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M AY 2 0 2 0

t w en t y - N I N T H A nn u a l E di t i o n

OUR YEARLY LOOK AT SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE OUR COMMUNITY UNIQUE

Citizen of the Year & HIDDEN

GEMS

Faribault Daily News

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The mission of The Virtues Project-Faribault is to promote and encourage the recognition and practice of virtues, to enrich the lives of people in our community, and to further the cause of unity. The Virtues Project International is a global grassroots initiative to inspire the practice of Virtues in everyday life. It was founded 30 years ago, is currently in over 120 countries and was honored by the United Nations during the International Year of the Family as a “model global project that unites all cultures”. The Virtues Project empowers: • Individuals to live more authentic, meaningful lives • Families to raise children of compassion and integrity • Educators to create safe, caring and high performing learning communities • Business and civic leaders toward excellence and ethics in the work place and the community

Contact us for: • Hosting or joining a Virtues Gathering on Zoom • Materials for use in your home, classroom or business • How to get the Weekly Virtues e-mail • Time Capsule for Covid-19 memories and other timely resources • Download the Free Mobile APP for sample virtue cards (virtuesmatter.com) • Watch FCTV for Virtues messages • Listen for daily Virtues on KDHL

Find all the Character Cards on the Virtues Project Website

Share your virtue stories! You have stories to tell and they are full of Virtues! Share your photos, stories, poetry and artwork with a virtues theme and get published in the Faribault Daily News in print, on their website or Facebook page. Submit through the form available on the Faribault Daily News website. You can post on the Virtues Project Facebook page too. There is always a virtue! CONTACT INFORMATION Email TheVirtuesProjectFaribault@gmail.com Web TheVirtuesProjectFaribault.com Facebook The Virtues Project - Faribault

Congratulations to all 2020 honorees and

Walk through Virtues Trail for reminders of the virtues you have within you!

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content

Citizen of the Year

Hidden Gems

Heidi Nelson leads the Paradise with “Pronoia”

Narren Brown the numbers guy with a big heart

Key to Annette Parker’s success is forming community partnerships

PAST HONOREES

16 Pauline Schreiber knows her Faribault history

Jeff Jarvis captures the beauty of Faribault in word and art

Kanko Akakpovi teaches southern Minnesotans healthy eating habits

profile May 2020 A special section of the Faribault Daily News 514 Central Avenue | Faribault, MN 55021

31 Mallory Fuchs and Tracy Sunde collaborate to help others

36 Shattuck-St. Mary’s head of school Matt Cavallier is up to the task

Publisher Chad Hjellming Editor Suzanne Rook Advertising DIRECTOR Tom Kelling Advertising manager Mark Nelson Cover PHOTO Suzanne Rook Cover Design & Layout Kate Townsend-Noet Profile 2020 is distributed to subscribers and readers of the Faribault Daily News at no additional charge. It is available for individual sale at the front counter of the Faribault Daily News for $1. All rights reserved. ©2020.

2019 - Sam Temple George Wickstrom, Lifetime Achievement Award 2018 - Cynthia Diessner Kymn Anderson, Lifetime Achievement Award 2017 - Peter & Virginia van Sluis Gordy Kosfeld, Lifetime Achievement Award 2016 - Dee Bjork 2015 - Tami Schluter 2014 - Henry Doyle 2013 - Chad Wolff 2012 - Chuck and Paul Mooty 2011 - Nick Stoneman 2010 - Ron Goettsch 2009 - Dr. George Wagner 2008 - Matt Drevlow 2007 - Milo Larson 2006 - Todd Markman 2005 - Dan Burns 2004 - James Wolf 2003 - Gary Kindseth Richard Carlander, Lifetime Achievement Award 2002 - Gerry Heyer 2001 - Barb Handahl and Donna Crowl 2000 - Donn Johnson 1999 - Lynn Erickson 1998 - Keith Shaffer 1997 - Bill Korff 1996 - Fran and JoAnn Miller 1995 - Charlie Champlin 1994 - Helen Hoffman 1993 - Irene Purdie

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Carolyn Treadwya’s list of volunteer work is extensive, ranging from school-related causes to efforts to help welcome immigrants and refugees into the Faribault community. (Michelle Vlasak/Faribault Daily News)

Top of the list

2020 Citizen of the Year’s volunteerism stems from a relentless love for others

By GRACE BRANDT editor@northfieldnews.com

aribault resident and longtime volunteer Carolyn Treadway admits that her friends are probably weary of her frequent requests to support her many worthwhile causes. “I’m sure my friends get tired of me saying, ‘Oh, could you …?’” she said. But that doesn’t stop Treadway from asking, such as when she requested friends and family members donate $50 of their recent federal stimulus checks to purchase gift cards to grocery

stores for families in need. And the requests worked — in only weeks, Treadway had raised $5,000 for the effort, and more than 250 families received gift cards. While Treadway insists that she is not “Mother Teresa,” her list of volunteer work is extensive, ranging from school-related causes to efforts to help welcome immigrants and refugees into the Faribault community. For Treadway, everything revolves around community — and it takes a community to succeed, too. uuu

THE NOMINATION Fr. Henry Doyle, an Episocpal priest who works at Shattuck-St. Mary’s School, nominated Treadway for Citizen of the Year. Doyle has known Treadway for nearly 30 years and served with her in several outreach groups, including the Community Café and the Allina Health advisory group. Doyle said he nominated Treadway because of her wide involved in the community throughout the years, and especially because she is able to connect with people and truly care about them. “She has worked very hard to see to the needs [of the community], especially of our immigrant population,” he said. “She’s just a very giving person. One of the things also that stands out for me is the fact that she is respected but [people she works with] also trust her. They know that she cares about them, that she’s there not because she wants to make a name for herself or anything. She is a genuine person. People come to learn and feel that about her. She’s very selfless woman. I really believe that she has earned the recognition.”

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GET TO KNOW CAROLYN Hometown: Ottawa, Kansas Profession: Teacher, nonprofit executive director Family: Husband Jay, daughter Kristin, two grandchildren Hobbies: Spending time with family, reading, interior decorating Online addiction: Words with Friends Current cause: The Honoring Choices Advisory, a group through Allina Health that promotes people creating an advanced healthcare directive. While Treadway isn’t no longer on the advisory board, she still encourages friends and family to look into creating their own directives. Future goals: “Some people have a bucket list, but I just kind of live life. Whatever comes up, I go through.”

A retired teacher, Carolyn Treadway sits on the Faribault School Board. (Michelle Vlasak/Faribault Daily News)

“(This pic) represent the relationships I try to provide to immigrant and refugee kids. I try as much as possible to serve as a surrogate grandparent--offering them experiences to museums, sporting events, cooking, crafting, etc that a grandparent might provide; the loving acceptance a grandmother could provide if she were nearby; enjoying silly moments that grandchildren and a grandmother would have together. Although I have only two grandchildren (now almost 16 and 13), I am blessed to have hundreds of ‘near grandchildren.”” (Photo courtesy of Carolyn Treadway)

“If somebody has need, I don’t know how people ignore somebody else’s pain and need,” she said. “It takes more than just one person to be able to do anything. I look at

it as all of us have a responsibility toward everybody in the community.” Her love for her community and her tireless efforts on behalf of others has earned

her the honor of Faribault’s 2020 Citizen of the Year. “I was very surprised,” she said. “I know I do a fair amount of stuff but, man, I’m around people all the time that are doing as much as I am. I’m honored, I truly am.” The Citizen of the Year award, bestowed by Faribault Daily News, recognizes local residents who are making a difference in the community. Th is chosen by a group of former Citizens of the Year. Traditionally, the Daily News hosts a banquet to honor the winner and celebrate the year’s Hidden Gems, however, the novel coronavirus have made such a gathering impossible. Treadway was nominated by Fr. Henry Doyle, the 2014 honoree, who made a strong case for her selection. “Carolyn has been very involved in helping the Somali community feel welcome in the community. She has worked hard to help them ‘assimilate’ in the community. She has also worked to better the lives of children in the community who face difficulties and hardships. She has volunteered at and served on the board of the Community Café. During COVID-19/Shelter-in-place, she has made sure families whose pantries were empty received food assistance,” he said.

“A cherished pic with a child who needed to become comfortable in the water during a Girls’ and Women’s Swim Night,” said Carolyn Treadway, the 2020 Faribault Citizen of the Year. (Photo courtesy of Carolyn Treadway)

Said 2005 Citizen of the Year Dan Burns: “We have many wonderful people in this community that are worthy of this great honor however, Carolyn Treadway has to be one of the few at the very top of the list. Her leadership has led the way in helping many individuals such as, ‘Feed Hungry Faribault Families,’ a fundraiser that Carolyn organized.”

Decades of teaching Treadway grew up in Kansas in a family of five and said her mother stressed the importance of service from early in her childhood. Her family lived in a neighborhood with several elderly couples, so Treadway’s mother would send her and her siblings to carry groceries, make May baskets for people and run errands as they grew older. They also collected money for UNICEF during Halloween trick-or-treating, gave part of their allowance to service organizations and were encouraged to join a school service club when they were in high school. “It was nothing big, but she subtly fostered a sense of service and expected it,” Treadway said. After graduating from high school, Treadway started attending Evangel University in Missouri to study teaching. Two years

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Carolyn Treadway recruited a younger helper to promote a school district referendum. (Photo courtesy of Carolyn Treadway)

into her studies, she married her husband, Jay, and the two of them moved to Kansas. She finished her degree at Sterling College and began working as a primary school teacher. Treadway said there weren’t many options for women at the time, but she was always inclined to teach. “I’ve always loved school and enjoyed working with children, so it seemed to be a natural choice,” she said. In 1960, Treadway uprooted once more when her husband accepted a position as ad manager for the Faribault Daily News. At first, Treadway stayed home and raised their only child, Kristin, but eventually she started working a part-time job at Jefferson Elementary, where she shared a teaching position with another teacher. When her daughter was in third grade, Treadway transitioned to a full-time

