did an estimated 234 homes and 22 businesses. For many disaster-stricken towns and cities, the rebuilding process can pit immediate needs against long-term community planning. Wadena was no exception. But a collaborative process put Wadena on the road to recovery in record time. On the one hand, Wadena-Deer Creek school officials had to get going in order to have a new high school by the fall of 2012. Hockey parents—a vocal and powerful group in a town passionately devoted to their

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favorite sport—wanted their kids to be able to skate on indoor ice by the winter. Others viewed the tornado as an opportunity to collaborate on an improved vision of Wadena’s future that would guide its growth and make the rebuilt community institutions better than before. “It was literally a blank slate for rebuilding and redevelopment,” said City Council member Don Niles.“We had a real opportunity for collaboration without the limitations of the previous buildings.” Niles became chairman of Wadena 2.0, a civic group dedicated to creating a common vision for recovery and rebuilding that incorporated public and private community stakeholders. With help from the Initiative Foundation, Wadena 2.0 began the process of building that vision. “Taking the time to do planning has been pretty popular with the public,” Niles said. “There were some

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AERIAL PHOTOS BY NICKWARRENPHOTO.COM | PILOT: KENT NORDELL

REBUILT: Community leaders are confident that the Wadena 2.0 visioning process helped avoid some of the pains experienced by other disaster-stricken communities.

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JOHN LINN

‘‘

The Initiative Foundation and Minnesota Design Team helped leaders create a plan that . . . stitched things back together more efficiently and rationally.

tensions between the desire to put things back together as quickly as possible and the desire to make the most of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to rethink things.” With support from the Initiative Foundation, Wadena chose the latter. In addition to setting up a disaster relief fund for Wadena that raised over $100,000, the Initiative Foundation allocated $75,000 to long-term relief efforts, said Kathy Gaalswyk, president of the Initiative Foundation. “Every place in a rural community has history or personal significance attached to it, so it’s very difficult to say anything positive about a disaster that destroys those places,” she said. “However, the Wadena tornado provided an opportunity to paint a community on an empty canvas, and our goal was to get a lot of smart, creative people involved in the planning.”

CREATING A VISION Arriving at a consensus about the town’s rebuilding priorities was not easy for Wadena 2.0. “In community planning of any kind, there are usually a million different ideas and they’re all good,” said Dan Frank, Initiative Foundation program manager for community development, who served on the group’s board. “Communities need to have an open process so that every person gets their voice heard. The large group gives input on what the highest priorities should be, and then it’s up to smaller task forces and leaders to bring the ideas to action.” One of the first decisions the group faced was whether or not to immediately replace the indoor ice arena that was part of the city’s community center. Insurance money was available to rebuild it and some hockey parents wanted to move fast, Frank said. But other stakeholders—including the city and school district— hoped a rebuilt community center and high school could be integrated so that facilities could be shared. The city’s decision to wait on rebuilding and to instead provide outdoor ice for skaters didn’t satisfy everybody; some hockey families took out newspaper ads say40 Initiative Quarterly Magazine

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ing that rebuilding the ice arena should be the top priority. A few families even left the community. But taking time to build a shared vision allowed Wadena 2.0 and the Initiative Foundation to bring in the Minnesota Design Team, a nonprofit volunteer group of architects, engineers and city planners who work with communities to build a vision of their future. Because the design team usually takes four to six months to research a community, they initially didn’t think the Wadena project was feasible. The group made an emergency visit to Wadena in October and attended a community potluck dinner put on by Wadena 2.0 that nearly 300 community members attended. “We’ve never had that amount of participation and engagement from a community before,” said Mike Lamb, a Minneapolis architect and Minnesota Design Team member. “We walked in and they were saying ‘Let’s get started.’” The group had worked with other Minnesota communities recovering from floods and tornadoes in the past, including East Grand Forks, St. Peter and Rushford. Wadena was one of the most motivated communities the group has encountered, according to Lamb. After a weekend of group discussions, brainstorming and meeting Wadena citizens, the Initiative Foundation and the Minnesota Design Team created a plan that emphasized sharing space and facilities, creating public open space, providing room for modest housing growth and “stitched things back together more efficiently and rationally,” according to Lamb.

