This past weekend was special for our family. My siblings and I gathered together with my mom and dad to celebrate my dad鈥檚 96th birthday. Victor Michael Hengel, Jr. was born on Sept. 8, 1928.
My dad is my hero. He exemplifies for me everything I want to be and the embodiment of the person I want my children and grandchildren to emulate. He is kind, humble and grateful. He is a man of faith who always puts his family first. He understands at his core what truly matters in life. Most of all, my dad is genuine.
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I credit my dad for instilling in me a passion for civic engagement and leadership. He has been involved in many different organizations throughout his life 鈥� always involved, always active and working to make a difference. It was instilled in our family by how he lived that you have a responsibility to support your community (however you define that). He served his country and his community out of his own sense of personal responsibility, duty and honor.
Mind you, my dad and I are a bit different. My dad is a man of few words. Clearly, that is not true of me. His words are typically reserved for compliments and expressions of gratitude. He does have a pointed sense of humor that will come out every once in a while 鈥� typically with a wide smile and a twinkle in his eye.
I have to share one of my favorite examples of his humor. My dad is a lifelong Minnesota Twins fan. I once asked him what he thought about the Twins' chances to make the playoffs. His response was, 鈥淣ot good. The Twins put nine designated hitters on the field every inning.鈥� I hope at least the baseball fans out there catch the humor.
My dad was my first experience with a steward-leader. He has always been deeply committed to the long-term well-being of everything he鈥檚 involved in: his family, his faith, his work, and his community. He didn鈥檛 have to be out front. He didn鈥檛 have to have a big voice. He led his own way.
Our country and community could learn a lot from leaders like my dad. So can I.
Why am I sharing this about my dad? This week I have been thinking about all the steward-leaders who have quietly worked to build a better Bemidji community 鈥� both those who have come before us and those who are leading today. Just like my dad, each leads their own way 鈥� in a genuine way.
To all those steward-leaders who are making a difference in our community, out front or behind the scenes, I want to say 鈥淭HANK YOU.鈥� You make Bemidji a very special place.
Special thanks to our investors and partners
I also want to take a moment to extend a special 鈥淭HANK YOU鈥� to the investors and partners who support Greater Bemidji鈥檚 work. In addition to the city of Bemidji, Northern Township and Beltrami County, Greater Bemidji is supported by 75 local businesses and organizations who generously contribute to our work.
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There is little benefit in supporting Greater Bemidji. Yet every year new companies and organizations step forward in support. Why?
Ultimately what brings them together is one thing: they want to ensure a better tomorrow for the greater Bemidji region. These are steward-leaders of the Bemidji region 鈥� committed to the long-term wellbeing of our community and people.
These businesses range in size from very small, one-person shops to the largest businesses in our region. They are manufacturers, banks and credit unions, utility companies, service providers, contractors and subcontractors, retailers, downtown business owners and restaurants. They have a variety of interests, backgrounds and viewpoints. Yet they are united by their love of our community.
I take the time to visit these companies in part just to say thank you. I invite you to do the same. Please take a moment to look at the list of our supporters on Greater Bemidji鈥檚 website,
When given the chance, thank them on behalf of a grateful community. Do the same for our local elected officials at the City, County and Northern Township. Thank them for their commitment to economic development and growing our economy.
Dave Hengel is the executive director of Greater Bemidji Economic Development. He can be reached at (218) 444-5757 or dhengel@greaterbemidji.com.
The Trust Project
