St Peter Profiles 2015

ProfilesSA INT PETER

2015

SA INT PETER ’S UNSUNG HEROES

PAGE 2 ST. PETER PORTRAITS Thursday, March 26, 2015

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Thursday, March 26, 2015 ST. PETER PORTRAITS PAGE 3

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Pro�les 2015WELCOME A special project of the St. Peter Herald311 S. Minnesota Ave., St. Peter, MN 56082

www.stpeterherald.com

Managing EditorSuzanne Rook

Advertising ManagerKathleen Davies

Contributing Writers/PhotographersPat Beck, Dana Melius, Philip Weyhe

Cover DesignNikkie GilmorePage Design

Tony Borreson

Pro�les 2015 is distributed to subscribers and readers of the St. Peter Herald at no additional charge. All rights reserved. © 2015

All advertising contained herein is the responsibility of the advertiser.

The St. Peter area is �lled with unsung heroes, but this year we’re focusing on those who aren’t traditionally considered heroes.

Sure, our features this year include a member of the St. Peter Police Department. But in keeping with the theme, we spoke with its community service o�cer. She’s the person who deals with stray animals, runs any number of errands and generally does a lot of the less glamorous jobs that ensure the department runs smoothly.

We’re also featuring a snowplow driver who works all hours of the day and night to keep our local roads clear when the snow begins to �y, and a St. Peter High School custodian who doesn’t just keep the school ship-shape, but mentors high school students in need of a caring role model.

As we began planning our annual Pro�les edition, compiling a list of “unsung heroes,” we quickly realized that there’s almost no end to those in who contribute positively to our communities but are rarely get the notice they so richly deserve.

So while we take our hat o� to those featured on these pages, we’d also like to salute all who give so generously of their time and talents with little thought to reward or recognition. For all you do, thank you.

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By PAT [email protected]

Janet �ompson spent 11½ years as a dis-patcher for St. Peter Police Department.

For the last year and a half she’s been the community service officer, often referred to as the CSO.

While a dispatcher job kept her in the o�ce, her new position gives her the chance to get outside and meet the public.

“I liked working for the department, but being able to get out and work with the public makes it more enjoyable,” �ompson said.

Her favorite part of the job is speaking in schools. She speaks twice a year in the spring and fall about storm awareness with third-grad-ers at all the schools in St. Peter.

She also gives kindergarten tours at the department and speaks to preschool classes at the community center about issues such as Halloween and bike safety.

Prior to getting the CSO job, Thompson served as a volunteer as a Girl Scout leader and a Sunday school teacher, speaking with children and the public. She also helped with the PAWs Walk fundraiser for the Pound Animals.

Solving problemsCommunity education is one of the three

main parts of the job, but �ompson spends more of her time with animal control and city ordinance enforcement. She also assists the of-�cers and dispatchers with a variety of issues.

“The job encompasses a lot of different skills,” �ompson said. “Most important are

the abilities to interact with people and handle di�cult situations.”

St. Peter Police Chief Matt Peters said that the community service o�cer has one of the most di�cult jobs in the department.

“�at position encompasses so many that are helpful for our community,” Peters said. “It’s an important job to improve the quality of life for residents of St. Peter, and Janet does an excellent job. She’s a good problem solver, and you have to be self motivated to �nd solutions.”

�ompson said the number of complaints she handles vary from three to 20 a week. �ere numbers rise in the summer when people are outside.

�ompson recommends residents contact their neighbor in a calm and friendly manor �rst to try and resolve a dispute themselves.

“If I come in, there’s a lot of people who feel o�ended that they didn’t talk to their neigh-bor �rst,” �ompson said. “I can help resolve it when they don’t have any luck addressing it.”

�ompson also helps enforce city ordinanc-es from dogs doing their business where they shouldn’t to junk in a back yard.

“A lot of people may be unhappy with their neighbors,” �ompson said. “We need to be able to resolve problems.”

