歪歪漫画

BEMIDJI 鈥� The late Marc Bloomquist of Blackduck is one of four Bemidji State University graduates who will be named as distinguished alumni for the 2023-24 academic year by the BSU Alumni and Foundation.

BSU graduates Marc Bloomquist 鈥�96, Corby Koehler 鈥�97 and John Thompson 鈥�98 will all receive the Outstanding Alumni Award, while Denae (Fisher) Alamano 鈥�07 will receive the Young Alumni Award.

Bloomquist was nominated by Trish Hansen, who was a 1996 BSU classmate and co-worker with him at the Minnesota Department of Corrections. Hansen is a District Supervisor, the same position Bloomquist held over other areas including Mahnomen, Park Rapids, Thief River Falls, Roseau and Bemidji at different times over the years.

After receiving his bachelor鈥檚 degree in Criminal Justice from BSU in 1996, Bloomquist obtained his master鈥檚 degree in Public Safety Executive Leadership from St. Cloud State University in 2006.

He carved out a decades-long career with the Minnesota Department of Corrections where he served on a number of committees, held offenders accountable for their actions while offering opportunities for change to make the community safer and advocated fiercely for staff.

Contributed

In her nomination, Hansen said, 鈥淭hroughout his career with DOC, Marc served on many committees and workgroups both in his local jurisdictions and statewide. Marc was a member of a small committee that developed statewide standards for DOC in the supervision and management of a specialized sex offender caseload.

鈥淒uring his time as an Enhanced Sex Offender Supervision Agent, he never lost sight of the victims, held the offenders accountable for their behavior and offered opportunities for change in an effort to make our communities safer. He was also a fierce advocate for staff and worked hard to ensure access to trauma-based services for staff.

鈥淢arc served on the DOC鈥檚 Critical Incident Stress Management Team for many years and reached out to staff members who experienced stress and/or trauma through the course of their day-to-day work. He delivered numerous trainings to staff on Fatigue to Fulfillment, in hopes of developing staff that were able to take care of themselves and were mindful of the toll probation work can take on our lives.

鈥淢ost recently, Marc served on the newly created statewide committee entitled, Servant Leadership. Marc believed it was his job to empower, encourage and support staff to be at their best.

鈥淚n addition to the committee work, Marc鈥檚 heart and passion came from the development and implementation of innovative and creative ideas that were evidence-based and rooted in research with regard to changing offender behavior. Marc became a Motivational Interviewing Trainer and led many trainings for staff in the use of MI.

鈥淗e was one of the first District Supervisors for DOC to implement virtual cognitive skills groups for offenders in an effort to reach those who lived in rural Minnesota, who didn鈥檛 have a vehicle or had other barriers that prevented them from getting to a group in person.

鈥淪adly, Marc died at his home unexpectedly on Dec. 8, 2021, leaving behind his wife and three children. Marc鈥檚 sudden passing was felt across the northwest portion of the state impacting DOC staff, community partners, area stakeholders and numerous criminal justice agencies.

鈥淢arc鈥檚 death has been incredibly difficult for so many of us and especially for Marc鈥檚 family and others who knew him well. Marc had a big presence and if you ever met him, you certainly did not forget him. Marc gave of his time and abilities unselfishly to his community. Marc was a huge presence at the table of many community justice meetings and continually pushed for public and victim safety, offender accountability, and opportunities for offender change.

鈥淗e will forever be remembered for his ability to engage others in community projects, his compassion and willingness to help others and for his positive, outgoing personality. Marc always put staff needs first and especially those staff who were struggling with difficult situations whether at home or at work. He truly wanted healthy, happy staff who treated each other well and worked together to support each other when necessary.鈥�

Beyond his work with the DOC, Bloomquist was a man of many passions and a tireless supporter of kids and youth in his community, coaching football, basketball and baseball at Blackduck 歪歪漫画 for years, announcing and running the clock at sporting events, serving as President of the Blackduck Booster Club, and giving his time and talents to countless activities and events.

Bloomquist wasn鈥檛 about winning at all costs, but rather developing character and integrity in the players he coached.

One of his favorite Coach Wooden quotes was, 鈥淏e more concerned with your character than with your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.鈥�

This was a lesson that all of the young men and women he coached will remember for the rest of their lives.

Bloomquist was also a committed member of the Evangelical Covenant Church in Bemidji. He faithfully ushered every Sunday morning, happily visiting with all who came to worship. He led youth groups for several years with a cohort of teenage boys seeing them through until their graduation from high school.

