Each year the Minnesota Association for Children’s Mental Health (MACMH) recognizes individuals who have shown extraordinary achievement and/or leadership in the field of children’s mental health. This year, the MACMH Board of Directors chose our own Program Officer Sara Carlson to receive one of the Outstanding Service Awards.

Read more about the honor and Sara’s work through SWIF and beyond and join me in congratulating Sara for this recognition! 

For a long time, I’ve championed the impact of the I-29/1-90 corridor on southwest Minnesota and our greater rural region. This week, news from Brookings, S.D., highlights a perfect example of its significance.

The Brookings City Council approved a development agreement Tuesday with Bel Brands USA to locate a $120 million manufacturing facility in Brookings. Bel Brands is the manufacturer of Mini Babybel and The Laughing Cow Cheese Brands, as well as other natural and gourmet cheese products. Read the news release for full details about the company and project. 

Bel Brands USA is headquartered in Chicago and a subsidiary of a global, Paris-based company. They currently have two production facilities located in Kentucky and Wisconsin, and when looking for a new location, Iowa, Idaho, Michigan and South Dakota were under consideration. Their President and CEO Lance Chambers noted the “hard-working Midwestern values” as one of the factors to selecting Brookings.

I couldn’t agree more. With an economic history deeply rooted in agriculture and people with values and work ethic to match, our rural region is an absolutely ideal spot for this type of business expansion. And, it’s no coincidence that this 170,000 square-foot facility will be located on 48 acres near the I-29 corridor.

So what does this news mean for us? The estimated economic impact of a fully operational plant is $500 million annually. It also means that our friends across the border will be filling 200 positions by 2014 with the potential to create up to 400 jobs in a later project phase in the next four to five years.

Southwest Minnesota business leaders that I’ve connected with this week are very optimistic about the opportunities this presents. Here are a few of the comments shared:

• “This is good for the region. This probably has a great deal to do with the collective benefits of low taxation, public private partnerships, excellent SDSU dairy program, work force, etc.”
• “Bel Brands is a good customer…I hope this will leader to more opportunity for both companies in the future.”
• “Very exciting for our area. Confirms my belief that agriculture is the mainstay of our business climate…”
• “Could affect our labor force numbers. I did appreciate the connection with SDSU and I-29 corridor.”

What’s your reaction to this news? Post a comment to share here, or contact me at sherryr@swifoundation.org.

Two weeks ago, I met with my colleagues from the six Minnesota Initiative Foundations for a presidents’ meeting. We had several guests including Steven J. Rosenstone, MnSCU Chancellor; Michael Langley, CEO of the new organization Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Economic Development Partnership; Bill Blazer, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs and Business Development at the Minnesota Chamber;  and Curt Brown, a staff writer at the Minneapolis Star Tribune. I’ve shared before just how valuable I find all of these connections and discussions.
 
For today, I really want to focus on the opportunity to work with Curt and build a better relationship with metro-based media, ultimately to make sure they know about of all the good things happening in our region.

This isn’t the first time news coverage has come up during conversations at SWIF. Southwest Minnesota boasts award-winning newspapers and top-notch radio stations and public access channels. And, Pioneer Public Television out of Appleton is a great regional asset. But unlike any other region in Minnesota, we don’t have one central news source that’s a go-to for our region.

If you live here, you might watch television news coverage from the Twin Cities, Sioux Falls or Alexandria. Newspaper coverage is likely local. But sources are unlimited if you pick up your smartphone or sit down at your computer. The news industry and the way we share information is changing so quickly.

So, how does this affect our region and the stories that are (or aren’t) told about it? This connection to a major Minnesota news source creates a great opportunity to share our stories, but we need your help. You know better than anyone about the amazing new things your business is doing, or about the person who stepped up to make a huge difference in your community.

What story do you want to hear told? Please share by posting a comment or connecting with me at sherryr@swifoundation.org.

photo credit: Mustafa Khayat

As leaders, we have access to so many resources—including plenty that come through our email inboxes—to improve our skills and change our thinking. Something that’s resonated with me was introduced by the International Listening Leadership Institute. Their e-newsletter is one that I always try to take time to read. It enforces great messages about the importance of listening to enhance leadership effectiveness. They offer programs and coaching all focused on being what they call a Listening Leader.