COMING TOGETHER The Wadena 2.0 group took the design team’s recommendations and brought them to the individual stakeholders—the city, county, school district, economic devel-

DON NILES (with Initiative Foundation president Kathy Gaalswyk): “Because of the amount of participation, the town has a plan that has the major stakeholders and the public behind it.”

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AERIAL PHOTOS BY NICKWARRENPHOTO.COM | PILOT: KENT NORDELL

opment authority, employers and community support groups—who fleshed the plans out, Niles said. The city and school then collaborated to plan a rebuilt high school and community center that would be connected by a skyway instead of a road. “(Connecting them) will maximize the use of both facilities by the general public in Wadena and get us the biggest bang for the public dollar,” said Dean Uselman, executive director of the Wadena Economic Development Authority and the city’s Planning and Zoning department. “Now, the weight room in the wellness center and the walking track in the high school gym will be connected and both will be available to the public.” In addition, a proposal for the community center calls for a warm-water therapeutic pool that would be leased to Tri-County Health Care for their use, but also open to the public at other hours. The tentative agreement depends on the Minnesota Legislature’s willingness to provide public bonding dollars to help fund the $19 million center’s construction. The plan calls for other improvements as well. The rebuilt ice arena and two gymnasiums in the community center could be combined with four gymnasiums planned for the new high school in order to attract regional high school or amateur sports tournaments. “Those tournaments can be a benefit to the local economy because they bring people in from around the state,” said Niles. Groundbreaking on the community center could take place this fall, depending on the outcome at the Legislature. The high school is already under construction. Other Minnesota Design Team recommendations that are in the works include replacing the collection of small fairground buildings that were knocked down with a single multi-purpose building seating up to 600 people that could be used as an event center. “We just had a collection of six or seven small buildings before, with no place to hold an event,” said Uselman. “One large building would give us more flexibility.” A significant effort is also underway to convince federal authorities to rebuild and extend a rail spur to serve the city’s business park, which is now the home of Leaf River Ag Products, a longtime mainstay of downtown Wadena. The company relocated to the business park after sustaining serious tornado damage to its former location, across from the high school, according to Uselman,

PLANNING PROGRESS: Rebuilding recommendations include replacing the collection of small fairground buildings with with a multipurpose building that could be used as an event center.

THE WADENA TORNADO PROVIDED AN OPPORTUNITY TO PAINT A COMMUNITY ON

AN EMPTY CANVAS. SUMMER 11

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‘‘

We’ve got a pretty good plan for all these elements. But we still need to get some help to make them happen.

who added that the company would like access to rail lines to ship its livestock feed, equipment and other agricultural products and supplies. The city is also renewing its plea to state and federal authorities to widen the only two-lane stretch of U.S. Highway 10 in the United States to four lanes, since several of the buildings along the current Wadena section are no longer there because of the tornado. “We’ve got a pretty good plan for all these elements,” said Uselman. “But we still need to get some help to make them happen.”

AVOIDING PITFALLS Putting together a vision of a community that’s different from the way it was before a disaster can, if not handled correctly, create resentment and hostility, said Chris Hallum, the mayor of Rushford, a southeastern Minnesota town on the Root River. Hallum should know. He was elected two years after a 2007 flood submerged most of the town under water and caused nearly $50 million in damage to the town of 2,350. Hallum came to office on a wave of discontent with how the recovery was being handled by City Hall, as well as decisions about where to apply $17 million in state flood recovery funds. City leaders spent limited funds on new infrastructure and rebuilding the municipal liquor store while existing roads and services were still in bad shape. Business owners complained that the terms of state disaster loans distributed through the city were not favorable, and Hallum acknowledged the city’s purchase of 23 acres north of town to build a business park for future growth when existing roads and infrastructure were hurting further inflamed tensions. In addition, the decision to invest in the business park as well as rebuild the municipal liquor store gave people the impression that city leaders were not looking out for those who were hurt the most by the flood. 42 Initiative Quarterly Magazine

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“Your number one obligation is to help the citizens you have, not the ones you hope to have in the future and I think some people lost sight of that,” said Hallum. Niles is confident that the Wadena 2.0 visioning process helped avoid some of the pains experienced by other distaster-stricken communities. The work that so many Wadena residents put into the rebuilding effort— from planning to planting trees—will make it a better community than it was before. Those future improvements, experts agree, are thanks to strong community leadership and engaged citizens. “We had three core principles from the start: collaboration, openness and accountability,” said Niles. “Because of the amount of participation we had, I think we have a plan that has the major stakeholders and the public behind it. I think we’re making the most of the situation.” IQ

SHARED SPACE: The city and school collaborated to plan a new high school and community center that would be connected by a skyway instead of a road, thereby maximizing the use of both buildings by the general public.