Park,” which ran for several years and offered the chance for Somali women to meet with her and practice their English while their children played at the playground. Treadway said during her time with So, How are the Children? that she started making contacts with Faribault’s diverse community, which led to more opportunities for her to serve. “Many of our diverse residents have become friends,” she said. “I also had the pleasure of learning and working with many other people who are committed to improving life for all residents in Faribault. I am passionate about addressing integration in every area of life, whether it’s learning about other people’s cultures; helping new residents, immigrants and refugees learn English; [or] helping people who are not typically recognized in Faribault, particularly, people who are marginalized by race, culture and poverty. How we can empower those individuals to take their rightful place as friends and neighbors in our community?” So How are the Children’s after school Because of these contacts, Treadway started and summer neighborhood programs’ volunteering with the Faribault Diversity purpose was to encourage reading and Coalition, which works to create a more participation in positive activities during positive attitude toward diversity and culture. out-of-school-time. Carolyn Treadway is pictured back left.(Photo courtesy of Treadway helped write grants, participated in Carolyn Treadway) special projects and volunteered as an English language teacher for adults in the community. position. Treadway has been involved in several other Treadway taught in the Faribault school service efforts throughout the years. For many district for 20 years, working at both Jefferyears, she has volunteered at (and used have a son Elementary and Nerstrand Elementary. major leadership role in) the Community Café, She said she decided to retire early, however, a program that provides weekly free meals for because she was starting to burn out from the those in need. She also helped organize Meals tough job. “I know it sounds crazy, but it was the hard- On Wheels through her church. Now, she’s volunteering with nonprofit group Supply Our est work anyone would ever love,” she said. “I Children, which works to collect backpacks just decided that it was such hard work that I retired early. I very much admire teachers who and other school supplies for Faribault kids. can stay in the profession for the length of their Just last year, the group handed out free supplies to more than 1,300 local youngsters. career; it’s very, very difficult.” For Treadway, the tireless work stems from a relentless love for others. “A little” volunteering “I live by the philosophy of, if there’s a job to do and my heart is tugged at the need, then it is Treadway said once she retired in the early my responsibility to find a way to support that 1980s, she started looking for ways to still be need,” she said. “I think that’s my moral, ethical involved in her community. “I thought, ‘Oh, I’ll just do a little volunteer- and civic responsibility.” Beyond just the responsibility, though, ing …’ and learned there was so much need,” Treadway appreciates how volunteer efforts can she said. bring people closer together and create a strong She started by volunteering at Nerstrand relationship. School, joining the board of So, How are the Children? The program helped youth from “I think one of the best things about service diverse cultures in Faribault, offering opporis the sense of community that volunteers tunities that promote physical and emotional feel as they accomplish [things],” she said. “In well-being, as well as support in schooling today’s world, it’s really hard for many people and connecting youth to their community. to feel as though they are valued members of Treadway was eventually asked to take over as the community. I believe one of the best ways director and was instrumental in continuing to do that is to get busy and get involved and the program by writing grants and securing volunteer. It is the best way to feel you have an funds so that it could last for another 10 years. important role in the wellbeing of your com(The program’s services were eventually taken munity.” over by the Faribault School District.) Treadway also organized “Mondays in the

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GOING BACK TO SCHOOL Treadway headed back into the world of education when she was elected to the Faribault Public School District’s school board in November 2018. She said she was inspired to run for the position because she wanted to improve the district and offer more options for parents and students. “I think that Faribault schools definitely need some change,” she said. “There are many good things about the Faribault schools, and yet I also know that our community is voting with their feet and going to other educational options. I believe that our public school system represents the greatest opportunity for students, and a strong school district is needed to have a strong community. I thought this would be a great opportunity to step forward and do my civic duty.” Treadway is about a year and a half into her four-year term and said she’s hoping to find ways that the district — especially the elementary schools—can offer innovative options, such as language immersion or an extended school calendar, to families to meet their students’ unique learning styles. In addition, the board is currently working on a new five-year strategic plan for the district. Board members heard from students, teachers, staff and community members while considering the district’s future goals. “It’s an exciting process, and our hope is that the strategic plan will use the input so that we can work toward some innovation,” she said.

NO SHRINKING VIOLET While Treadway said she’d run for state office if she was “just a bit younger,” now she fulfills her civic duty by supporting local candidates and speaking out on issues that she feels are wrong. This is especially true if people share incorrect facts about immigrants or incorrect ideas about healthy practices during the COVID-19 situation. “Nobody would call me a shrinking violet,” she said. “I don’t want to make people uncomfortable, but I believe that each of us has a responsibility to promote truth and fairness.”

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You see them all over town: people of character who’ve made this city an even better place to live. That’s why the Faribault Daily News, in coordination with The Virtues Project-Faribault, is honoring some of the city’s Hidden Gems.

The project’s mission is to promote and encourage the recognition and practice of virtues, to enrich the lives of people in our community and to further the cause of unity. The Virtues Project-Faribault is based on The International Virtues Project, which lists 100 virtues and says

Julie Buessel, center, reacts to the news that she’s been selected as a Hidden Gems award winner. Virtues ProjectFaribault presented a Hidden Gems surprise party between Faribault High School soccer games Friday. Pictured are her husband, Jim, who nominated her for the awaard, and her son, Jarrad. (Misty Schwab/Faribault Daily News)

Julie Bruessel

Soccer players call her “Mom,” and that says a lot about Julie Bruessel. Julie’s, was about to retire from her role as the president of the Faribault High School boys’ soccer Booster Club, a position she’s held for the past 10 years, when she was named a Hidden Gems. Three years ago, she also added the girls’ soccer team to her responsibilities. Jim Bruessel nominated his wife for the Hidden Gem award in 2018, but Julie’s official surprise party took place in August 2019 between games at the Faribault Soccer Complex. “You guys have meant more to [Julie] than you could ever imagine,” Jim told a group of FHS soccer players who gathered near the field for the Hidden Gems ceremony. Julie’s son, Jarrad, who attended the party, explained that his mom took over as Booster Club president during his sophomore year of high school. She only intended to stay involved in the Booster Club for the duration of Jarrad’s high school career, since only parents of active

soccer players belonged to the Booster Club at the time, but instead Julie increased her involvement after her son graduated in 2012. Julie’s involvement with Faribault soccer players began on the field, but extended beyond that. She made sure all players kept up their grades, registered on time and respected one another. Jim commended his wife for doing an excellent job “blending the different ethnic backgrounds of the team” and communicating with the families of minority students to include them in all activities. “Julie is an inspiration to all of us, and she is such an amazing person to know,” said Abdullahi Awil, an FHS soccer player. Jim joked that Julie wore out two vehicles giving players rides to and from events. She took some of the players’ senior pictures and made sure to take photos in general of all players so they’d have keepsakes of their soccer memories. The Minnesota United Soccer Club even used a number of her photos in a documentary.

that all children are born with these virtues in potential, and that awakening them can bring change to the world. In the last 12 months, we’ve honored five Hidden Gems. With your help, there will be plenty more to come.

Cindy Shirkey, Pat Andreas and Dawn Andreas pose for pictures. (Suzanne Rook/Faribault Daily News)

Pat Andreas

Some were written in a flowing script, others neatly printed on formal cards. Still others were done on construction paper using crayon or markers with an uncertain hand. “Dear Mr. Andreas,” most began. “Thank you for….” And so it went. In note after note after note, and on page after page of the scrapbook — more than an inch thick — there was heartfelt gratitude, all thank yous to Faribault’s Pat Andreas for helping provide for their class, school or organization, including PTOs, Parks and Rec, and more. The scrapbook, created by Andreas’ mother, Barb Andreas, with some help from Cindy Shirkey, an insurance rep in Andreas’ Farmers Insurance office, was a tangible sign of the difference Andreas has made in his community. Andreas has donated to a number of organizations and Faribault schools for years, beginning with a Farmers Insurance program that matched donations to area schools. But when that program

ended, Andreas kept giving. Today, he donates $100 to each Faribault Public school every month, and asks teacher to select what they’d like him to purchase with the money. When the program began, Andreas said last week. he expected he’d be buying cases of folders, notebooks and pens. But instead he’s purchased items like specialized seating that can be moved to fit a space and number of students, and some for active kids who find sitting still a challenge. That assistance, Andreas said, has come from other Farmers agents and district managers who he’s met along the way. That help has brought him to a place where he’s able to help others. “I like to give back. It makes me feel good to know someone is benefitting,” he said, describing the happiness he’s seen in the students’ eyes when they’re using something he helped purchase for the schools. “I don’t do it for the recognition,” Andreas said. “I do it to help others. I sometimes wish I had more money to help others.”

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Brian Schmidt, left, and Brian Klier were honored Wednesday as Hidden Gems for their efforts to preserve and promote Faribault’s history. (Andrew Deziel/Faribault Daily News)

Brian Schmidt

Brian Schmidt currently serves as the president of the Rice County Historical Society. When he’s not working at Malt O’Meal/Post Consumer Brands, the Faribault native loves to share his immense passion for Rice County history with the community. Schmidt wasn’t much for history in high school, but his interest in local history was piqued when he started to explore the then-abandoned Fleckenstein Brewery and found hundreds of old, unique bottles. Schmidt ultimately donated the bottles and other Fleckenstein artifacts to the Rice County Historical Society and soon became deeply involved as a volunteer. Schmidt says he’s always eager to see what historical artifacts people bring to the historical society on a daily basis. Schmidt noted that even though many of the Historical Society’s collections are full of simple relics that had meaning to only a small number of people, those artifacts can still give someone a unique sense of what life in Faribault used to be like. Schmidt is grateful that he can play a role in preserving a little bit of Rice County’s past for future generations to appreciate and gives tremendous credit to the Historical Society’s volunteers and thousands of members, who he says are like family to him. “It’s easy for a person to be a volunteer because we have such a great group of people,” he said.

Brian Klier

Like Schmidt, Klier is a lifelong

Faribault resident who has worked as a computer technician with the Faribault Public Schools for the last 24 years. Also like Schmidt, Klier said he was never much for history class in high school. Klier’s interest in local history was piqued in part by a more modern piece of history. While at work, Klier learned that photos of Faribault by the Faribault Junior High School’s video and photography club from the 1970s and 1980s were about to be disposed of. Klier saved the slides and donated them to the Rice County Historical Society, but not before scanning them and uploading them online. He’s posted many of them in the Facebook group he moderates, “You know you grew up in Faribault when…” An original user of the group, although not the creator, Klier offered to moderate it after he noticed the quality of the group begin to deteriorate, with few active users and an increased number of spam posts. With Klier as an active moderator and contributing his own unique content, the group has become one of the most popular Faribault-related Facebook groups. Somehow, Klier also finds time to operate the Rice County Skywarn page on Facebook. Klier encouraged community members to find what they are passionate about, and consider spending what free time they have supporting related groups. “If each of us shared one or two things that we are passionate about with the community, I think Faribault would be a much better place,” he said.

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Unsung hero, Mike Fitzpatrick, reacts to the sight of his family and friends as they honored him with a standing ovation and rounds of applause, recognizing him as a Hidden Gems award winner. Virtues Project-Faribault presented a Hidden Gems surprise party at the Faribault American Legion Friday night before the monthly steak night dinner Mike attends with his wife Erlene. (Michelle Vlasak/Faribault Daily News)

Mike Fitzpatrick

When Mike Fitzpatrick walked into the Faribault American Legion with his wife Erlene to attend its monthly steak night dinner in February, he was greeted with a standing ovation and a round of applause from family and friends. Fitzpatrick grew surprised upon realizing that he had been nominated for the Hidden Gems award for his unselfish devotion of time dedicated to the Armed Forces and local military veterans. Steve Bauer, in the Hidden Gems submission, noted some of the qualities Fitzpatrick displays in his daily life, such as humility, commitment and dedication to all past and present veterans. He first realized how dedicated Fitzpatrick was in honoring veterans during Shieldsville’s first Memorial Day event. Fitzpatrick, a Shieldsville native, read off the names of deceased veterans in the area with a quiver in his voice, and when he reached his dad’s name, Bauer heard Fitzpatrick’s voice crack. “Every event I attended after that, I would look up and Mike was there bringing and operating the PA system, every Memorial Day and Fourth of July I look up and there is Mike. Veterans Day? You got it, there was Mike again,” said Bauer in his speech. “He’s always there standing in the back, without a word.”