I truly want to be a Listening Leader and know I can always be raising the bar on this skill. There are just SO many distractions in our lives. And with technology, there are more than ever before. Effective leadership doesn’t just happen. Something as simple as a weekly tip, like one from earlier this month to “Ignore the critics and naysayers,” is just the spark I need to get through the daily distractions and get my focus back on my leadership and its impact.  

What is something that inspires you and your own leadership?

photo credit: Taylor Burnes

I’d like to introduce our newest-elected member of the SWIF Board of Directors, Tim Connell of Luverne. We are so excited to have Tim join this group of outstanding soutwhest Minnesota leaders.

Tim has a strong passion for his community and a perspective that makes him an excellent addition to our Board of Directors.  Through his experience as a judge, he brings important knowledge and insight about the needs of people in our communities and region. He is committed to southwest Minnesota and, along with the entire board, will help steer our organization in a direction that best serves our region.”

He is a retired judge of the Fifth Judicial District, Rock County, Luverne, Minn. Tim is also a high school graduate of Luverne High School, has a B.A. in Humanities from St. John’s University and received his Juris Doctor Degree from William Mitchell College of Law in 1976. He was in private practice for 11 years before being appointed judge and is a member of the Minnesota State Bar Association.

Tim is very active in the Luverne community, serving as chair of the Rock County Children’s Justice Initiative and Rock County Collaborative 6-12 Work Team. He is also active in various civic groups including his church, Rotary Club, Rock County Community Education Board and many others. He lives in Luverne with his wife, Connie. They have three adult children.

Please join me in welcoming Tim to SWIF!

If we’re talking temperatures, our first week of January seemed more like the first week of March here in southwest Minnesota. I’ve heard mixed reviews about our winter so far. It’s been so much easier for us to travel throughout the region.  It’s also made my long walks with my new standard poodle puppy, Lilly, very nice without either of us getting too cold!

But I know many people are more than ready to see snow and get going with the outdoor activities that it brings. So much is affected by this mild, dry weather—from leisure time, to businesses, and even thinking ahead to the spring planting season. This winter is filled with CHANGE that impacts many people in many different ways.

There are more changes to come in 2012, but I believe it is going to be a great year for SWIF and all of our friends and partners!

Five things I’m excited about in the New Year:

1. Plans for new staff at the Foundation to help us raise the bar on our technology and data base management and a new leader in donor development.
2. Kicking off a new brand promise that has unlimited possibilities!
3. Being on the Council on Foundation Board of Directors as we conduct a search and hire a new President to take our field forward at the National level.
4. Engaging and adding new communities in our early childhood and community foundation work.
5. Meeting new leaders and donors who want to make a difference in southwest Minnesota AND of course, staying connected with all our relationships of leaders and donors.

What’s at the top of your list for 2012? Leave a comment to share what you are excited about.

In the midst of our year-end work and celebrations, many of us can’t help but think about numbers. I asked SWIF Controller Margie Nelsen to share some of SWIF’s numbers as we look back at past years and gear up for 2012.

Enjoy and Happy New Year!
Sherry

Margie Nelsen

Investing in More Than the Markets
By Margie Nelsen, SWIF Controller

The calendar year-end has quickly arrived. Southwest Initiative Foundation (SWIF), like other businesses and organizations, is in the process of wrapping up the calendar year financially.

SWIF is in its 25th year and in those years, we have seen the ups and downs along with everyone else. When SWIF was organized, the DOW hovered at around 1,900. Today, it is hovering around 12,300. When you look at the market in this perspective it shines a different light on things. I’m not discounting the trials and hardships of what we are facing today, but it shows that SWIF is here for the long haul and as such, endowments are meant for perpetuity. 

We are organized to serve our mission into our future which includes those in our region that, as staff and board today, we will never meet. They are the people, neighbors, businesses, communities, leaders and children of our future. These people are as much a part of our service scope as the people we meet and talk with today. So, we invest with the intention that we will be here into perpetuity as well. 

When we look back and track our investment progress, we closed our fiscal year in June ending on a positive note, bringing our average investment return rate of 8.24 percent over our 25 years. Since then, we have seen a market loss bringing our average to around 7.76 percent.

However, SWIF continues to grow not just because of the market, but because there are wonderful people that support the region we serve through us.

May you and yours have a Happy Holiday Season! 
Margie

What is your organization’s, business’s or family’s outlook for 2012? Leave a comment to let us know what you’re most looking forward to in the New Year.

Liberty Park near downtown Marshall adds to this community's vibrant, welcoming atmosphere.