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Dear Friends, 25 years ago, the Initiative Foundation was created to counteract an economic crisis by helping people to help themselves and diversifying the regional economy. Today, we find ourselves fighting a similar foe as Central Minnesota’s only regional entity that focuses on economic growth and opportunity. The past year has been defined by a relentless commitment by our board, staff and volunteers to help communities recover and succeed again. At the core of our work is the belief that a quality job is the most essential element of a stable family and a thriving community. Through our 2010 Key Stakeholder Survey and regional focus groups, more than 1,200 leaders indicated that economic and workforce development should be the Initiative Foundation’s top priority. That’s why our new five-year strategic plan calls for creating economic motion through a complete Quality of Life approach. This includes providing targeted business financing, deepening public-private partnerships, preparing the current and future workforce, strengthening nonprofit safety nets, and enhancing environmental and recreational amenities that support families and business growth. None of these are effective solutions alone, but they are powerful together.

Thank you for your past and future support as we seek new partners, new ideas, and new action for Central Minnesota. All the Best,

Lee Hanson

Kathy Gaalswyk

Board of Trustees Chair

President

2010

Annual Report

(FOR THE PERIOD 1/1/10 – 12/31/10)

Mission Unlock the power of central Minnesota people to build and sustain thriving communities.

Service Area We are proud to serve the 14 counties and 160 cities of Central Minnesota.

Key Tools: • Provide loans to businesses that create quality jobs • Award grants to nonprofits, local governments and schools • Build public-private partnerships that lead to action • Help generous people give back to their communities • Publish information on local trends and solutions 44 Initiative Quarterly Magazine

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A Look Back Invested $38 million through 858 loans and investments in locally owned businesses

Made 3,407 grants totaling $21.1 million

Partnered with 1,587 leaders to improve the water quality of 224 lakes and rivers

C E N T R A L M I N N E S O TA I M PA C T ( 1 9 8 6 - 2 0 1 0 )

Created or secured 10,571 living-wage jobs

Leveraged $243 million in private business financing investments

Awarded 628 scholarships totaling $489,120

Partnered with 1,900 leaders from 92 communities to plan and achieve a brighter future

Partnered with 1,242 leaders from 26 communities to prepare young children for lifetime success

Partnered with 1,143 leaders from 174 nonprofits to manage more effective organizations

A Look Forward Five-year Strategic Priorities 1

Resilient Businesses • Invest in economic drivers like technology and manufacturing • Secure 1,500 quality jobs that pay at least $35,000 per year

Thriving Communities • Build a world-class workforce, starting with early childhood and youth • Enhance quality of life, natural resources & recreational amenities

Effective Organizations • Strengthen nonprofit ability to reduce employment barriers • Improve fiscal health of nonprofits that provide critical safety nets

Local Philanthropy • Create community, agency and donor funds that benefit local projects • Raise $14.6 million in endowment and external funding

SUMMER 11

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2010

Financial Summary

Sources of Funds: $9,603,911 Investment Income Grants & Contributions Business Financing Revenue & Repayments Other Operating Revenue

BUSINESS FINANCING $ 3,901,363 $ 3,340,624 $ 2,182,911 $ 179,013

| 41% | 35% | 23% | 1%

Uses of Funds: $7,052,785 Business Investments Grants, Scholarships & Training Programs Foundation Operations Special Projects & Other

$ 3,364,019 $ 2,418,586 $ 1,200,191 $ 69,989

| 48% | 34% | 17% | 1%

TRAINING PROGRAMS

EXPENSES INCURRED*

Volunteers in Service to America

$ 376,661

Healthy Organizations Partnership

$ 226,732

Healthy Communities Partnership

$ 209,342

Early Childhood & Youth Engagement

$ 138,937

Healthy Lakes & Rivers Partnership

$ 110,037

New Initiatives/Other

$ 10,303

TOTAL

$1,072,012

Local Ownership, Quality Jobs

Investment Total $1,746,412 • Manufacturing • Technology • Service • Environment/Agriculture • Retail

64% . . . . $1,108,912 17% . . . . . $300,000 13% . . . . . $227,500 5%. . . . . . . $90,000 1%. . . . . . . $20,000 TOTAL ......................................................$1,746,412

Total Endowment Value: $32.8 million Total Assets: $48.6 million A complete audit report prepared by LarsonAllen, LLP is available upon request. * Excludes grants.