He also developed a program called Kingdom Builders, which he later implemented and established a committee to oversee this project. The Kingdom Builders Project collected donations from members of the church and community and then used these funds to assist and/or help community members who were in need.

He wanted to be able to help people as quickly as possible but never wanted to draw any attention to himself. Bloomquist volunteered for Servants of Shelter which is a program offered by a group of area churches to offer space and meals in the winter for those who were homeless.

He enjoyed visiting with those who sought shelter and worked to help people connect with programs/services that would help them get back on their feet. He often volunteered for Meals on Wheels as well and loved greeting people with his booming voice and gregarious smile. He could talk with anyone for hours on end.

鈥淨uietly improving the circumstances of someone needing a hand was likely one of Marc鈥檚 great joys,鈥� Hansen said. 鈥淚 specifically recall one Christmas when Marc walked through the Paul Bunyan Mall handing out cash anonymously in hopes of brightening someone else鈥檚 Christmas that year.鈥�

Bloomquist was one of those very rare individuals who made every person he encountered feel special. He had a talent for making each feel like they were the only person in the room. His wife Jen said that Marc wanted to do everything, but he did everything because he enjoyed it.

鈥淲hatever he did,鈥� Jen said of her husband. 鈥淗e was all in, and he wouldn鈥檛 ever say that he鈥檇 help if he could, because if he said he鈥檇 help then he gave all that he had. He was also the only person I could say honestly maintained 500 close, personal friendships.鈥�

Her words would not come as a surprise to anyone who ever knew Bloomquist, because those traits were obvious to all. It is, in fact, easy to put a man like Marc on a pedestal, but to see him as 鈥減erfect鈥� actually makes him less 鈥渞eal鈥� than he really was.

(Jennifer Parker / Special to the Pioneer)

The man Jen Bloomquist loved was the one who left his socks in the middle of the living room; who picked a fight in the car on the way to church and then walked into the sanctuary smiling and greeting people while the rest of the family was still steaming; who fired his oldest son Calvin at least three times each summer while they were both working at their resort.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 what I remember,鈥� Jen said, 鈥渁nd oddly, what I miss. I miss those moments when Marc wasn鈥檛 so perfect and perky. He made us feel loved every single day.鈥�

She added that she got a letter from a woman who met Bloomquist in a DOC training session several years ago.

鈥淚t was 18 months after Marc died, but she鈥檇 only recently learned of it, and she wanted to express her condolences,鈥� Jen noted. 鈥淚t is amazing to me that someone he met so briefly and so long ago would write to tell me what a huge impression he had made on her and that his love for our family came through so clearly. That is how he affected people.鈥�

Bloomquist鈥檚 passing left a huge gap in the community, church, and job 鈥� but even more so in his family. But Jen said that they are getting through by remembering Marc鈥檚 own life lessons.

鈥淚f you鈥檙e complaining then you鈥檇 better be helping,鈥� she said, 鈥渢hat was one of them. He really motivated people. When Marc was in charge, he made people want to do more, to do better. I can鈥檛 say this hasn鈥檛 been really hard for our family, but Marc wanted us to see all of the amazing things the world has to offer.鈥�

His attitude laid the groundwork with the relationships he healed and the words he said, Jen added.

鈥淚 could see very quickly the ways in which God was showing up for our family, so we try hard not to focus so much on the horrible or the anger 鈥� yes there鈥檚 sadness, but we see all the good that came from Marc鈥檚 life,鈥� she explained. 鈥淓veryone tells us that he left such big shoes to fill everywhere, and he did. But he also loved finding new ways to make things better, to help people, to inspire people, and to lighten the load. He left all of that with us. I see so much of that in Calvin.鈥�

Marc and Jen鈥檚 children, Calvin, now a sophomore at Bethel University; Nathan, a Blackduck High 歪歪漫画 junior; and Jillian, a freshman, along with their mother will all attend the 2023 Honors Gala on Sept. 29, and while the loss has been hard on all of them, the ongoing reminders of the impact Marc Bloomquist had on so many lives is also a source of great pride.

鈥淚t is a well-deserved honor,鈥� Jen left off. 鈥淗e loved everything he was a part of at BSU and the life it prepared him for beyond those years. He always did the best he could in every aspect of his life and career, so it is awesome to have him recognized by the BSU Alumni and Foundation.鈥