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Lakers, North Stars and…Vikings? Oh my!
08 February 2012 7:43 AM | 3 CommentsThe chatter is getting noisier. They are going to raise our taxes! That RICH guy is going to get richer! Our public schools don’t get any money – but that dumb team does! I don’t care – let the team leave! However, Minnesota history indicates...
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Your help is needed to close one hole in Minnesota safety net
06 February 2012 3:11 PM | No CommentsYou may have read about Charles Van Heuveln in Jon Tevlin’s Star Tribune column a few weeks ago. A good program that benefits people with disabilities — Medical Assistance for Employed People with Disabilities (MA-EPD) — has a loop hole in it. A hole that...
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Theater of Public Policy
02 February 2012 12:19 PM | No CommentsPolitical satire and improvisational theater have a long history in the Twin Cities thanks in part to Dudley Riggs. Huge Improv Theater on 30th and Lyndale in south Minneapolis is adding a new chapter to this legacy with the Theater of Public Policy. In partnership...
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Author Archive
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Communities Built to Last
Posted on January 30, 2012 | No CommentsLast week, President Obama gave his annual State of the Union address, in which he raised the call for creating an economy that is “built to last.” For anyone who is a fan of business guru Jim Collins, this is a familiar term and title... -
Shredding the Safety Net
Posted on December 13, 2011 | 1 CommentThis morning I had the privilege to be part of a radio interview on KFAI talking about the incredible disconnect between affordable housing need in this community and our ability to meet it. The basic question for many people is if we have a growing... -
“Jobs Anywhere” Is Not Enough
Posted on October 5, 2011 | No CommentsThis was the mantra at yesterday’s “Urban 2.0” Inner City Economic Summit in Chicago. Convened by the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC), this day and half-long conference focused on the next generation of jobs and business needed to improve the vitality of inner... -
Leadership on a Stick
Posted on August 25, 2011 | No CommentsTiming is everything, and with the opening of the Minnesota State Fair, I’m the lucky Leadership and Community blogger who gets to use this kitsch. So how does one dazzle the masses with such innovation and finesse, encapsulating a whole meal of ideas into something... -
The Big Picture Project
Posted on July 20, 2011 | No CommentsCOLLABORATE. ”Build a culture of trust and innovation.” This is the cover story of the current issue of the Harvard Business Review. It couldn’t be more timely–whether it’s at an ‘all-time low’ at the state legislative level or actually on the rise in the Twin... -
Finding Purpose in Surprising Places
Posted on June 15, 2011 | No CommentsThis past weekend I traveled nearly 400 miles to my home town, a path I take a couple of times a year but this time I had to cross a burgeoning Missouri River. They say it’s a 100 year flood and many communities along the... -
Inspired, again
Posted on May 4, 2011 | No CommentsLast night I attended the Fifth Annual Facing Race Ambassador Awards event, sponsored by The Saint Paul Foundation. Hearing the stories of community leaders, elevated and recognized for their tremendous contributions, courage and perseverance is always an inspiration to me, and last night did not... -
Fight, Fight, Fight
Posted on March 29, 2011 | No CommentsLast week, I was in Washington, D.C. to celebrate the 30th anniversary for the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), a national community development intermediary and the organization for which I work. It was an exhilarating and sobering event at the same time. While we celebrated... -
Finding the Right Size for Community
Posted on February 23, 2011 | No CommentsEarlier this month, I found myself in a dark crowded room and almost giddy in anticipation for what I was going to hear. Concert? Sadly, no. It was Sarah Susanka, architect and author for the ‘Not So Big’ series of house design, remodeling, and community... -
Choices, Choices and More Choices
Posted on January 20, 2011 | 1 CommentNow that I have a child nearing school-age, I’ve learned that the months of January to March have a special designation–”school selection season.” At least in St. Paul from what I can discern, it starts with an overwhelming information fair, progressing to a seemingly endless...
