There have been moments throughout my life when opportunities arose to move to a different part of the state of Minnesota, or even a different part of the country. Anyone who knows me, knows that I love living in southern Minnesota and that there are many reasons why I choose to stay here. As the president of Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF), I can’t imagine a … [Read more...]
Gratitude
Now that we are past the busyness of the holiday season, I am reflecting on what a wonderful year 2018 was for southern Minnesota. It was a year that renewed my optimism for the future of our unique part of the state. I was once again humbled by the generous people of our 20-county region who make our work at Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) worth every … [Read more...]
Support small businesses this holiday season
‘Tis the season for spending time with family and friends, enjoying delicious meals and of course, shopping for gifts. The holiday season is always a great reminder to spend dollars locally and lift up our small businesses. At Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) we invest in the businesses in our 20-county region because we know that they are the backbone of our … [Read more...]
Moving the needle in Southern Minnesota
Autumn is one of my favorite times of year – not just because of the beautiful colors, but because it means it’s time for our Annual Luncheon. At Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF), this luncheon is an opportunity for more than 200 of our partners to come together from across our 20-county region to share successes and look to the future. At this year’s luncheon … [Read more...]
Collaborating for regional vitality
A couple of years ago we went through a rebranding exercise at Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) and settled on the tagline, “collaborating for regional vitality,” as a simple way to represent our work. This phrase gets to the heart of everything that we do, whether in early childhood, economic development or community vitality, and it really comes alive for me … [Read more...]