Autism, Mothers and the Great Gift of Planning
This piece originally appeared in the St. Paul Pioneer Press on May 13, 2018. One in 42. That was the prevalence of autism in 8-year-old Minnesotans in 2014, the CDC recently reported, compared to one in 59 nationally. So for an awful lot of moms, “our day” triggers a constellation of emotions: sadness,…
Coach Pam Borton Perfects the Pivot
This piece originally appeared in the St. Paul Pioneer Press on March 25, 2018. Pam Borton put everything she had into the University of Minnesota women’s basketball program for a dozen years. She worked holidays and weekends, guided immature teenage girls into confident women and collegiate competitors. With both wins and losses, she took flak…
Your Personal Readiness Plan™ – A Winning Strategy for the Game of Life
A version of this piece originally appeared in the St. Paul Pioneer Press on Feb. 4, 2018 Winners engage in strategic planning. They gather the players and identify the big goals. Where do you want to be in 10 years? What steps will you take to get there? What resources will you put towards…
Toys for Joy: Community, Gifts and Smiles
This story appeared in the St. Paul Pioneer Press on December 16, 2017 When Christmas arrives shortly more than a thousand families will experience unexpected joy in Anoka County, Minnesota, thanks to a large contingent of community partners. From fundraising to fulfillment, volunteers are contributing time and money to bring a smile to children’s…
Be the Match: A Young Man’s Life-Saving Gift
What would you do to save a stranger’s life? This is Mike Rice’s story. It appeared in the St. Paul Pioneer Press. It began with a cheek swab. It morphed into a life-saving stem-cell transplant for a stranger and an unexpected bond between two families. At the age of 28 Mike Rice felt a calling…
Dick Long’s Life and Legacy
Though Dick Long left us seven years ago he left a notable legacy. On this Throwback Thursday I’m sharing a piece I wrote a month after his death. December 27, 2010 It seems that Dick Long never forgot what it felt like to be hungry or to wonder whether he’d have a bed to sleep…
Jack Brewer: Resilient, Resolute Entrepreneur and Philanthropist
10/15/17 I’ve had my fair of challenges in life. But I’ve never experienced racism or hatred because of my skin color. To better understand the long-standing racial divide in our country I reached out to Jack Brewer, a man who is known for his candor and convictions. This story appeared in the St. Paul Pioneer…
Author Vince Flynn Teed It Up for the Troops
9/12/17 Vince Flynn never served in the military but he had great respect for those who did. When his own dream of serving as a Marine pilot was thwarted by a history of concussions, he found a different way to serve. He used his platform as an internationally acclaimed author to shine a light on…
The Intriguing Legacies of Vince Flynn
9/10/17 This story appeared in the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Vince Flynn was a man with a big personality, a big heart, and a big following. Beginning in the mid-1990s, he created a body of work featuring a counterterrorism agent named Mitch Rapp and plot lines so plausible he captured the interest of readers and…
Starkey Hearing Foundation: Connecting Hearts With Hearing Aids
8/13/17 This story appeared in the St. Paul Pioneer Press. On a Sunday afternoon in July, it happened again. Limousines swept into St. Paul and dropped a parade of celebrities off on the red carpet at the St. Paul RiverCentre. It was the Starkey Hearing Foundation’s annual gala, and gawkers and media were snatching glimpses…
Lisa Bobyak: Living Fully Balanced
7/31/17 Lisa Bobyak wasn’t oblivious to the festering problems in the marriage that spanned two decades. When her husband said they needed to talk, she was prepared to seek help, to bridge the ravine, and to begin anew. She was resolved to enter marriage counseling when reality shattered illusion. The man she thought she knew had…
Simon Says Gives and Famous Footwear: Working Together to Repurpose School Supplies
5/25/17 As the school year winds down students are scurrying to clear out desks and lockers. I can picture the books, papers, pens, and highlighters, crammed for months into small spaces, quickly removed in the scramble to leave the school year behind. I remember all those dollars spent on the must have items: the expensive…