Fitzpatrick has volunteered countless hours in providing and operating a public address system for local Fourth of July and Veterans Day celebrations and events. He has spent many of those hours without regard to the rain, wind or cold to make sure spoken words could be heard by all attendees. He also attends many area parades pulling a float honoring veterans and remembering the POW/ MIAs. Bauer wrote in Fitzpatrick’s nomination that his humility means he’s never looking for thanks or praise, both from those in attendance or those who know him best. His commitment and dedication to past and present veterans, make him a true American unsung patriot and hero. “Being a son and a nephew of two World War II veterans, brother-in-law to several veterans, nephews and nieces, everyone served but me,” said Fitzpatrick during the program with a tear in his eye. “I feel it’s only my duty to serve them back, and why not? That’s why we are Americans and that’s why we’re free.” Fitzpatrick urged those in attendance to follow in his footsteps, adding that it’s not hard to do. He said the award was very unexpected, joking that it was “probably the biggest surprise since [he] was born.”

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Heidi Nelson took over as executive director of the Paradise Center for the Arts earlier this year. (Photo courtesy of Heidi Nelson)

In Paradise

Heidi Nelson leads the arts center with “Pronoia” By IAIN CARLOS intern@northfieldnews.com

here is no room for paranoia in the mind of Heidi Nelson. Instead, she brims with “pronoia” — a belief that the universe and all of its inhabitants are conspiring to do good. Human potential is infinite and positivity is the only prerequisite for success in her worldview.

That outlook has served Nelson well throughout her life’s journey. Though her current role as executive director of the Paradise Center for the Arts is the latest dream she’s manifested, the universe has helped her realize others along the way. Nelson is a unique breed: half Faribault native, half

cosmopolitan. The majority of her upbringing was in Faribault — that’s where she first rode a bike with no hands, where she first babysat, where she had her first kiss. She was gregarious even back then, and she made relationships that she still enjoys today. In her late adolescence, her parents decided to leave

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Moved by the journey and the weight of the moment, Nelson promised to return to Podensac in the summer. The other travelers looked at her quizzically. Come back — what did she Heidi Nelson is Executive Director of mean? the Paradise Center for the Arts. She’s Eureka. Nelequal parts Faribault-hometownson then knew woman and cosmopolitan, and her she wanted to can-do attitude permeates every organize trips aspect of her life. She has served on for her next line the Faribault Chamber of Commerce, of work. She organizes all-women trips, and ran a club dedicated to helping also knew she businesswomen. She will draw upon still wanted to her natural leadership skills and help women gregariousness as she steers the realize their Paradise into the future. dreams. So she decided she would become a life coach who takes women on trips without their romantic partners. Now, that sounds like a bit of a niche market, but the universe was on Nelson’s side. She led a group of women to France last summer. Perhaps she’s less a dreamer and more a prophet. She was planning another trip this summer, but it will likely be delayed due to COVID-19. Alongside her work as a life coach, Nelson became interim executive director of the Paradise Center for the Arts in November, and was hired for the permanent role in March. She had been on the Paradise board since May — but when the Paradise’s previous executive director took Heidi Nelson has dabbled in decorating, insurance, real estate, worked at Reliance Bank and sat on the board of the Faribault Chamber of Commerce. (Photo courtesy of Heidi Nelson) another job, she knew she’d be a fit for the position. Nelson’s limitless optimism and willingness to talk with anybody makes her perfect for the job, Paradise Director for South Dakota. She wouldn’t return to Faribault for Pondering her next step, Nelson recalled one of the of Operations Julie Fakler said. t20enty years. During that time, Nelson had a number of highlights of her career as a Chamber of Commerce Board “She’s really good at developing relationships and then careers and homes. She was a secretary, a legal assistant, Member. It was maintaining those a stay-at-home mom and a business owner. She lived in 2018, and Nov. relationships Apple Valley, Burnsville, South Rapids and Woodstock, 11 of that year with people in Georgia. But her fond memories of youth beckoned for her marked the the community,” to return to Faribault, which she did in 2003. 100th anniverFakler said. “She’s Upon returning home, her journey woman streak sary of Armistice very welcoming continued. She dabbled in decorating, insurance, real Day, the end of and she’s very estate, worked at Reliance Bank and sat on the board of the hostilities on the concerned about Faribault Chamber of Commerce. But, she wanted somewestern front of everyone. She’s thing different. Nelson decided to speak to a life coach four the first World very friendly, she’s years ago, and she came away knowing she wanted to help War. As soldiers accommodating.” women in business. So she decided to form a group tasked from Faribault Warmth aside, with that as its mission. Heidi’s Clubhouse was born, a fought for the all of the relationboon for the female entrepreneurial spirit in Faribault. Allies in the ships that Nelson The businesswomen would meet downtown at the Great War, the made in Faribault Fleckenstein Building. They shared tips, offered each town of Podenin her youth and other emotional support and brought in speakers to share sac, France, inupon returning advice. The role was tailor made for Nelson. She got to be a vited the people have been handy leader, she got to be social and most of all, she got to imbue of Faribault to in her new role. the minds of others with her optimism — each meeting celebrate Armi“I think she another step in solidifying their dreams. The women could stice Day with loves Faribault,” feed off of one another, pronoia at its finest. them. Faribault Fakler said. “She But, things changed when Nelson needed foot surgery sent a delegaseems to know about a year ago. She knew she would need time to recover tion to Podensac, Heidi Nelson founded Heidi’s Clubhouse which encourage area women in everybody in business. (Photo courtesy of Heidi Nelson) and that she’d be less mobile for a while. So she put Heidi’s which Nelson Faribault. She has Clubhouse on ice. A moment’s despair would’ve probably was a part of. The a good handle on been understandable. But for Nelson, the foot surgery was delegation connected strongly with the people of Podenthe history of Faribault, the people.” another sign from the universe. It was simply time to do sac. Between that connection and the remembrance of the uuu something else. hallowed day, everyone involved was shedding tears.

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“Heidi is securing the future of the organization. She’s rescheduling important events, she’s staying in connection with the stakeholders. With everything being cancelled, all of those connections are really important to maintain.” Kymn Anderson

A firm believer that the world around us conspires to help us do good, Nelson’s newest role as executive director of the Paradise Center for Arts may be her most challenging yet. (Photo courtesy of Heidi Nelson)

That social competence is critical because the executive director is responsible for the Paradise’s fundraising efforts. Financial stability is always important — doubly so in the COVID-19-era. “Heidi is securing the future of the organization,” said Paradise Board member Kymn Anderson. “She’s rescheduling important events, she’s staying in connection with the stakeholders. With everything being cancelled, all of those connections are really important to maintain.” And because Paradise is an artistic and economic crown jewel of Faribault, its survival is connected to the prosperity of the city itself.

“It’s something about the arts in general,” Anderson said. “The opportunity for people to express themselves and share meaningful information around the arts, whether it’s a performance or music. Maybe it’s learning a new skill or trying something like watercolor or pottery for the first time. All of those activities that the Paradise offers are community building activities. It’s a really really important asset for building our community.” Luckily for Paradise, Nelson doesn’t let go of her dreams. Reach Intern Iain Carlos at 507-645-1117.

Nate Chappuis, right, prepares to turn the Chamber Board chair gave over to Heidi Nelson, center in February 2018. Also pictured is Chamber President Nort Johnson. (Daily News file photo)

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Brown gives the Martin Luther King Jr. Day welcome address at South Central College in January 2020. (Daily News file photo)

Numbers guy with a big heart South Central VP busts stereotypes with mathematical and people skills By IAIN CARLOS intern@northfieldnews.com

he cliche data wizard is a recluse — or at the very least more comfortable sifting through the numbers than making small talk. The typical socialite, on the other hand, can read a room and remember a million faces, but lacks the granular cognition for dry, cold, statistical analysis. Narren Brown, vice president of research and institutional effectiveness at South Central College, is grander than these archetypes. He shifts between conversations and datasets with grace — a skill that distinguishes him

as a gift to Faribault. It isn’t just ability that sets Brown apart though — it’s compassion. He views his quantitative research for South Central College as a civic duty. For Brown, education is a “great equalizer,” particularly in the case of a community college like South Central. The community college has an obvious function — to augment the hearts and minds of its students, which is great, Brown said. But what people don’t often realize is that the alumni of community colleges are very likely to

remain in the place they were educated. That means the work Nelson is doing for South Central College isn’t just contributing to the spirits of its students, but the spirit of Faribault itself. Considering that Brown has already become such an integral part of the Faribault community, it’s hard to believe he has only been here a few short years. So how did he get here? Brown’s beginnings in higher education saw him puruuu

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“I think in the sense of working in academia I have found my calling. I don’t foresee me ever going corporate and doing statistics for some think tank or some company. I believe in what academia sells. And by that I mean education is a great equalizer, and as long as I can work in academia, that’s what I’m going to do.” - Narren Brown

Brown and his Faribault’s Future class work on the pollinator garden outside the Buckham Memorial Library (Photo courtesy of Narren Brown)

sue an undergraduate degree in political science from Lu- while getting his Ph.D. ther College. At that time, he wasn’t well-versed in statistics Right after graduate school, Brown got a job at Grinnell — numbers actually scared him back then. His education College as the assistant director of analytic support and focused mostly on abstract political theory and the socratic institutional research. He liked that gig a lot, but when a method, the standard research-based adminintellectual diet of a istrative role opened liberal arts student. up at South Central, After graduating the lure of leadership from Luther, Brown and a new adventure pursued a master’s were too much for in political science Brown to refuse. and then a Ph.D. in A couple of years education leadership into the job, Brown and policy studies at also became dean Iowa State University. of South Central’s It was during his Faribault campus graduate studies that and a permanent Brown discovered his Faribault resident. The two roles require passion for quantitadistinct skill sets — tive research. While one sees Brown fish he enjoyed teaching undergraduate for meaning in a sea courses in statistics of data, the other during his master’s sees him navigate program, he discovday to day happenered his true love was ings on campus. doing administrative In his research Narren Brown eyes the Buckham Memorial Library pollinator garden educational research role, Brown creates during its creation. (Photo courtesy of Narren Brown)

predictive models to determine how South Central can most efficiently allocate its financial and human capital. Considering the economic hardships that colleges and universities are facing — like the coming demographic cliff of potential students created by the 2008 recession and a fluctuating American economy ravaged by COVID-19 — the kind of analysis Brown provides is a boon for the institution. He also uses data to aid South Central’s students. Sometimes that means determining aspects of the institution that are unknowingly functioning as barriers to academic success. Sometimes it means determining when the college needs to intervene if a student is struggling. “You’re not going far enough if you just say ‘the student wasn’t ready for college,” Brown said. “You’ve got to make a college student-ready.” Says President/CEO of Faribault’s Chamber of Commerce Nort Johnson: “The work that’s done out of South Central College changes outlooks for many people on and for life. The importance of top-notch staff at our local technical college is paramount. Narren’s expertise and his genuine caring about students and about people has definitely had an impact with students.” As for his other role, nowhere in Brown’s dean of Faribault campus job description does it require he participate in extra-collegiate efforts to advance Faribault’s prosperity. Yet Brown believes that, in order to be an effective leader of a community college, he has to put in the time to get to