But that’s something �ompson enjoys do-ing.

“Even things that can be less glamorous can be very rewarding,” she said.

�at includes helping residents �nd the re-sources they need. For instance, Thompson helps coordinate volunteers for cleanup or mowing lawns.

St. Peter Police Department Community Service Of-�cer Janet Thompson and Kind Vet Veterinary As-sistant/Pound Coordinator Alaina Olson pet Rhode-sian ridge-back/golden retriever puppy Chloe and bulldog Debo at the animal pound. (Pat Beck/St. Peter Herald)

Janet Thompson

At Your Service

ServiceContinued on Page 5


cheeseandpie.com 507-934-9066317 S. Minnesota Ave St. Peter, MN

Sometimes it’s someone new in town who isn’t aware of city ordinances or who has a medical issue.

As the city dog and cat catcher, she responds to complaints of dogs running loose, barking or defecating in neighbors’ yards. While dogs are typically picked up right away and claimed by the owner, cats are usually given a day to return home.

Thompson suggests not feeding cats to allow them time to return home.

Most often it’s dogs caus-ing the problems. �e animal pound keeps up to 10 animals at one time. While 90 percent are claimed, those that aren’t claimed in a week are put up for adoption. If they aren’t ad-opted, there are volunteers who provide foster care.

“Unfortunately pound animals are the �rst thing people think of when they want to adopt an animal,” Thompson said. “We’re always trying to �nd homes for pound animals. But with the PAWS funding, we keep adoption costs fairly low. All animals are vaccinated, spayed

or neutered. Adoption fees range from $25 to $150. Cats are usually $25. Dogs and kittens are $150.

Thompson said one of the positive aspects of animal control is the volun-teers. Forty-two Gustavus Adolphus College students play with the animals. When students aren’t in a school, such as in the summer, local volunteers in-

cluding the St. Peter Recre-ation Volunteers in the Park help play with and walk the animals.

A single mom, Thompson lives in St. Peter with her three children, Johanna, 17; Jaydon, 9; and Jack, 5; and their dog Rudi, “a wild 2-year-old Ger-man short hair which give me

good practice for animal control.”Prior to joining the police depart-

ment, �ompson worked as a health and safety manager at Unimin Corp. from 1998-2000 and at Cambria from 2000-02.

Reach Sports Editor Pat Beck at 931-8566 or follow him on Twitter.com @SPHSportsPat.

RESPONSIBILITIESThe community service o�cer responsibilities

include:• Animal control• Code enforcement• Community service activities• Support services• Public education• Bicycle education and enforcement• Supervision of “Sentence to Serve” projects•The CSO spends much time on animal control

problems. This entails working with residents in an e�ort to license animals. It also involves assisting residents in the trapping of wild animals.

Another major role of the CSO is code enforcement. This includes identifying nuisances and responding to nuisance complaints. Examples of common nuisance complaints are; unregistered or inoperable vehicles, discarded furniture and appliances, unused building materials, brush and weeds. It’s necessary to identify violators and work with property owners in an e�ort to abate the nuisance.

The CSO also conducts residential “vacation” surveys and surplus property auction, organizes department projects and delivers department correspondence.

Thompson

ServiceFrom Page 4

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Robyn Sellner

Caring for Everyone

CaringContinued on Page 7

By PHILIP [email protected]

Robyn Sellner embodies the role of unsung hero. As a memory care assistant at Ecumen Sand Prairie in St. Peter, she is modest. She is quiet. She is darn good.

“It’s who she is,” said Ecumen Manager Lisa Hof-ferbert. “Her care and her empathy and her ability

to connect are extraordinary.”Sellner has been employed at Sand Prairie for 14

years, working in a team to assist seniors in living, speci�cally those with some degree of dementia. It’s a full-time job, yet still not enough to satisfy her need to help others. She also works part-time for Nicollet County Public Health as a health aid, going to people’s homes to assist them there.