GRANTS & SCHOLARSHIPS Unlocking the Power of People

Investment Total $1,346,574 • Organizational Effectiveness 27% . . . . . $363,250 • Community & Donor Funds 22% . . . . . $295,076 14% . . . . . $189,317 • Innovation Fund Children, Youth & Families 13% . . . . . $175,000 • Hometown Improvement 10% . . . . . $142,786 • Natural Resources Preservation 6%. . . . . . . $81,395 • Economic Opportunity 4%. . . . . . . $52,300 • Scholarships 4%. . . . . . . $47,450 • TOTAL ......................................................$1,346,574

SUMMER 11

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Central Regional Sustainable

Nurturing Agriculture & food systems Community-based energy Natural resources Tourism Central

Fostering

Serving Central Minnesota

Development Partnership

FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF MILACA

regional resilience through citizen-driven University partnerships.

www.regionalpartnerships.umn.edu

“Community Banking Since 1897”

Lakeshore Conservation Club is the Brainerd Lakes Area choice for Trap & Skeet Shooting. Trap & Skeet Shooting • Rifle, Pistol & Archery Range • Classes & Private Lessons Birthday Parties, Bachelor Parties, Private Parties • Open to the Public Family ($40 annually) and Corporate Membership Available

Serving the Brainerd Lakes Area for more than 50 years. • 2011 Memberships Available • 218-963-4003 | www.lakeshoregunclub.com 9911 County 2:21 PM| Page 1 Road 77, Nisswa

MILACA - ISLE - GILMAN 190 2nd Ave SW, P.O. Box 38 Milaca, MN 56353 (320) 983 - 3101

“Our goal is financing to help our communities grow”

www.fnbmilaca.com

The Friends of Nisswa Lake Park are raising funds to build the infrastructure for our lakeside park on Nisswa Lake in the City of Nisswa. • 2.3 Acre Park Area • Located across 371 from Downtown Nisswa Square • Swimming Area • Fishing Pier • Boat Slips for Boat Docking • Walking & Biking Trail connecting to the Paul Bunyan Trail

• Pavilion area for weddings and special events • Mature White Pines • Picnic area • Beautiful Sunsets • Overlooking Nisswa Lake

For more information contact the Friends of Nisswa Lake Park at lehmanconsulting@nisswa.net; or contact Brian Lehman, Nisswa Mayor, 218-838-4158; Erin Herman, Nisswa Elementary School Principal, 218-821-3760; Eric Wiltrout, Lakewood Bank, 218-892-0532; or Jan Pierce, Nisswa P&Z Commission, 218-963-7394. Checks should be made payable to “BLA Community Foundation” with a notation of “Friends of Nisswa Lake Park.” Send your tax-deductible donation to The Friends of Nisswa Lake Park, PO Box 262, Nisswa MN 56468.

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g a Legacy for Future Generations.. Leavin