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Brown poses with members of his Faribault’s Future class at the annual Chamber Membership Gala in February 2020. (Photo courtesy of Narren Brown)

move because the 3 Ten Event Center is becoming pillar of Faribault’s economy. It’s remarkable how much Brown’s ethos is tethered to his sense of duty to the community. He always has more to give, even after he’s clocked out. “I think in the sense of working in academia I have found my calling,” Brown said. “I don’t foresee me ever going corporate and doing statistics for some think tank or some company. I believe in what academia sells. And by that I mean education is a great equalizer, and as long as I can work in academia, that’s what I’m going to do.” Reach Intern Iain Carlos at 507-645-1117.

data up in any way that you need to have it to get the picture that you’re trying to find about projects. He helped us with some membership data analysis. The guy is incredible, very brilliant.” One of Brown’s fondest memories of city service thus far is helping finalize the forgivable loan that the HRA provided the 3 Ten Event Center to redevelop the building. He’s especially proud of the

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Narren Brown and his Faribault’s Future class construct a pollinator garden at the Buckham Memorial Library. The garden was designed to attract insects like bees that pollinate plants. (Photo courtesy of Narren Brown)

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know the community. He currently serves the Housing and Redevelopment Authority, the Rice County Area United Way and the Faribault Main Street Board, and interfaces with a number of other groups. “One of the things I’ve grown to appreciate about Narren is that he’s very concerned about his community,” said Faribault Main Street Board member Royal Ross. “He’s concerned about the employers, the employees, he’s really come to appreciate the Faribault community and he cares about it deeply.” Like his service for South Central, Brown is able to draw upon his varied skill set to benefit these groups. “He’s one of the most analytical people I know,” said President/CEO of Faribault’s Chamber of Commerce Nort Johnson. “He’s actually spent a little additional time sharing his expertise with us on some projects. He can dice

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Witness to city’s history

Even in retirement, Schreiber keeps telling Faribault’s stories By IAIN CARLOS intern@northfieldnews.com

journalist serves society in many ways, and one of those ways is being a witness to history. In Faribault, no one has done that better than Pauline Schreiber, whose decades-long tenure at the Faribault Daily News saw her record the triumph and tragedy of the land, document its visitors and illuminate its rich cast of characters. Over the years, the Daily News switched from using typewriters to computers, its newsroom grew and shrank, and it adopted new layout styles, but Schreiber’s careful, honest reporting never changed.

During her tenure, Schreiber covered a plethora of beats — from education to the City Council, from court cases to notable events — her ears and eyes were everywhere. When the River Bend Nature Center first opened in 1978, she was there, reporting, and she’d write articles about its new interns every year. She remembers standing in front of the vacant Paradise Theater with a representative when it was purchased with plans for to restore and turn it into the Paradise Center for the Arts Faribault knows today. She was there when Hilary Clinton visited Faribault in 1996 to speak about early childhood development. With

TOP LEFT: Now retired, Pauline Schreiber long worked as a reporter for the Faribault Daily News, chronicling the city’s history with her stories. (Photo courtesy of Pauline LEFT: Pauline Schreiber and Don Hora show off some exhibits at the Rice County Historical Society booth in April 2018 at the Marketplace Expo. (Daily News file photo)

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Pauline Schreiber is seen with several images of Faribault’s early residents, including its founder and namesake, Alexander Faribault. (Photo courtesy of Pauline Schreiber)

is also a member of AAUW, fondly recalls showing up to a convention wearing viking helmets and carrying swords. She spearheads a number of other efforts as well. Alongside Rice, Schreiber is president of the Faribault Scandinavian club — which meets about six times a year to celebrate the Northern European heritage of many city residents. Schreiber also serves as “the everlasting president” of Gardeners Reaching out with Service (GROWS) — a group dedicated to maintaining and enhancing Faribault’s natural beauty. Her dedication to natural beauty isn’t limited to her work with GROWS. Whenever she has free time, Schreiber visits the River Bend Nature Center, Sakatah State Park and other havens of natural tranquility whenever she can. She likes to take in her surroundings moment by moment and photograph them for future viewing. She’s had a love of nature since she was a little girl, she said. After finishing up a long career at the Daily News, Schreiber found herself still wanting to write, especially her beloved features about community members. That desire spurred her to pick up the pen again, this time for the Rice County Historical Society. Instead of getting to know the current residents of Rice County, she now delves deep into uuu

camera in hand, Schreiber followed the then First Lady as she sauntered into the Fourth Avenue United Methodist Church, speaking with Faribault children. Though Schreiber has become a staple of the Faribault community over the years, she was actually born and raised in Salt Lake, Wisconsin. It was her dream of becoming a reporter that brought her to Faribault when she heard the Daily News had a job opening. Despite being a young outsider when she arrived, she was immediately able to take the pulse of the community, connect with its people and get involved in the goings-on, said Schreiber’s close friend Pat Rice. In no time at all, it seemed, Schreiber knew the city like the back of her hand. That familiarity is due in part to her reporting on the community, but it is also due to Schreiber’s penchant for volunteer work. One institution that she has been particularly proud to work with is Faribault’s chapter of the American Association of University Women, which works to advance equity for women and girls. That work has seen Schreiber rise to the rank of president. Under Schreiber’s leadership, the group has maintained the tradition of attending AAUW conventions in “big fancy” hats. Rice, who

Pauline Schrieber and several members of Gardeners Reaching out with Service (GROWS) celebrate the organization’s 25th anniversary. The group tends the gardens in Central Park and raises money to plant trees in the city. (Photo courtesy of Pauline Schreiber)

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“The impact is there on the history. Because I was one of the longest, consistent reporters, I gave some continuity to the reporting. I could tell people the history of the paper.” - Pauline Schrieber

Edward Bastyr (left) and Pauline Schreiber dump dirt on one of the three Princeton elm trees their group planted in Village Park on Saturday morning, April 21, 2012, for their Arbor Day celebration. Schreiber led a short Arbor Day ceremony before the group planted the trees, which were just three of 21 planted in Faribault parks over the last couple of days. (Daily News file photo)

Pauline Schreiber poses in a fancy hat. (Photo courtesy of Pauline Schreiber)

its past, learning everything she can about the county’s residents of old. Aside from writing articles, she also serves as the Board’s secretary and gives visitors tours of historic areas — she especially likes showing off the home of the city’s namesake, the Alexander Faribault House. Looking back at her career and volunteer efforts, she’s been fortunate to live in a city that is constantly changing for the better and shelters so many people willing to work for the good of all, Schreiber said. With pride, she recalls the opening of Ruth’s House of Hope, which provides a transitional home for women and children in crisis. She also happily remembers the opening of the HOPE Center, which helps victims of domestic and sexual violence. And she likes remembering her reporting on the expansion of Buckham West, the city’s senior center. These three institutions have been a massive boon for Faribault, and harbingers of the community’s good spirit, Schreiber said. Other institutions, like the Paradise Center for the Arts and the Historical Society, help

keep Faribault’s culture thriving, she added. In her personal life, Schreiber has been a great friend to Rice and others — she’s consistently compassionate. “I think she has a wonderful kindness for people, especially older people,” Rice said. “There have been several older people in her life that she has called and just made their lives better.” As for the impact of her work, Schreiber is happy she has preserved so many of Faribault’s twists and turns as the city has moved through time. With her articles, she has immortalized Faribault’s fallen, she has chronicled institutional change and she kept the public in the know. When historians look back at Faribault, it is more than likely they’ll cull from Schreiber’s titanic reservoir of contributions. “The impact is there on the history. Because I was one of the longest, consistent reporters, I gave some continuity to the reporting. I could tell people the history of the paper.” Reach Intern Iain Carlos at 507-645-1117.

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South Central College President Annette Parker, left, and Minnesota State Chancellor Devinder Malhotra, right, listen during a Nov. 28, 2018 regional workforce development discussion that included a tour of the Faribault campus’ machine tool technology and carpentry programs. Kathy Feldbrugge with Rice County Economic Development, center, also attended the tour. (Daily News file photo)

One student at a time Forming community partnerships the key to Parker’s success By GRACE BRANDT editor@faribault.com

f you attend a graduation ceremony at South Central College, and you pay close attention, you will start to notice something about certain students. It won’t be every student, but some of them will be wearing starfish bookmarks pinned to their gowns. The starfish are a reference to the famous story about a man throwing starfish back into the sea. When another man scoffs at him and says he’ll never make a difference because of all the starfish that have washed up on the beach, the first man throws another starfish back into the waves and says, “I made a difference for that one.”

When Dr. Annette Parker, president of South Central College, first heard this story while pursuing her master’s degree in teaching, it had a profound effect on her. In fact, her first act when she came to South Central in 2013 was to order starfish bookmarks and hand them out to her students, a tradition she has continued to this day. However, she wasn’t expecting a new tradition — that of her students proudly wearing the starfish as badges on graduation day — to begin as well. “Every year, there are students who walk across the stage with starfish on their gowns,” she said. “It took me

a moment the first year to notice they were doing it, and I asked one of the students why. They said, ‘We did it for you.’ It’s moments like that that make teaching and education and the awesome responsibility that we have so amazing and rewarding.”

An unconventional path Parker was born in Jackson, Michigan, and later moved to Lansing, where she attended Parkside High School. She uuu

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INTERNATIONAL TEAMWORK For the past several months, Parker has been one of many Faribault players working to develop an innovative relationship with business owners from Japan, in the hopes of expanding trade and investment in Rice County. This has grown out of existing partnerships that Faribault has already cultivated from international companies, such as Daikin Applied. In February 2018, Japanese Consul General Naoki Ito visited Faribault, touring the facilities of Daikin and fellow internationally held company SageGlass. Afterward, he recommended that Faribault’s city officials apply for a newly developed program offered through the Japan Foundation, which allows for local government officials to travel to Japan and meet leaders in business and industry. The goal of the program is to develop relationships and foster economic investment. In May 2019, several of Faribault’s city officials traveled to Japan, while Parker was part of a group that went on a second trip to Japan that June. In Japan, Parker and other team members met with business leaders through the Japanese External Trade Organization (JETRO), members of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Japanese Foreign Ministry. Parker said she was asked to participate in these efforts because of South Central’s strong role in the Faribault community and Rice County region as a whole. “[Japan] believes in workforce development and making sure that you’ve got an educated, trained workforce, and I wanted to play that role to make sure that they understand that we have cooperation here in Faribault, and we’d be ready,” she said. “It’s the type of partnership with government, with education and with business that, if they were to invest in Faribault, all of those pieces are there.” Following the two trips, Parker was also involved in meetings with the Consulate this February. The meetings revolved around the workforce development needs of Daikin and other companies, along with information about South Central’s apprenticeship and training programs that are offered at Daikin. While more work has been done in the past few months, Parker said she hasn’t been as involved, since she was already able to share “her message” and help get the ball rolling. “I think we sent a strong message about Minnesota and about Faribault,” she said. “My role was to go and say, ‘We’re together, we’ve got all these pieces, this is what we can do.’ I think we sent that message, and it led to follow-up meetings to Japan. We’re still communicating [with Japan]. I just received a communication from the consulate [recently] inviting us to an event. We’re still on their radar.”