I’m finding that the Christmas season gives me an even higher level of gratitude for the leaders who make southwest Minnesota such an incredible place. Yesterday, that was brought to light as our SWIF Board of Directors met for our December meeting at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall. The board travels to different communities throughout the region for six annual meetings as a way to stay connected and better serve our region. I say it after every board meeting, but I’ll say it again—WOW! We could not have a better group of committed, engaged leaders guiding and supporting our work.

And, we were all once again impressed by the local leaders we connected with in Marshall. We started the day with an overview from three leaders representing the local retail, healthcare and agri-business industries. I want to share a very special thanks to our guest presenters Steve Klein, owner of Klein Foods; Mary Maertens, CEO of Avera Marshall Regional Medical Center; and Jon Knochenmus, President/CEO of Ralco Nutrition. They all recognize challenges for their businesses and organization going into the future, but they also shared their excitement for the strides they’ve taken and hope to continue.

We learned even more about the Marshall area during our community leader luncheon. It’s always fun for us to gather our friends and partners and hear what’s happening ‘in their backyard’ – it’s so inspiring to me, to then take that and think about how it fits into and can enhance our entire region.

We asked guests to share what they felt held some of the greatest opportunity for Marshall’s future. Here are some of the highlights:

• SMSU’s new nursing program and School of Agriculture
• My Marshall, a grassroots initiative of people passionate about aligning the area for future growth;
• New partnership among Lyon County, City of Marshall and the Marshall Chamber of Commerce for aligned and strengthened economic development initiatives
• Update on designated Regional Amateur Sports Commission benefiting a large area of southwest Minnesota
• Coalition of the Arts, which is a model for vibrant, collaborative arts communities
• Welcoming, safe, attractive community atmosphere
• New constructed Marshall-Lyon County Public Library
• Early Childhood Initiative and Marshall Community Foundation, both created through partnerships with SWIF

What would you add to the list?

Thank you to all who joined us in Marshall yesterday. I am so excited to take yesterday’s positive conversation right through the holidays and into the new year! I hope all of you are also able to experience peace, joy and inspiration this holiday season.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

SWIF has a variety of tools to help meet your giving needs.

We are ALL bombarded with letters and calls asking us to consider giving to dozens of worthy organizations this month as 2011 draws to a close.  Who do you give to?  Do you know all the different ways to give before Dec. 31?

It truly is the season of giving, which includes year-end gifts to charity. As we get ready to flip our calendars to 2012, we should also prepare for some changes that could affect our giving options, including using your IRA to support a public charity, like the Southwest Initiative Foundation or our fund partners—which include community foundations, school foundations and others.

If you are age 70½ or older, this is a GREAT option, as you may direct your traditional IRA (or a portion of the required minimum distribution) to support a charity, up to $100,000, between now and Dec. 31, 2011. An IRA rollover distribution is excluded from your gross income (so you don’t have to pay tax on it), which also means it is not eligible for a tax deduction. It is a great way to support things you care about using assets you may not need today—and that are heavily taxed when passing to heirs.

For more information about whether this is the right choice for your specific situation, we encourage you to contact your financial advisor. And, remember, SWIF has many tools to help you give to support southwest Minnesota. Along with celebrating the many blessings and excitement of this holiday season, we’re available to talk through how you can wrap up 2011 with a gift that will continue to benefit others long after the holidays.

Who will you give to before Dec. 31, 2011?

Messages of thanks are showing up all over social media, store ads and other places this week. While we have so much to be thankful for throughout the year, Thanksgiving Day offers us a chance to truly show gratitude and grace.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been reminded over and over how grateful I am to serve southwest Minnesota. I am inspired daily by the people who are making great things happen, even when facing challenges. During a time when negative headlines and economic problems seem to be everywhere, I am absolutely refusing to see anything but the positive things happening around us.

I realize that many in our rural communities have great needs and very real challenges. But this makes me even more determined to keep moving forward, capitalizing on opportunities to help meet those needs. And, it makes me so thankful for the many blessings in my life.

Our region needs all of us as leaders to share a message of hope. I believe whole-heartedly that our region is poised to do even greater things in the future because of the people leading the way. I hope you’ll take on my attitude of optimism!

Let’s all celebrate gratitude, grace and hope for southwest Minnesota’s future together this week.

Leave a comment finishing this sentence:

I am thankful for…

photo credit: The Knowles Gallery