Blandin Foundation president/CEO featured in MNSights

October 7, 2014 by Blandin Foundation Posted in Blandin Foundation, Rural Capacity Building, Vibrant Rural

Hope springs eternal. These uplifting words were spoken by our president, Kathy Annette, in a recent MNSights article. While this message pertained to a specific instance in Kathy’s life, it could be said that MNSights, a publication of the Minnesota Philanthropy Partners, showcases stories that spring eternal hope – stories about energizing kids’ creativity to stimulate learning, about revitalizing a city through job creation and about keeping our feathered, furred and finned friends protected. For these stories and more, check out the recent issue of MNSights.

Here are some snippets from Kathy’s conversation with Minnesota Philanthropy Partners CEO Carleen Rhodes…

On Rural

“…the economy, our youth, that’s what’s important to us in rural Minnesota. We do need to develop our economy. That comes across again and again. We need jobs and opportunities locally so people can make a living and lead good lives.”

On Leadership Style

“I would say my leadership style is very much engaging, listening, teamwork. That’s how I find things get done best: engage people, listen to them and surround yourself with really terrific people, which I’ve been able to do.”

… and how those skills apply to marriage

“And many of the leadership skills that I learned, I’ve used in my marriage. Compromise. Teamwork. Listening. It’s not so much different than what I’ve trained for. Maybe it took me a long time to train before I could have a marriage as good as mine is right now!”

For more about Kathy’s life on the reservation, her thoughts on rural communities, leadership and marriage, read the full article here.