Planting Seeds for Change

Ann Emery, Caledonia, BCLP 2000     
Medical Technologist

From Framing to Mobilizing
Ann Emery lives a lifestyle that is fast becoming typical even in rural areas — living in one community and working in another. In this case, Ann lives in Caledonia, Minn., and works in LaCrosse, Wis., as a medical technologist at Gunderson Lutheran Hospital. She is understated about her role as community leader but knows that it is not quantity of involvement, but quality that matters. She has served on the Houston County Fair Board for 12 years and was part of a project that led to the building of a community center in Caledonia. For these and many more unseen, unsung actions, Ann was presented the “Scot of the Year Award” in 2004 and given the key to the city. Her leadership rule is simple. “If you want to make a change, initiate it. Wishing doesn’t make it happen.”

Getting a community center built was a challenge from the start. Originally, to be located on the fairgrounds, plans were changed — not only because a major donor wanted it elsewhere but also because it was in the best interest of the community. The center has become an asset in addressing the scarcity of meeting space and is evolving as an economic resource. There once was a shortage of locations in the area for large events and wedding receptions. Caledonia has now become a “wedding destination” with everything readily available from reception hall and banquet facilities to caterers, a hotel, bakery, flower shop, and wedding boutique.

Moving from framing to mobilizing is seldom easy. It requires getting people involved and forming networks. Ann talks about how important it is to describe what you’d like to see in something like a community center. But just as important is inviting people to talk about what they would like to see. That is the process of building a common vision, of being able to create a shared sense of what success will actually look like in the end. The quality of the fairgrounds is just one benefit Houston County has enjoyed from engaging in this process. Under Ann’s leadership, plans for renovation expanded to address unmet needs like handicap accessible bathrooms and shower facilities — improvements to enable the county to attract larger events that, in turn, pump money into the local economy.

Persistence & Patience Build Social Capital
As Ann reflects on the skills she brings to working for healthy community, she points to her capacity to “see the big picture.”  This means thinking about what is best for the whole community and keeping an open mind so that all possibilities are on the table. She’s a bit like a gardener planting ideas like seeds; some take root and provide a bountiful harvest while others fall on rocky ground and wither. Her ability to come up with novel solutions is a catalyst in encouraging others to share their ideas and explore future possibilities.

Leadership skillfulness places demands on a self-described shy person like Ann. She credits BCLP with helping her to identify and adapt her skills and preferences so that she was better poised to help effect the change she thought the community and surrounding area needed. In practical terms, this challenged her to speak up and to be persistent when the good of the community was at stake. 

Ann’s self-awareness has been valuable, as she has worked at getting people together who might not otherwise be involved in community projects. “It is important to learn enough about other people – their strengths and weaknesses and the resources they bring to a project – so that you can encourage a broad sharing of ideas.”  Encouraging that sort of networking is not so much about generating activists as it is about inviting people to take seriously their role in developing the health and vitality of their community.

Cultivating an Appreciation for the Greater Good
Ann’s efforts on behalf of the community’s greater good encourage her about the future. She draws hope from the fact that people are less competitive, that they are starting to pull together more. It is the notion that if one community in the county benefits, all communities benefit.

Ann is a member of a county subcommittee for economic development whose task has been to develop a tourism packet for Houston County. A single community has too few activities or attractions to make it a tourism hub, but by having neighboring communities pool resources and leverage natural environmental assets, they are creating a tourist destination with plenty to see and do. When communities cooperate across town lines they capitalize on economic advantages that arise and “keep the good of all communities in sight.”

Ann will stay at the task of community leadership because it reflects her appreciation for building and sustaining healthy community. “Anybody can be a leader if they make the effort.” It is not a matter of leading public rallies or organizing movements. Rather, it requires a sense of the common good and what it takes to make a difference. For Ann, that comes down to having a vision and the capacity to mobilize others to cooperate on efforts that benefit all.