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CHAIR

Board of Trustees

Lee Hanson Gray Plant Mooty

Initiative Foundation Staff

B O A R D & S TA F F

VICE-CHAIR

Foundation

Linda Eich DesJardins Eich Motor Company

Ismail Ali St. Cloud Schools

Barbara Anderson Essentia Health

John E. Babcock The Bank of Elk River

Mayuli Bales Casa Guadalupe & Catholic Charities

Chris Close Close-Converse Properties

Pat Gorham Gorham Companies

Arnie Johnson Johnson Enterprises

Larry Korf DeZURIK

Earl Potter St. Cloud State University

Mary Sam Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe

Gene Waldorf Retired, 3M Former Minnesota Legislator

Kathy Gaalswyk PRESIDENT

Sharon Gottwalt Business Finance Assistant

Jolene Howard Program Assistant for Grants & Training

Mary Bauer Development Officer

Cathy Hartle Senior Program Manager for Organizational Effectiveness

Lois Kallsen Office & Facilities Coordinator

Don Hickman Senior Program Manager

Matt Kilian Vice President for External Relations

Tricia Holig Program Assistant for Grants & Training

Kris Kowalzek Finance Assistant

Anita Hollenhorst Grants & Communications Specialist

MaryAnn Lindell Executive Assistant

Lynn Houle-Bushinger Vice President for Finance & Operations

Randy Olson Vice President for Economic Opportunity

Dan Bullert Business Finance Officer Deb Campbell Children & Families Associate Sara Dahlquist Children Youth & Families Specialist Chris Fastner VISTA Program Manager Dan Frank Program Manager for Community Development

Katie Riitters External Relations Assistant Julie Schueller Finance Assistant Sandy Voigt Business Development Specialist

405 First Street SE Little Falls, MN 56345 877-632-9255 www.ifound.org

SUMMER 11

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Range Inc. Proud to design and print IQ magazine.

>> Internet & Email Marketing >> Print & Direct Mail >> Website Design & Development >> Discover our Passions Contact: Shawn Sundquist (888) 605.5982 | www.rangeprinting.com

50 Initiative Quarterly Magazine

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Giving to and THROUGH T H E F O U N D AT I O N

Turn Key Funds

In 2010, more than 1,000 donors advanced the critical work of the Initiative Foundation. The Foundation also hosts 60 Turn Key Funds, local endowments (permanent investment accounts with annual returns) through which donors create legacies of charitable support for current and future generations.

Donor-Advised Funds

Community Funds

Field of Interest Funds

Anderson Brothers Family Fund Bob & Marsha Bunger Endowment Fund Bruce & Diane Gohman Fund Granite Equity Partners Fund Hanowski Family Fund John & Bonnie Schlagel Endowment Julius & Tracy Kurpius Fund Lake Region Conservation Club Fund Loren & Kathy Morey Family Fund Mark Wood Foundation Mel & Jeanette Beaudry Fund Paws & Claws Animal Shelter

Greater Pine Area Endowment Isle Area Community Foundation Morrison County Area Foundation Rum River Community Foundation Staples Community Foundation Three Rivers Community Foundation

Children, Youth & Families Fund Crow Wing Environment Protection Advised Fund Family Farm Fund Josh Richardson Youth Arts Fund Leech Lake Area Watershed Foundation Planning & Preservation Fund Thrive Fund

Scholarship Funds

405 First Street SE Little Falls, MN 56345 877-632-9255 www.ifound.org

Donations* to Initiative Foundation Benton Cass Chisago Crow Wing Isanti Kanabec Mille Lacs Morrison Pine Sherburne Stearns Todd Wadena Wright TOTAL

$297,000 $502,000 $333,000 $1,076,000 $1,062,000 $112,000 $520,000 $1,083,000 $525,000 $658,000 $993,000 $705,000 $295,000 $483,000 $8,643,000

Loan Funds Menahga Loan Fund Princeton Economic Development Loan Fund St. Cloud State University Microlending Program Fund Todd-Wadena Economic Development Loan Fund Wadena Tornado Relief Loan Fund

Special Project Funds Musser Partnership Fund Staples Motley Early Childhood Project Fund Trees for Wadena Fund Veterans Art Project Fund Wadena Tornado Relief Fund

Initiative Foundation Investments** in Local Communities $3,231,000 $3,468,000 $2,461,000 $8,219,000 $2,588,000 $922,000 $3,070,000 $4,836,000 $2,414,000 $3,613,000 $11,453,000 $2,972,000 $3,003,000 $4,369,000 $56,618,000

Return on Your Investment

Alternative Sources of Energy Fund Archie & Isabelle Powell Family Memorial Scholarship Fund Betty Ford Menzel Scholarship Fund Beverly M. Pantzke Scholarship Fund Bob & Pauline Johnson Memorial Scholarship Fund Bob Wright Memorial IFPA Scholarship Fund Little Falls Scholarship Fund Shawn Grittner Memorial Scholarship Fund Staples Knights of Columbus-Lloyd & Marion Giddings Scholarship Fund Staples-Motley Dollars for Scholars Fund William & Ethel Nelson-Zimmerman Memorial Scholarship Fund Zimmerman Lions PTO Fund