said she loved art class but “wasn’t the best student,” which — along with her parents’ financial state — led her to believe that college wasn’t a realistic option for her. “I didn’t have anyone to really talk to me about heading for to college,” she said, explaining that her parents hadn’t pursued higher education (though her mother did eventually go back to school). “I didn’t even think that it was a possibility for me.” Instead, once she graduated, she found a job working for General Motors. At the time, the company was experiencing unprecedented growth at its Michigan plants. Parker worked in pretty much every position during her 11 years at GM, from driving a forklift to manning the assembly line, as well as working in “investment recovery,” where she would sell machine tooling and equipment to companies. Along the way, she also married fellow GM employee Jeff Parker, who was actually an old childhood friend who had reconnected with her at the Michigan plant. They eventually had three children. However, while things started out rosy, Parker said ABOVE: South Central College President Annette Parker, left, was one of several Faribault leaders who visited Japan in 2019. The delegation, invited by Japanese business leaders to encourage foreign direct investment in the city. Also pictured is Rice County Commissioner Steve Underdahl, second from left, and state Sen. John Jasinski, right. (Photo courtesy of South Central College) LEFT: Annette Parker takes in the scenery during her 2019 visit to Japan with other Faribault officials. (Photo courtesy of South Central College)

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OTHER INITIATIVES Parker has also had great success teaming up with area businesses, finding ways that the college can serve industry needs. When Jones Metal in Mankato needed more trained welders, it donated funds to upgrade South Central College’s welding lab. Crystal Valley Co-op donated more than $100,000 to create SCC’s Agribusiness Experiential Learning Lab, while the Mankato Clinic donated $350,000 in 2018 to upgrade nursing labs. But Parker’s collaborations extend much farther than Faribault’s businesses. During her time serving on the White House’s Advanced Manufacturing Partnership (AMP) Steering Committee in 2013, she successfully secured a $15 million Department of Labor Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training grant, which she used to help increase apprenticeship training opportunities. Working with area companies, she helps fill muchneeded employee positions with South Central students, who can work and learn at the same time. Just last year, Faribault-based business Daikin Applied and South Central were awarded a $400,000 Minnesota Job Skills Partnership grant by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development to expand the program.

Annette Parker speaks at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology at 2019 AI and the Work of the Future Congress. (Photo courtesy of South Central College)

the situation at GM didn’t stay that way. “Things started changing,” she said. “That was the early stages of when the whole climate at GM and sales were starting to slide … so [we] had this typical American family conversation at the dinner table, and we realized that maybe the jobs that we thought we would retire from would not be there in the future. We decided that someone needed to go back to school. It made sense for that to be me and Jeff continued to work and support the family.” Parker started attending classes at Lansing Community College, deciding to take advantage of her interest in art to pursue a drafting degree. Although she said she felt “too old” to attend classes with 18-year-old students (though she

was herself only in her mid-20s), she persevered and earned was a job as a student employee at minimum wage, [and] I her degree in 1989. accepted it. I went upstairs to get my degree audit time, and the department chair offered me the same type of job in the construction and engineering department helping students Discovering a new passion in the drafting lab. So I took both.” For Parker, earning a degree was a monumental accom- A week later, the administration told her that she plishment — but it was actually what came right before that couldn’t have two student jobs, but they were so eager to keep her that they gave her a promotion that enabled her to totally changed the course of her life. She explained that continue doing what she was doing. as she was on her way to meet with her department chair “So I got a promotion after a week so that they could to finalize her degree, a faculty member from the campus machine shop stopped her and asked if she wanted to work keep me,” she said with a laugh. “I doubled my salary in a week’s time on the job.” at the college. “My teachers observed me helping students,” she said. “It Parker added that GM was already going through layoffs

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NOT HER FIRST RODEO The recent work with Japan isn’t the first time that Parker has formed international partnerships. During her time serving at Kentucky Community and Technical College in the early 2000s, she acted as system executive director of AMTEC (Automotive Manufacturing Technical Education Collaborative), which was eventually recognized as a National Center of Excellence in Advanced Automotive Manufacturing (thanks in large part to Parker’s efforts) in 2008. AMTEC is a unique collaboration between community and technical colleges and industry partners to train technicians and manufacturing engineers. The partnership included 14 states and 35 automotive plants, as well as partners in Germany.

“I knew that I could help build the kind of partnership and collaboration because I’d done it before. I knew that you can’t just build it and they will come. You’ve got to grow the enrollment. You have to open it to the community, so that the community sees it as a resource and part of the community. I would say we’ve been very successful in that — in really paying attention to Faribault.” Parker has also helped lead the way for South Central to connect more other institutions of learning, including Faribault High School. Working with Faribault’s Chamber of Commerce, South Central implemented the P-TECH model (which Forming new relationships stands for Pathways in Technology Early Parker started at South Central in July College High School), one of the first to 2013, right as construction began on the be implemented in Minnesota, through college’s Faribault campus. She is the colthe Minnesota Department of Education. lege’s first female president and first person This model allows students in grades 10-11 of color to be president. Since she arrived, to receive college credit for certain classes she has been “very successful” at helping that prepare them for work in underserved advance several of the college’s goals, inindustries, such as the health sector. They’re cluding strengthening technical programs, also able to obtain internships, apprenticedeveloping legislation for the PIPELINE ships and jobs in the sector while earning Program (which gives local businesses the college credits for their time. If students chance to integrate on-the-job training with choose wisely, they can end up graduating services from local educational institutions high school with an associate’s degree as such as South Central), and increasing well, at no cost to them. opportunities for apprenticeships in the The list of programs and initiatives Faribault area. that Parker has implemented during her However, Parker said one of the things relatively short tenure at South Central is she’s “most proud of ” is helping grow impressive. But whether she’s negotiating enrollment at the Faribault campus after the a million-dollar donation or organizing buildings were open. The key was to form a an international partnership, for her, it all strong partnership from the Faribault com- comes back to one main goal: helping her munity, from living there herself (she’s the students. first SCC president to live in Faribault) to “I always went into teaching to make a helping students form community-minded difference in the lives of my students,” she campus organizations. said. “I think that’s what makes a difference “We were just starting the construction today.” on the Faribault campus when I came here, and that’s how I knew I was a fit,” she said. Grace Brandt is a freelance writer based in Mankato. gaining experience teaching everyone from high school students to college students to corporate employees. Eventually, a master’s degree and doctorate followed. After several years in administrative positions, Parker received a call from a search firm asking if she’d be interested in applying for the newly vacant presidency of South Central College in Minnesota. “I didn’t think I was ready, [but] they convinced me I was,” she said. “And here I am.”

Annette Parker, her husband, Jeff Parker, their children and grandchildren share a snuggle. (Photo courtesy of Annette Parker)

at this time and offering employee “buyouts,” where employees could receive a lump sum for leaving the company but still be eligible for their pensions. She and her husband decided that it would be best for her to take the buy-out and start working at Lansing Community College. She started as a faculty member — the college’s first

female faculty member and first person of color faculty member — in January 1990. While Parker had originally planned on pursuing a degree in engineering, she found that she enjoyed teaching so much that she switched to that instead. She enrolled at Ferris State University and earned a degree in secondary education,

TAKING A RIDE

needed for future success. Her goal was to align SCC’s programs with these future needs.

beneficial similar partnerships could be for the Faribault region.

One of the first things Parker did when she arrived on SCC’s campus — besides ordering starfish bookmarks — was to organize a bus tour.

In addition, she invited these industry leaders on a little trip to Gateway Technical College in Kenosha, Wisconsin — about a six-hour trip. She explained that Gateway Technical College has formed impressive partnerships with the federal and state government, employers and area educators, and she wanted employers to see how

“We went over there for two days, and it really created a vision of what we could do together that [paid] dividends all the time I’ve been here,” she said. “Sometimes, you just need to see a model and create a vision.”

Working with the Faribault Area Chamber of Commerce, she researched all the industry sectors in the region, reaching out to area employers to ask when they

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Inspired & inspiring

Jeff Jarvis captures Faribault’s beauty in word and in art By IAIN CARLOS intern@northfieldnews.com

uch of his time is spent watching Cedar Lake ripple and glimmer from sun kisses. For Jeff Jarvis, an accomplished Faribault artist and historian, the natural wrinkles of Rice County are irresistible. He absorbs the lakes, the trees and the wildflowers as often as he can. He captures paradise with his camera and his sketchpad early in the day — food for his creations and his soul. “The more you look at something, the more it becomes you,” he said. Perusing Jarvis’s art, each piece feels like a meditation, hard-earned from hours upon hours of studying the natural world as it unfolds around him. When Jarvis looks for a subject, he gazes with a “detached” view. Ego-death ensues — the

boundaries between Jarvis and what he’s looking at blur — if they even exist at all. It is in these magnificent states that he catches “super doses” of beauty. Like any artist, Jarvis creates because he loves to create. But it is also these soul-elevating trances that perpetually draw Jarvis to peer out onto the horizon. Luckily for those lacking the capacity to grasp at the blissful abyss, Jarvis translates it onto paper, film and canvas. This contemplation is visible in a number of Jarvis’s works. Grapes, a watercolor, is simultaneously an unaltered embodiment of reality and impressionism. In it, the grapevine consists of two colorless shadows coiling together into a double helix, like a ghostly DNA. The grapevine lies horizontally with the left tip pointing downward and the right tip

TOP: Faribault’s Jeff Jarvis with his dog Bubba. (Photo courtesy of Jeff Jarvis) LEFT: Jarvis’s digital painting “Escape at Dusk.” (Image courtesy of Jeff Jarvis)

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“Over the years my appreciation keeps growing for Faribault. It is such a lovely city — the sandstone bluffs surrounding downtown, the rivers, and the historic architecture are all qualities that continue to inspire me.” - Jeff Jarvis

pointing upward. Interspersed between each inch of the vine are brilliant batches of purple grapes. Some of the grapes bulge, ready to release their sweet juice. Others timidly cling to what little juice they have. Jarvis could’ve chosen to communicate this size variance with shape and perspective in an appeal to logic. Instead, he communicates it with the violence or pacifism of each individual grape’s color. Some of the grapes are muscular warriors, taking what they want when they want it. Others are emaciated, relying on charisma and inconspicuousness to survive. Behind the grapes lie wilting leaves trapped somewhere in between life and death. Alive enough to inspire hope, but dead enough to crumble under pressure. Another piece of his, Escape at Dusk, is a bit moodier. The sun is tucked behind either an island or the pointed end of a peninsula. It is not a pulsating orb of heat, but rather a white void and the piece’s only true stillness, barrenness. The sky and the water are a range of golds with blackness looming at the edges, scheming. The trees, the grass and the shadows they cast are all composed of straight green lines, with only brightness uuu Jeff Jarvis with his wife Dorothy. (Photo courtesy of Kristin Sjolie)

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Faribault artist Jeff Jarvis offers a class through Faribault Community School at both Jefferson Elementary and Faribault Middle schools. Pictured from left, second-grader Kylie Munoz watches Jarvis draw first-grader Zahara Abdulahi in November 2018. (Daily News file photo)

and context divorcing them. The slant of the land leads the viewer’s eye to the water, which reflects the green of the trees and the blinding white of the sun. The reflections are mere disconnected lines, one level of complexity diminished from their already minimalistic forefathers. Jarvis’s flexibility across mediums and his thoughtful touch have been honed through years of practice in various domains. He studied advertising design at what’s now Minnesota State University, Mankato, did design work for a software company and later Faribault’s “Buckham Bulletin.” In 2017, he left the city job to further develop his art and design business at West Cedar Studio on Cedar Lake. Jarvis thinks his affinity for art comes from his father. He remembers his dad would carve and draw, and would encourage a young Jarvis to do the same. “He was the most creative person I ever met,” Jarvis said. Along with encouraging Jarvis’s artistic side, his father would take him to the Alexander Faribault House when he was a little boy. These visits spurred Jarvis’s penchant for history, especially local history. As Jarvis aged, he’s researched more and more about Faribault and greater Rice County’s past. He’s written two books about the Faribault Woolen Mill, and he is working on one about the historic mills of the Cannon Valley.