“I’ve had some of my home care clients move to

[Sand Prairie],” she said. “It’s amazing to continue that relationship with them.”

One might think Sellner would be exhausted with the two jobs, but despite her so�-spoken na-ture, it is obvious she is �lled with life. Her list of hobbies is long and includes mushroom hunting, motorcycle riding, gardening, turkey hunting and thri� store shopping.

She lives with her boyfriend, Jerry, in Belle Plaine

and is close with her 29 year-old daughter, Ashley. She is also close with her mother, Phyllis, sister, Rhonda and brother, Randy.

All of them were close with her father, Ronald, before he die from cancer six years ago. She speaks about him with a sadness in her eyes, but a smile on her face. She recalls seeing how he was cared for in the hospital, and how important that was to her family.

Robyn Sellner has worked at Ecumen Sand Prairie for more than 14 years. (Philip Weyhe/Le Sueur News-Herald)


CaringFrom Page 6

Sellner and Ho�er-bert both work for Ecumen, and have known each other since high school in St. Peter. (Philip Weyhe/Le Sueur News-Herald)

“When I saw the care he was getting, it inspired me,” Sellner said. “I knew I could be a great care-taker.”

According to Ho�erbert, who has known Sellner since their time together at St. Peter High School, she has always had a kind heart.

“She has this way of sensing and being there for people,” Ho�erbert said.All about the team

Not everyone realizes the extent or the impor-tance of what they do. If Sellner does see it, she hides it behind a wall of modesty.

“I don’t even know why I was chosen,” she said. “I don’t think I’m that special. We’re all doing it here.”

She’s right, of course, about the last thing at least. A community like Sand Prairie requires a team effort, filled with employees caring for the patients as well as each other. It’s an aspect of the job that Sellner wanted to be noted.

“I just want people to know about the great teamwork among our sta�,” she said. “I could not do my job without my team.”

Hofferbert said the team, all women besides the maintenance man, is �lled with di�erent personalities that approach the job with di�erent styles. Sellner stands out because of her experience and her patience.

“�ere is no request too great for her,” Ho�er-bert said.Memory care assistants put families at ease

Ho�erbert has felt the heroics of Sellner on a more personal level. When her father-in-law was recently widowed, his family helped him move to Sand Prairie for assistance.

“It was di�cult for him,” Ho�erbert said. “He didn’t know anybody. He just came here and kept to himself.”

He rarely le� his room and never joined others

during meals and activities. Where others may have just le� him be or tried to push him too hard, Sellner used her method, constant but patient.

“Robyn would go up there every single day and knock on his door,” Ho�erbert admired. “Day a�er day a�er day, she’d knock and invite him down, knock and invite him down.”

One day, he accepted. He came down with Sell-ner to supper and she introduced him to new people. And she kept doing it from there, getting him more acquainted and putting smiles on his family’s faces.

“It was invaluable for us,” Ho�erbert said. “We didn’t want him to be isolated. For her to help him feel special was such a relief to our family.”

It’s what Sellner and other memory care assistant do every day, taking care of our seniors in a time

that can be lonely and horribly frustrating.

“Not being able to do what you know you could do before ... that has to be frustrating,” she said.

No doubt, the frus-trations are understand-able and workers have to be ready for some of it to come out on them.

“We see anxiety, an-ger, agitation,” Sellner

said. “But it may not be anything toward you. It’s about �guring out what the problem is. Be �exible and calm and creative.”

It can be di�cult and it can be taxing, but for Sellner it is always rewarding.

“I like to learn about their past and learn what they used to do,” she said. “�ey really appreciate you and they help you give them care.”

Sung or unsung, it doesn’t matter to Sellner. �e validation hides in the well-worn smiles of the se-niors she tends to.

“I know every day I make a di�erence in their life,” she said.

Reach Reporter Philip Weyhe at 507-931-8576 or follow him on Twitter.com @LNHphilip.