Agency Funds Big Fish Lake Association Fund Crosby Ironton Public Schools Foundation Fund Friends of the Elk River Library Fund Friends of Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge Fund Horizon Health Partnership in Life Fund Minnesota Pioneer Park Endowment Fund Quiet Oaks Hospice House Endowment Fund Roosevelt and Lawrence Area Lakes Association Fund Sacred Heart-Knights of Columbus Fund Wright County Historical Society Fund

ROI 988% 591% 638% 664% 144% 727% 490% 347% 360% 449% 1,054% 321% 919% 805% 555%

*Rounded numbers include individual, business, government and utility donations, 1986-2009. **Rounded numbers include nonprofit grants, business financing investments and scholarships, 1986-2009.

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What can we do now? Who should we call later? Save these pages as a quick reference guide for disaster preparation and response. By Marni Ginther Illustration by Chris McAllister

PREPARE: Tips for Families, Businesses & Communities 1. Stock Up For both private residences and larger organizations, Wadena County Emergency Management Director Scott McKellep says it’s a good idea to have disaster preparedness kits at the ready. They should be easily accessible and portable, so you can grab them and go to a designated disaster shelter area, or they should be already located in the shelter. The kits don’t have to be elaborate. McKellep says a good rule of thumb is to include the basic things you would need to survive for 72 hours while waiting for first responders. That includes water, canned food (don’t forget a can opener) and basic first aid items.

2. Check Your Insurance Make sure your insurance policies are up to date. McKellep recommends individuals talk to insurers to make sure you understand the coverage you have, because to different insurance companies, terms like “replacement cost” can mean different things. “When you think of ‘replacement cost’ you think they’re just going to pay for what you had, but

52 Initiative Quarterly Magazine

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that’s not always the case,” said McKellep. Have your policy reviewed every two years.

3. Make an Evacuation Plan From exiting a burning house to knowing where you will go if you have to suddenly leave town, evacuation plans are essential. “Make sure relatives know where you’re going,” McKellep said.

4. Create a Continuity of Governance Plan This kind of plan dictates how a government organization will continue running in the event of a disaster. For example, if a courthouse is destroyed, how will those business and governmental functions be carried out, even if the physical space that once housed them no longer exists? What alternate facility would the operations move to, and what technology (or backup technology) would need to be implemented in that new space? Keep this plan in a safe place— or several, including on a cloud server. (For tips on how to keep your business running after a disaster, turn to page 16.)

5. Map It On the larger county or municipality level, McKellep advises officials to create a plan that divides their city or county into different sectors. Then figure out how to manage traffic flow, lock down certain sectors of the community and organize a process by which people can be admitted back into their own neighborhoods and homes. These plans should be mapped out and accessible to city and county workers who will need to enforce them, but don’t need to be available to the general public, although McKellep suggests it’s a good idea to assure the public that you do have such a plan in place.

6. Analyze Your Risk Risk analysis is usually spelled out in a county hazard mitigation plan. These plans outline “the risks of just about everything you can think of, from cyber security to a dam failure,” said McKellep. They detail which, if any, townships or municipalities are at risk for particular types of disasters. Cities can adopt county hazard mitigation plans or use them as templates to create their own.

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RESPOND:

A State & National Resource Directory

Homeland Security and Emergency Management

ICISF—International Critical Incident Stress Foundation

A division of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Minnesota Homeland Security and Emergency Management offers training to emergency managers, fire fighters, law enforcement personnel, EMTs and other state agency employees. Training covers a variety of topics including volunteer management and emergency communication.

The International Critical Incident Stress Foundation provides “leadership, education, training, consultation and support services in comprehensive crisis intervention and disaster behavioral health services to the emergency response professions, other organizations and communities worldwide.”

(651)201-7400 www.homelandsecurity.state.mn.us

(410) 750-9600 www.icisf.org

Federal Emergency Management Agency

The Humane Society

FEMA’s mission is to support citizens and first responders in the preparation for, protection against, response to and recovery from disasters. The agency has a wealth of information for individuals and families, as well as training programs for emergency managers and responders.

Typically thought of as a shelter for animals, the Humane Society also provides resources pet owners can use to plan for their pets’ safety in the event of a disaster. The organization even has information on disaster preparedness for livestock.