“I firmly believe that he is a regional authority on milling and these river valleys,” said Roy Anderson, Jarvis’s friend and fellow writer.

“Anybody can write about red brick walls and the machinery. But really what drives the story of the Faribault Woolen Mill is the people.” - Jeff Jarvis

As with any historical research, Jarvis has spent his fair share of time mulling over historical photographs and documents. But the most fascinating part of his work has been interviewing the descendants of the mill workers, Jarvis said. Each family Jarvis spoke to had interesting stories to tell, and Jarvis was proud to document history that had yet to be captured. “Anybody can write about red brick walls and the machinery,” Jarvis said. “But really what drives the story of the Faribault Woolen Mill is the people.” That research helped Jarvis contextualize his identity

TOP LEFT: “Steeples & Towers,” a collection of steeple and tower images from residential, religious and academic architecture in Faribault. (Image courtesy of Jeff Jarvis) BOTTOM LEFT:“Windows” — Jeff Jarvis’s poster design features a collection of the decorative Italianate windows from historic downtown Faribault. (Image courtesy of Jeff Jarvis)

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AUTHOR, WRITER, HISTORIAN Jeff Jarvis is an artist, writer and historian. He has bountiful knowledge of Faribault and its surrounding area, and has encapsulated his appreciation for the city in his artwork and his nonfiction work. He has written two books about the Faribault Woolen Mill, and he is working on one about the historic mills of the Cannon Valley. For year, he put together the city’s “Buckham Bulletin” newsletter, and now dedicates as much time as he can to working at his West Cedar Studio.

and his relationship with the city of Faribault. With pride and admiration, Jarvis describes how his great grandfather’s settling in Faribault in 1900. He was a steam engineer and he found work at the first electric production plant in Faribault. Soon after he became an engineer at the Sheffield/H.H. King Mill, then on the west side of town. Another of his great grandfathers arrived in 1880. He held two full time jobs, one at the Faribault Woolen Mill and the other at King Mill. It’s clear that Faribault lives deeply within Jarvis. Not merely in his relationships or his work, but in his blood. When Jarvis talks about the fur trade or the work of Bishop Henry Benjamin Whipple and James Lloyd Breck — who

would marry education and faith and develop what would become Shattuck-St. Mary’s School, the excitement in his voice is palpable. It is as if Jarvis’s connection with Faribault is physical and spiritual. Years from now, it is likely that Jarvis’s artistic and historical work will be held up as capsules of Faribault’s truth and beauty. “Over the years my appreciation keeps growing for Faribault. It is such a lovely city — the sandstone bluffs surrounding downtown, the rivers, and the historic architecture are all qualities that continue to inspire me.” Reach Intern Iain Carlos at 507-645-1117.

TOP LEFT: “Faith, Hope, Love & Charity,” a traditional pen and ink drawing by Jeff Jarvis. (Image courtesy of Jeff Jarvis) LEFT: “Grapes” a traditional water color painting by Jeff Jarvis. (Image courtesy of Jeff Jarvis)

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Kanko Akakpovi poses for photo with fellow SNAP-Ed educators. (Photo courtesy of Kanko Akakpovi)

GOOD EATS

Akakpovi enjoys teaching southern Minnesotans healthy habits

he thought she’d become a nurse, but Kanko Akakpovi changed her mind. She didn’t want to wait for patients to come to her — to deal with medical situations when they were already difficult and costly. She wanted to stop crises before they happened. So Akakpovi decided to study community health, and she’s been

By IAIN CARLOS intern@northfieldnews.com applying her preventative philosophy ever since. Akakpovi relishes her job as a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) worker. SNAP-Ed, a University of Minnesota Extension program, aims to provide disadvantaged Minnesotans with nutritional and exercise knowledge, and more access to locally sourced healthy food. This mission sees

Akakpovi tend to three southern Minnesota counties: Le Sueur, Rice and Goodhue. No day is ever the same for Akakpovi. Sometimes she’s teaching classes on how to prepare low-carbohydrate, low-sodium meals. Sometimes she’s working with food bank managers. No matter what the day brings though, her work is always rewarding, Akakpovi said.

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“Our everyday work changes lives. People learn everyday skills that they can apply to their life. They gain knowledge that will essentially help them make some behavioral changes that essentially impact their health in a positive way. For instance, if I go to a site and I teach them about food safety, people learn about that and anything that they learn they also apply to their everyday life.” - Kanko Akakpovi And considering the issues SNAP-Ed seeks to alleviate, it’s easy to understand why Akakpovi is passionate about what she does. According to a 2018 University of Minnesota document describing SNAP-Ed, one out of threelow income adult Minnesotans are obese, four out of five Minnesotans are not getting enough exercise, one out of 10 Minnesotans don’t have enough nutritious food and three out of 10 lack access to healthy food. Aside from the impact these realities have on individual Minnesotans, they’re also a drain Minnesota at large. Medical expenses due to obesity cost Minnesota $3.2 billion in 2017, according to the Minnesota Department of Health website. “Kanko’s role is extremely vital in these counties because she’s there as a resource to provide this direct education but also provide these communities she serves with whatever it is that they may need to gain those tools and knowledge to overcome obesity or other health issues in conjunction with their access to healthy foods,” said Regional Coordinator for SNAP-Ed Susan Draves. How does Akakpovi tackle such a big challenge? It starts with listening to the needs of local communities and tailor-making programming for them. That means Akakpovi spends a lot of her time speaking with elderly, immigrant and low-income Minnesotans about their shopping and eating habits. “It’s more and more fun to work with Kanko because she’s taking her work to the next level based on hearing what the community needs are and then taking it from there,” Draves said. “She’s really a good listener — listening to what the community wants.” In her conversations with elderly resident, especially those living in retirement communities, she’s noticed that they don’t often buy food in bulk and they tend to only cook for one or two people. So the advice she gives them reflects that. She also applies the latest nutritional science and public health research data when working with her clients. “Our everyday work changes lives,” Akakpovi said. “People learn everyday skills that they can apply to their life. They gain knowledge that will essentially help them make some behavioral changes that essentially impact their health in a positive way. For instance, if I go to a site and I teach them about food safety, people learn about that and

TOP: SNAP-Ed Educator Kanko Akakpovi, center, partners with 4-H Program Coordinator Kelly Chadwick (right of Akakpovi) each week at the Faribault Community School to teach students lessons in nutrition in their after-school club at Jefferson. During their Dec 13, 2017 session, Akakpovi and Chadwick incorporated green foods like apples and cucumbers into their curriculum. (Misty Schwab/Faribault Daily News) ABOVE: Kanko Akakpovi, a SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) educator, leads a cooking class through Faribault Community School in November 2018. Pictured from left, Belen Velazquez and Kaylee Ruhling ponder a Jeopardy question Akakpovi reads during their Halloween session. (Daily News file photo)

anything that they learn they also apply to their everyday life.” One of the communities affected most by Akakpovi’s work is Faribault’s Friendship House, a resource center dedicated to serving adults with mental illness. Teaching

Friendship House clients how to cook new things and giving them nutritional tips isn’t just good for their physical health, it’s good for their mental health too, said Friendship uuu

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“As an instructor she’s invaluable. She’s also really warm and approachable, and everybody down there, they really like Kanko. “She’s really patient, really caring. There’s no dumb question.” - Lynda Devine their appreciation and Akakpovi was visibly touched. Another ingredient of Akakpovi’s success is her love of the city of Faribault and the diverse communities that call it home. “The town of Faribault has some pretty dedicated people that are always thinking about an innovative way of making everyone else’s lives better,” Akakpovi said. “Faribault has some significant diversity, but the town is always trying their best to meet those needs. Focusing on food, they have been trying their best at meeting those needs, even though I feel that there’s still some work that needs to be done but we’re all Kanko Akakpovi, right, with clients from the Friendship coming together House show off some of what they’ve cooked. (Photo courtesy of Kanko Akakpovi) in work and trying to make that happen.” House Coordinator Lynda Devine. Even in the era “I’ve had a couple of members, since she’s been there, lose over 60 pounds each,” Devine said. “So that really of COVID-19, increases people’s mental health ability and it’s made a Akakpovi is big impact. People are now reading labels, they’re making working to secure better choices. Not only is it a benefit to the client, it’s a access to food for betterment to society as well.” those who need it. It isn’t just Akakpovi’s wealth of nutritional, food safety She’s still working and food economics knowledge that make her such an at food banks and effective educator though. She also has a creative streak making sure that and a calm demeanor, both of which help her connect with the food supply in clients and conquer barriers to healthy lifestyles. She’ll southern Minoften draw on the Friendship House’s garden and use its nesota remains bounty to craft new dishes. While “healthy food” might not plentiful and acelicit the anticipation of novelty and flavor in the minds of cessible. While she the cynics out there, Akakpovi’s food really does manage to Kanko Akakpovi teaches healthy cooking techniques to clients at Friendship House. (Photo obviously couldn’t appease body and soul simultaneously. Beware not lovers courtesy of Kanko Akakpovi) of salt and carbs — there’s nothing a bit of spice can’t acprevent CO “As an instructor she’s invaluable. She’s also really warm complish. VID-19, Akakpovi’s and approachable, and everybody down there, they really And Akakpovi has the compassion and patience of work to build and maintain southern Minnesota’s health like Kanko,” Devine said. “She’s really patient, really caring. infrastructure has been pivotal in the region’s battle against a saint when she works with clients. She never tires of explaining nutritional facts or the steps of a recipe. She There’s no dumb question.” the disease. meets everyone she works with where they’re at, and tries This was particularly evident to Devine when members to connect with them at a human level, Devine said. of the Friendship House made Akakpovi a gift to show her Reach Intern Iain Carlos at 507-645-1117.

