A Shift in Focus 

Dear Alumni:

When the Community Leader editorial team met in the spring to discuss content for upcoming editions, there was quickly consensus that our alumni were facing extraordinary challenges as community leaders.

What began as recession in 2008 has deteriorated into economic crisis. We readily see the impact in our rural communities, many of which are facing double-digit unemployment and a strained safety net system.

As we contemplated the current economic climate, our team concluded a shift in editorial focus was warranted. Previously, we were methodically moving through the Eight Dimensions of Healthy Community and each edition of Community Leader featured a different dimension as a focal point.

After our late spring meeting, we determined that, moving forward, we could best serve our alumni by taking on some of the issues we face in these extraordinary times in the pages (and online) of Community Leader.

In this edition, Blandin Foundation Board of Trustees Chair Marian Barcus writes our cover story. She acknowledges the economic challenges that lie ahead but also points out that in times of crisis, there are distinct advantages rural leaders possess.

A companion piece to our cover story is an historical perspective on the Foundation’s leadership programming, which itself was launched in response to economic crisis in the early 1980s.

Our story on the Itasca Area Schools Collaborative illustrates how a number of rural school districts in northern Minnesota found ways to turn their leadership challenges into collective opportunities.

Finally, we feature an overview of the American Indian Alumni Gathering, which took place in Grand Rapids this May. At this event, American Indian leaders explored the role both adults and youth can play in future leadership endeavors.

We hope you find this edition of Community Leader useful in your own journey.

And,  as always, if you have comments on this edition or ideas for a future edition, Please Share Below.

Dear Alumni:

At first glance, taking on the topic of community crime might seem to be focusing on the problem rather than what we as community leaders can do about it.

The Community Leader editorial team – with some superb assistance from a few experts on the subject – has attempted to ensure that this edition’s focus on safety and security as a dimension of healthy community is far more than the usual dwelling on the problem found so often in today’s news headlines.

Ben Winchester, University of Minnesota sociologist and research fellow and BCLP alumnus, wrote our cover story. He provides great insight into the social causes of crime and what we, as community leaders, can do to minimize the impact in our own neighborhoods.

Itasca County has its own success story related to community safety and security ­ a community education initiative that not only helped drop meth statistics in the county, but also opened the door to an entirely new way of dealing with the drug problem locally.

Finally, we bring to you a great story from our friends at the Pine Journal on Nate Sandman, a Fond du Lac Tribal Health Educator. Nate is a 2007 BRCLP alumnus who leads others to a healthier place by his own example.

We hope these articles and stories, along with our regular features, are useful to you on your own leadership journey. 

And,  as always, if you have comments on this edition or ideas for a future edition, Please Share Below.

Dear Alumni:

The seasons have changed. The kids are now focused on the school year. Summer vacations are distant memories.  Fall colors have disappeared and are now giving way to late autumn snows.

As our schedules change and we settle into fall and winter routines, it is the perfect time for reflection on our busy lives.

Community leaders are by definition busy people. We are called upon to participate and serve in so many ways ­ our children’s educations, a local economic development council, the newly formed community arts board, elected office, helping out with any number of boards, councils or volunteer groups that operate in our communities ­ the list goes on and on.

All those initiatives, groups, boards and councils are worthwhile causes and endeavors. But, when we say ‘yes’ too often, it is easy spread ourselves too thin, or even worse, we can end up burned out and of little use to anyone.

This edition of Community Leader focuses on the spiritual, recreational and artistic dimension of healthy community.  Spiritual and recreational opportunities are not only essential to the health of our community as a whole; they also are vital to our individual health.

The stories in this edition illustrate recreational opportunity as it relates to community, like the story about the Luverne Palace Theatre renovation on page 4, as well as the importance of recreation in our individual lives – our cover story on living life in balance.

It is the hope of the entire Community Leader editorial team that this edition of the alumni journal will be a springboard for thought, discussion and reflection on both the recreational opportunities in your communities and how recreation can help you become a more effective community leader.

And,  as always, if you have comments on this edition or ideas for a future edition, Please Share Below.

Dear Alumni:

I may be relatively new to Minnesota but I have already learned that residents here love to talk about the state’s two seasons: winter and construction season.

Construction season provides inspiration for this edition of Community Leader.  As you look around your communities, I’m sure you won’t have to look hard to find roadwork underway.  But for residents of rural communities, road and other infrastructure improvements are more than just a minor inconvenience to be endured each summer, they are essential to quality of life.

We, on the leadership team, know from our conversations with our alumni around the state that access to water and sewer, adequate and affordable housing, the ability for incoming business to connect to high speed Internet and, yes, quality roads are vital to a rural community’s ability to attract and retain business.  With this in mind, we wanted to provide you with information that can help you, as community leaders, frame issues, build social capital and mobilize resources around the issue of infrastructure.

Our cover story illustrates infrastructure opportunities and challenges and lessons learned from three different communities and their leaders.  Inside, page 6 contains another story related to infrastructure on the Range Readiness Initiative, a public/private partnership designed to help one
region cope with anticipated growth.   And, on this page, the toolbox has
tips designed to help you assess if your community’s assets will meet needs as you move forward.

I hope you enjoy this edition of Community Leader.  If you have thoughts on this edition of our alumni journal, suggestions for future journal stories or would like to connect with me on another community leadership issue, Please Share Below.

Dear Alumni:

Welcome! The Blandin Foundation Leadership Program is excited about the year to come and all that Community Leader has to offer.  In 2008, our mission for this publication is to continue to be a journal that is an ongoing education, training and resource tool for you.  In this issue, the Community Leader Editorial Team has chosen to focus on Community Leadership as a dimension of healthy community.

The editorial team chose this topic in response to the concerns we heard from you, our alumni, about the ongoing challenge of recruiting and retaining tomorrow¹s leadership in rural communities. Rural community leaders are asking questions around this topic such as: How do we plan for the next generation of leaders?  How do we get our youth and young adults involved in the community?  How do we instill the value of giving back?

There are no easy answers to those questions, but in this issue we strove to provide a springboard for discussion in your own communities. Included in this journal is our cover story on Roxanne DeLille, whose own life story truly illustrates how leaders can be grown, nurtured and mentored right in our own backyards. Two other stories in this edition, found on pages four and five, feature alumni initiatives to develop leadership skills at home.
And, as always, you can tap into useful tips and tools through the Leadership Toolbox on this page and additional resources list found on page seven.

We invite you to share your comments, suggestions for future articles, or success (and challenge) stories.  We¹d love to hear from you.

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I have created this space as an opportunity to continue to learn more about rural Minnesota. I would love to hear what you are doing in your community to grow its next generation of leaders.

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I have created this space as an opportunity to continue my journey in life-long learning. As the new Leadership Director I would like to invite you to share your stories, experiences and struggles as rural community leaders.

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