I grew up on a farm near a little town on the North and South Dakota border and attended a one-room country school through 4th grade. As an only child back then, I was an anomaly. But it worked out. My Dad pinned all his hopes on me and always made me believe that I can accomplish anything I set out to do.
My 11 years in healthcare administration gave me the opportunity to grow and test my leadership skills and really discover my strengths. I was working on my masters in healthcare administration and thought I would spend my entire career in that field.
My office at the hospital in Canby looked out onto Highway 75 to the south, and I very distinctly remember sitting there one day and thinking about the communities further down the road. Wondering what they were doing to survive and thrive, what they were doing differently to tackle small town challenges. I was connected to other cities and towns in the region, but it was singularly focused on healthcare. I wanted to understand rural communities from a broader perspective.
The Development Director position at SWIF was literally presented to me as a gift by someone that knew my heart. So I made a life-changing decision that opened up a world of possibilities.
I knew it was the right fit when the complexity of all that SWIF does didn’t feel complex to me at all. In my mind, the work that we do is all connected by the underlying concepts of asset building and leadership development. When I first started talking this way as COO, some people were hesitant to let go of the boundaries that helped describe our work. But over time, as we mapped it out and talked it through, it started to resonate with others. I really attribute the collaborative culture we have today to that effort to help others see the connections across the organization.
I have spent my entire career in management and leadership. My role has been translator, motivator, and implementer for a shared vision that I helped shape. I am so appreciative of the outpouring of support—it means so much. I am ready and excited to create and inspire a shared vision that is grounded in everything that I have learned and experienced and everything that makes southwest Minnesota such a special place.