“The town of Faribault has some pretty dedicated people that are always thinking about an innovative way of making everyone else’s lives better. Faribault has some significant diversity, but the town is always trying their best to meet those needs. Focusing on food, they have been trying their best at meeting those needs, even though I feel that there’s still some work that needs to be done but we’re all coming together in work and trying to make that happen.” - Kanko Akakpovi

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Grit and grace

Sunde and Fuchs current collaboration is nothing short of serendipitous By GRACE BRANDT editor@faribault.com

Sisters of Serendipity, Mallory Fuchs, left, and Tracy Sunde have truly had a serendipitous relationship. After a professional relationship that has lasted through several job changes, they’re now developing a chemical health treatment center to be located in the historic Johnston Hall. (Photo courtesy of Mallory Fuchs)

ou could say that Tracy Sunde and Mallory Fuchs’ friendship is a serendipitous accident, sparked by the number of times the women’s paths crossed during their careers. First, there was their time working at the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Faribault, then in Owatonna’s Beauterre Recovery Institute. Then Sunde interned with Fuchs as she pursued her bachelor’s degree and licensing as a drug and alcohol counselor. “Our paths have crossed many times in life,” Sunde said, but the two women’s partnership goes much deeper than fortuitous meetings throughout the years. They have both similar and drastically different backgrounds, yet they share the same fierce love for all members of their community. That love is what drove them to organize the nonprofit Sisters of Serendipity, which offers substance abuse

recovery services to adults and adolescents. The organization, founded last November, also works to empower women dealing with any of life’s struggles. “We really bonded when she interned with me, and we started to see kind of what we were missing in Faribault,” Fuchs said. “We wanted to fill that void in how we could really help people.” Now, Fuchs and Sunde are working together on a new project — turning Faribault’s historic Johnston Hall into a residential chemical treatment facility. In April, Allina Health, which owns the building, announced a partnership with Twin Cities-based developer Jason Palmby to transform the 19th-century structure into a 35-bed facility for men, with outpatient services for women. Fuchs and Sunde will be the ones providing those services. “Our hope is that we can be a light in Faribault and really spread the word that there’s nothing to be ashamed

about if you’re in recovery or struggling with addiction or mental health,” Fuchs said. “We’ve dedicated our lives to really be advocates of that.”

Tracy’s story Sunde, who grew up in Faribault, said her story “isn’t typical.” She became pregnant at 16, dropping out of high school to take care of her daughter, Tiffany. After being kicked out of her home, she was eventually declared an emancipated minor. She found a job within walking distance working as a caretaker, since she had no driver’s license. “I’d push Tiffany in the stroller to [my client’s] house to work,” Sunde said. “I remember walking in the rain, in the snow, and it was hard. I questioned everything.” uuu

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GETTING TO KNOW YOU Tracy Sunde From: Faribault Lives in: Faribault What she wanted to be when she grew up: Firefighter or dentist Education: Associate’s from Kaplan University, bachelor’s from the University of Phoenix Family: Daughters Tiffany and Darian, and son Kayden, her boyfriend Chris and two dogs Hobbies: spending time with family, gardening, anything outdoors, charity work and volunteering, riding her motorcycle with the Combat Vets Motorcycle Association

Mallory Fuchs From: Faribault Lives in: Owatonna What she wanted to be when she grew up: A veterinarian or cosmetologist Education: Bachelor’s from Minnesota State University, Mankato, master’s from St. Cloud State Family: Husband Justin and their three dogs Hobbies: spending time with family, running, hiking, writing, riding her motorcycle

Mallory Fuchs, left, was working in Illinois when Tracy Sunde, right, asked her to move back to Faribault and open a chemical health treatment center. (Photo courtesy of Tracy Sunde)

‘‘For me personally, I’m not this girl who came from this perfect childhood with a perfect family with a white picket fence and did everything ‘the right way.’ I took a different path in life, a really unique and tough path. I don’t care how low you are or how badly broke you feel. You can make changes. And I can help you. I know I can help you. I can’t fix it or do the work for you, but I’ll be by your side the whole time as your biggest cheerleader. It’s never, ever, ever too late. The only time it’s too late is when you’re dead. If you barely have a pulse, it’s still not too late. There’s not too many things I’m very confident in, but in this, I’m 100 percent confident we can help change anybody’s life, no matter how horrible the situation is. It’s still not too late to turn your life around and have a damn good life.” - Tracy Sunde

Sunde eventually earned her GED at 19 after taking night classes, then worked as a certified nursing assistant in nursing homes before switching to corrections. She applied for a position in the Minnesota Department of Corrections and got a job at Oak Park Heights, Minnesota’s only super maximum-security prison. She worked as a corrections officer there until she transferred to the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Faribault in 2010, staying until 2015. During Sunde’s time at the Faribault facility, she started

thinking about criminals in a different way. “I learned that the majority of the young guys who are in prison, they committed these crimes under the influence of drugs or alcohol,” she said. “But it wasn’t my job to help rehabilitate or help people; it was my job to provide safety and security for the officers, inmates and community. That was really hard for me. I saw these guys who were just good guys, but they needed guidance. If it wasn’t for drugs and alcohol, they wouldn’t be there.” Sunde began working toward a drug and alcohol

counseling license and also found a position at the newly opened Beauterre Recovery Institute in Owatonna. As part of Sunde’s studies, she set up an internship with Fuchs in 2017. The two women had worked together at Beauterre, and Sunde spent her internship at Fuchs’ Faribault boutique, Grit & Grace. During the internship, Sunde opened the nonprofit organization Redefine Recovery, with the goal of offering services and resources to anyone struggling with substance abuse issues.

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“I’ve seen a lot of people be turned away at getting help because of money,” she explained. “How do you put a price on somebody’s life? I know all too well that substance abuse doesn’t discriminate; you can be a doctor or a lawyer or my sister, my mother, my best friend, a homeless man … I didn’t want anyone to be turned away from getting the help they needed and deserved just because of money.”

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HIGH SCHOOL LESSONS Fuchs has worked as a chemical health counselor at Faribault High School for several months now and said she particularly enjoys being able to give back to her alma mater. “I think that our young people is really where it’s at,” she said. “Just teaching them the tools that they’re going to need throughout life. A lot of times what I heard working the prison system was guys just saying, ‘I wish someone would have held me accountable and told me I had other options.’ I feel like part of my story is, if there’s something you really want to do, the possibilities are there as long as you put in the work. I’m pretty small, [and] a lot of people told me, when I first wanted to work in a prison, ‘You’re not going to make it.’ The same was true in law enforcement. [I teach kids] just to not let people label you or put you in a box. You certainly can do anything you put your mind to.”

Mallory’s story Fuchs grew up in Faribault and went cosmetology school after graduating high school, but she quickly realized how easily she connected with clients who would share everything with her. “I thought, ‘Maybe I should really be a therapist,’” she said. So, while she worked as a hair stylist, she started taking classes at Minnesota State University, Mankato, pursuing a degree in alcohol and drug studies. She graduated in 2013 and began working at the Minnesota Correctional Facility in Faribault as a substance abuse counselor. She stayed there for about three years (along with a stint at Beauterre Recovery Institute in Owatonna, where she worked more closely with Sunde)

Tracy Sunde

Mallory Fuchs takes an obligatory selfie while out on a run. (Photo courtesy of Mallory Fuchs)

and worked with a variety of criminal offenders. Her work included starting a therapy group for men convicted of domestic assault. “I think people would anticipate that it would be intimidating or you would feel uncomfortable, but, really, they’re all human beings,” Fuchs said. “For me, it didn’t matter that I was a female or my size or my age. As long as you treat people with respect and grace and compassion, I don’t think it matters what your physical stature is. I felt like I could really connect with them,

and it was really cool to see the change that maybe you wouldn’t expect within a prison setting. I truly met some of the most amazing human beings who were incarcerated who maybe just made some wrong choices, or the tools they had, that’s the only choice they had to make.” During this, Fuchs decided to earn her master’s degree in criminal justice at St. Cloud State, taking classes online. She also opened Grit & Grace, a positivity-centered boutique, in 2017, taking Sunde on as an intern along the way. Once Fuchs had earned the degree, she eventually landed her “dream job — in Illinois. Yet, while she was now on the other side of law enforcement — arresting people instead of working with them in prison therapy — she said her background helped her better understand the people with whom she interacted. “I was still … able to understand where, even if you’re arresting somebody, you understand their background a bit more,” she said. “Our hope is that even when you’re on the other side of fighting crime, that they get the help that they really need as well. That’s always the hope. Our job is to serve and protect the community, but also the people you’re arresting … You want to see them have a better life.” uuu

CHANGING THE STIGMA Both Fuchs and Sunde said a major part of their work is simply changing the way that people look at addiction and mental health issues.

“It’s fighting that stigma, of mental health and people being in recovery,” Fuchs said. “Not a lot of people want to talk about it. My biggest passion is wanting to change the face of recovery, especially in our community, and shedding that light on a hard topic. We’ve got to be open and willing to have those hard conversations, because I think out of those hard conversations come some really beautiful things, and healing. There’s nothing to be ashamed about if you’re in recovery or struggling with addiction or mental health.” Sunde agrees. “It’s so taboo to talk about,” she said. “If you say to somebody you’re depressed, then you’re labeled. When we can’t reach those people, that’s when people die. I’ve had … very professional people within the community coming to me, saying, ‘I need help. People look at me as a leader in the community, and I don’t know how to ask for help.’ It is a huge, huge need in Faribault.”

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JOHNSON HALL BACKGROUND While Tracy Sunde and Mallory Fuchs have only been working with Jason Palmby on the proposed chemical health treatment center for about half a year, the journey to this point is much longer. Johnston Hall was built in 1888 for $50,000 as part of the Seabury Divinity School, incorporated by Henry Benjamin Whipple, the state’s first Episcopal bishop. For many years, it has been owned by Allina Health, which most recently used it for office space, but it has been vacant since 2012. Allina Health asked the city of Faribault for permission to demolish the structure in 2017, but the city countered with an agreement to give Faribault two years to market the property. With only six months left in the search period, Twin Cities-based developer Palmby stepped up with the idea to transform it into a treatment center. Palmby has already redeveloped two other historic buildings in Chaska for a similar use.

The back side of Johnston Hall on the campus of District One Hospital in Faribault. The building is being sold to a developer, who has partnered with Tracy Sunde and Mallory Fuchs to open a chemical health treatment center in 2021. (Daily News file photo)

opportunity to open a new treatment center in Johnston Hall. Kim Clausen, Faribault’s Community Development Coordinator, called Sunde about a developer who was Through Redefine Recovery, Sunde created a strong partnership with the city of Faribault, which resulted in the looking to renovate the building but needed someone to

Coming back together

REDEFINE RECOVERY Redefine Recovery is a nonprofit organization Sunde started in 2017. It offers a variety of services to individuals with substance abuse issues, as well as those whose lives have been affected by substance abuse. Some services include sober support meetings, sober coaching and mentoring, sober events and community service opportunities. In addition, Redefine Recovery is a local access center for Narcan (an anti-opioid medication) for Minnesota, which means

Sunde has unlimited access and can give it away for free, no questions asked, as well as teach people how to use it. These services are provided at little-to-no cost to clients, with funds coming from sponsors and donors. Sunde said that since she opened her doors, her phone “rings nonstop,” with more than 430 calls for help in the last six months of 2019. She stressed that she never reports calls or visits the police. “We just want people to stay alive for another day, because we know that with every day they’re alive, they’re getting closer to the point where they’re ready to quit and get help,” she said.