(202) 646-2500 For responders and officials: www.fema.gov/prepared/train For individuals and families: www.fema.gov/areyouready

(202) 452-1100 www.humanesociety.org In Minnesota: www.mnhumane.org

ECHO—Emergency and Community Health Outreach Minnesota Red Cross Communities and organizations can schedule presentations by Red Cross staff and volunteers on a variety of topics, including Severe Weather Safety, Emergency Action Plans, and basic emergency preparations on the individual and community level. (612) 871-7676 www.redcrosstc.org (Click on “Chapters” for local help.)

ECHO is a Minnesota-based organization that specializes in multi-language communications in the areas of health, safety, emergency readiness and civic engagement in order to serve the state’s immigrant and refugee population. ECHO collaborates with health and safety experts and bilingual community leaders to ensure all Minnesotans receive the support they need in the event of a disaster. (651) 789-4342 www.echominnesota.org

VOAD—Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster VOAD is an association of well-known and lesser-known relief organizations, from the Red Cross and the Salvation Army to the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation. VOAD serves as a “one-stop shop” and allows all their organizations to share knowledge and resources throughout the disaster cycle to help disaster survivors and their communities.

Initiative Foundation

(703) 778-5088 www.nvoad.org | In Minnesota: www.mnvoad.org

877-632-9255 www.ifound.org

After a disaster, call the Initiative Foundation immediately to host and promote disaster relief funds for online and traditional giving. Serving central Minnesota’s 14 counties, the Foundation also helps with community planning and grants for recovery and rebuilding.

SPRING 11 SUMMER

Customized Training for all Occasions &HOHEUDWLQJ \HDUV VHUYLQJ &HQWUDO 0LQQHVRWD

www.HighImpactTraining.net

54 Initiative Quarterly Magazine

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WeTrainPeople

320.259.8222

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STEVE ENNIS

Director of Secondary Lending mortgage@lakewoodbank.com 218.833.8510 | lakewoodbank.com

SUMMER 11

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IQ&A with Dawn Zimmerman

IQ dissects a disaster with Minnesota Homeland Security and Emergency Management Director Kris Eide.

IQ: You have been in emergency management and preparedness for more than 30 years. What first ignited your passion for this line of work? KE: I moved to Miami, Florida with my husband. Then Hurricane David hit and that was kind of the turning point. We had no idea what we needed to do. When I heard the siren warnings, my husband was at work and I was at home with our first child. It was such a frightening, frightening time for me. IQ: When it comes to disasters, what is the one thing you wish everyone knew? KE: You have to be responsible for yourself first. If you have a means to take care of yourself, you need to do that so people who can’t are able to get the help they need right away. Also, when a tornado happens everyone starts asking “Where is FEMA?” We should not be asking that the day after a disaster. They are there to fill a very small gap. If your house is wiped out and you have lost your belongings, the most you can get from FEMA is $30,300. That’s not enough. The programs for communities are much better than the programs for people. IQ: Part of your department’s role is to evaluate a community’s emergency management plan. What makes a good plan? KE: You have to recognize and assess the potential hazards in your community—the “what ifs.” Then you have to make sure you have plans for the operations of a response—a concept of how your city or county offices will respond. IQ: In your opinion, what is the most common mistake communities make? KE: Thinking it won’t happen here. For example, communities that don’t have a river think they don’t need to worry about flooding. Well, southeastern Minnesota doesn’t have a major river, but when 20 inches of rain falls, your community becomes a river.

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IQ: How have you seen a community transform a tragedy into an opportunity? KE: Mower County and the city of Austin are great examples. Floods kept washing out the same areas, so they bought out the homes in those areas. The families moved to other homes in town and they turned that floodland into parkland that is lovely and has revitalized their downtown. IQ: From East Grand Forks to Wadena, you can list many examples of communities that have risen up as models. What’s driving those communities? KE: It’s the thought that we’re never going to let this happen to us again. IQ: You’re queen for the day. What one change would you make to the “system?” KE: It would be to make it less bureaucratic. People have to jump through a lot of hoops. If we could just streamline it, which FEMA is working on, and do it less bureaucratically, we could do it faster. IQ

Kris Eide has served as director of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) since 2005. HSEM is responsible for planning and coordinating disaster reduction, preparedness, response and recovery efforts throughout the state.

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