According to Faribault Daily News, Palmby had considered bidding on Johnston Hall as far back as January 2019. The project he proposed is expected to cost about $4 million, and Allina agreed to sell the building to him for $1, as well as granting him a 60-year zero cost lease agreement to the land.

provide counseling services. Sunde said she knew right away that she wanted Fuchs to be her partner in this potential project. Even though she knew Fuchs had her “dream job” in Illinois at the time, she

Sunde and her small group of volunteers have faced many dangerous situations, from driving a man still under the influence of meth to treatment to delivering Narcan to drug houses and seeing drug deals taking place in front of them. But for Sunde, the danger is worth it to help someone in need. “We risk our lives in many dangerous situations, because their lives are worth it for us,” she said. “The risk is huge; I put my life in danger a lot. But to me, it’s the least I can do for these people who are struggling.” Sunde has been dealing with a new challenge in the wake of the COVID-19

situation. She said she is running a deficit and not receiving her usual donations and funds, leaving her to use her own savings to keep Redefine Recovery in operation. However, she is committed to keeping her doors open. “For me, money used to mean everything,” she said. “But what was important to me 10 years ago isn’t important to me anymore. Making sure that kids don’t lose their mom or their dad, or that a mom and dad don’t lose their child, that fills my cup.” For more information, visit, www.redefinerecovery.center or call 1-507-210-8695.

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called her former colleague anyway. “I knew I couldn’t do it alone, [and] she was the only person that I wanted,” she said. “If she would have said no, I wouldn’t have done it without her.” “[She] said, ‘I know you’re not living in Minnesota, and you have your dream job, but would you ever want to open a sober living treatment facility with me?’” Fuchs recalled. “That’s when I made the decision to come back home.” Fuchs came back to Minnesota in July 2019 and started working as a chemical health specialist at Faribault High School, as well as reopening Grit & Grace. And, slowly but surely, Fuchs and Sunde began working toward getting their treatment center running. They started a new nonprofit organization, Sisters of Serendipity, to provide the services and are already offering assessments for people who are interested in going to the treatment center. They’re also working on a program that will partner with a local shelter to obtain dogs that residents can train to become emotional support animals for veterans. Construction on the project is scheduled to begin this summer. The finished facility will include 35 beds for sober living,

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a cafeteria, meeting and therapy rooms, and lodging units. Sunde said the plan is to hire about 15 employees initially, including counselors, mental health therapists and technicians who will be onsite at all hours. There will also out-patient services available for 60 individuals. The hope is to open the treatment center by February or March 2021, though the timeline is still being finalized. The current COVID-19 situation has slowed down the process of obtaining licenses, and it can be difficult to estimate how long it will take when working with a historic building. “As you start ripping away the layers, stuff ’s going to come up that [we] didn’t know about, but we’re totally ready for that challenge,” Fuchs said.” Regardless of how long the process takes, Sunde said she is excited to be able to provide necessary services for people in the Faribault community and beyond. “We’re ready to prove to the world that addicts and alcoholics and people with mental health issues are just as amazing and smart and successful as anybody else,” she said. “As long as they have our support, they can do anything.” Grace Brandt is a freelance reporter based in

TOP RIGHT: Mallory Fuchs poses for an engagement photo with her now husband Justin Fuchs and their three dogs: Brinkley, Jayden and Gilly. (Photo courtesy of Mallory Fuchs) BELOW RIGHT: Mallory Fuchs enjoys riding motorcycles in her spare times. (Photo courtesy of Mallory Fuchs)

GRIT & GRACE BOUTIQUE In 2017, Fuchs opened Grit & Grace, which eventually morphed into Grit & Grace Boutique when she combined the space with Ellory Elise Boutiques. The shop features clothes, candles, bath bombs and gift items, and Fuchs also offers life coaching services. In addition, there is a section for recovery gear and restored furniture, while Sisters of Serendipity is also housed in the location. “Vicky [who owned Ellory Elise Boutiques] and I are both really about women supporting women and helping ladies feel confident and comfortable in their own skin,” Fuchs said. “It’s a place for women to feel confident in themselves. It’s been fun to connect with a lot of women in our comm just by having the boutique.” The shop is located at 212A Central Ave.in Faribault. For more information, visit grit & grace boutique on Facebook.

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In good hands

In year two as SSM head of school, Cavellier proves he’s up to the task By IAIN CARLOS intern@northfieldnews.com

t can’t be easy running an elite boarding school with a rich history and jam-packed with adolescents from across the globe. Shattuck-St. Mary’s head of school, Matt Cavellier, is up for the task. Since arriving in Faribault 16 years ago from Massachusetts, he has demonstrated that he is an adaptive, level-headed leader, capable of bringing Shattuck-St. Mary’s into the future. “Everyone likes to think they’re a leader,” Mathematics Department Chair Steve Cornish said. “So often they’re managers. I think there’s a big difference between being a manager and being a leader. Managers tell you what to do. Leaders encourage you to do it. Matt’s certainly the second of those.” Before coming to Faribault, Cavellier taught English to students with dyslexia at a boarding school out east. Though he and his family have had to adjust to Faribault, they feel very fortunate to have come to the city. “My wife and I moved to Faribault 16 years ago when she was offered a position at Shattuck-St. Mary’s School,” Cavellier said. “What we found, in addition to work colleagues who became good friends, was that Faribault provided us with much of what we were looking for. There are bike trails and state parks in the area, including River Bend Nature Center, which has been a part of our memorymaking since our arrival in town. The deal was, if we were moving to Minnesota from Massachusetts, we were getting a dog. Our lab puppy and I took plenty of walks through the trails at RBNC; I think about those memories every time I bike or run those trails. Our boys were born into the great family that is the Shattuck-St. Mary’s school faculty and staff, and they attend Roosevelt Elementary where they have the opportunity to learn from tremendously gifted and caring educators. For our family, Faribault has been a great place to live.”

(Photo courtesy of Matt Cavellier)

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THROUGH THE RANKS Shattuck-St. Mary’s School’s Head of School Matt Cavellier has done his best to integrate the school with the city of Faribault. “Every promotion he got just made sense, he was always the right guy for the job,” Cornish said. “He makes sense when you talk to him, he listens, and when he tells you no, at least you know that he’s listened to you, mulled it through, and then makes his decision.”

Cavellier delivers a speech at ShattuckSt. Mary’s School. Though in his second year as head of school, Cavellier has spent 16 years moving through the SSM ranks. (Photo courtesy of Matt Cavellier)

Matt Cavallier, left, stands with then SSM Marketing and Communications Director Amy Wolf, James Wolf, and Cavellier’s wife, Courtney Cavallier, SSM’s chief academic officer. (Photo courtesy of Matt Cavellier)

Prior to becoming head of school, Cavellier held a number of other positions at the school — he’s been an English and history teacher, worked in the Residential Life Office, and held the title of Upper School director. It was likely his innovative vision and ability to communicate effectively that saw him rise up the ranks over time, Cornish said. “Every promotion he got just made sense, he was always

Matt Cavallier shakes hands at the 2019 Shattuck-St. Mary’s commencement ceremony. (Photo courtesy of Matt Cavellier)

the right guy for the job,” Cornish said. “He makes sense when you talk to him, he listens, and when he tells you no, at least you know that he’s listened to you, mulled it through and then makes his decision.” Since taking the helm, one of Cavellier’s greatest accomplishments has been integrating Shattuck-St. Mary’s with the city of Faribault, said former Director of Marketing and

Communications at Shattuck St. Mary’s Amy Wolf. Prior to Cavellier’s arrival, there was a sense in which ShattuckSt. Mary’s and the city were two fairly distinct entities, Cornish said. As a liason for the school, Cavellier has built relationuuu

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TOP: Matt Cavallier, right, at the 2019 Shattuck-St. Mary’s School commencement ceremony. (Photo courtesy of Matt Cavellier) ABOVE: Matt Cavallier speaks to students at Shattuck-St. Mary’s School. (Photo courtesy of Matt Cavellier)

ships with a number of mainstay Faribault institutions. He helped establish 25 and 50 kilometer runs at River Bend Nature Center. He has also been instrumental in hosting the Protecting Our Children conference with the Faribault Police Department and Rice County family services. More, Cavellier has worked hard to shoreup Shattuck-St. Mary’s relationship with the Chamber of Commerce and many of the small businesses in town. As for the academic side of things, Cavellier wants to prepare Shattuck-St. Mary’s students for seeking vocation in a rapidly changing world. “The real challenge is to continue to evolve and meet the needs of our students and our population as it continues to change and diversify, and to prepare them for not just college, but a changing landscape of work,” Cavellier said during an interview with the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal. “Many of our students will find jobs later in life that don’t exist yet, and we have to prepare them to be agile to get those jobs.” In order to achieve this, Cavellier helped implement the We Create center — what he’s described as “a maker space on steroids.” The We Create center has been a boon for the student body, especially those who are artistically inclined, Cornish said. “He did a super job at encouraging kids to use that space,” Cornish said. “They really have the students in the forefront of their minds in terms of how they’re operating, what they’re doing,” Wolf said. “It’s great to see Matt be in such great connection with his students. He’s got a compassionate part of him that I think also comes through.” Also, he has attempted to provide Shattuck-St. Mary’s some sovereignty in their education so that they can better control the rest of their lives. “Part of what we ask our students to do is to take even greater ownership of their education,” Cavellier said in a Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal interview. “Starting in sophomore year and into junior year, we have what we call a parallel curriculum that runs alongside our traditional curriculum that allows students to control their own education to fit their needs and goals. As part of that, we allow them to do internships or work in our We Create center doing things like co-branding with nonprofits in the area and stuff like that. And when they start to see there are opportunities to learn other than by sitting in a class and listening to subject matter come to them, they understand they have to actively go after what they want to do.” As if his job wasn’t complicated enough already, Cavellier is now having to navigate Shattuck-St. Mary’s struggle against COVID-19. This is a particularly tall order seeing as his tenure as head of school is still so new. Fortunately, he seems to be taking on the pandemic in stride. “I think Matt has had a real baptism by fire this year, Cornish said. “From my perspective, he’s had to make big calls and he’s got them right. And there’s been some very difficult problems he’s had to face. I’ve got a lot of respect for people that have to make those decisions and particularly guys who get those decisions right.” Reach Intern Iain Carlos at 507-645-1117.

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The Faribault Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism is a privately funded, member-driven organization serving business. For over 100 years we have lead the way in support of all good things for Faribault. • We ADVOCATE for business • We CONNECT with business • We PROMOTE and SERVE all businesses

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Free and confidential business assistance from trained and experienced business counselors. Phone: 507-334-4381 or sign up online under Business Resources at www.faribaultmn.org

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