ABOVE AND BEYONDRobyn Sellner’s work at Sand Prairie

extends beyond the regular duties. She is also a part of a safety committee and a quality improvement committee, which she said make her feel more involved in the whole process. She also serves as a peer mentor, training in new employees.

“I know every day I make a di�erence in their life.”Robyn Sellner on working with patients at Ecumen Sand Prairie

Saint Peter has over 40 sites on the National Register of Historic Places. Quality faculty, specialized programs and a supportive learning environment distinguish Saint Peter Schools. An Old-Fashioned Fourth of July Celebration, Rock Bend Folk Festival, and the annual Nobel Conference at Gustavus Adolphus College are a handful of events enjoyed in Saint Peter.

COMMUNITY

WORKFORCEOur labor force is one of experience and dependability. Ninety percent of persons age 25 and over are high school graduates, and over 29% hold bachelors degrees. Workers enjoy an average travel time to work of just 15 minutes.

Municipal Building227 South Front Street, Saint Peter, MN 56082

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Depend on quick, thorough transactions and possible revolving loan when dealing with the City of Saint Peter. Starting, relocating or expanding business will be your focus, not chasing the details.

FOCUS

Businesses benefit from Saint Peter’s location and proximity to interstate transportation networks, meaning lower costs, short commutes, ease of movement, a network of support services and suppliers.

LOCATION

A range of housing costs is represented in Saint Peter; apartments, townhomes and single family housing are available. The river bluff provides spectacular homesites nestled in wooded lots.

HOUSING


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By DANA [email protected]

St. Peter Food Co-op’s amazing growth through the years, from its humble beginning in July 1979 at its tiny Front Street and Broadway Avenue store to its showcase facility in April 2011, is o�en attributed to its one and only general man-ager, Margo O’Brien.

But O’Brien instead de�ects the praise to the Food Co-op’s employees and sta� culture. It’s a great place to work, she believes, and there have been some great employees over 35 years in the St. Peter business community.

Ask around for an unsung hero in that o�en praised deli kitchen,and one name pops up.

“Erik. Erik Foutch,” said front-end manager Rob �omas, without hesitation. O’Brien agreed.

“We’re very, very proud of Erik,” she said.

Foutch, 24, is in his fourth year in the Food Co-op’s kitchen. He calls himself a “manager in training.” A na-tive of Le Center and 2009 graduate of Minnesota New Country School in Hender-son, he never really saw his future in the kitchen, as a cook. After high school, he moved to St. Peter and joined then Econofoods’ deli sta� for a couple years, receiving on-the-job training.

“Public school just wasn’t clicking for me,” Foutch said of his move out of Le Center and to the charter school. It was a good move, he said.

“It helped me grow socially and certainly helped me in other areas. It made me communi-cate much better with people.”

�ose attributes helped him grow as a cashier, stocker and deli cook at Econofoods in St. Peter. When the new St. Peter Food Co-op facility went up nearby on Broadway Avenue in 2011, it peaked Foutch’s interests. Today, he’s pretty much second in command to deli and kitchen Manager Shyama O’Brien.

“Probably because I’m willing to take the pres-sure o� Shyama’s shoulders,” Foutch said. “I have a wide variety of jobs. It’s really nice. At a restaurant, you’ll have a set menu. Here, we get to try new things.”

While the more quiet, subtle pace of other Food Co-op jobs seems evident during a walk

through the aisles, in the kitchen “it’s a go, go, go” pace, Foutch noted.

“�e deli is kind of a separate entity from the rest of the store,” he noted. “It’s not even the same game. When one person goes above and beyond, it makes everyone want to go above and beyond.”

But while the deli kitchen duties can ratchet up the stress, Foutch said the quality of fellow employees and their work ethics make for a great sta� environ-ment.

“�e deli crew, especially the night crew, is really tight. We’re also best of friends.”

Still, there are days, Foutch noted.“Sometimes we’re just scrambling to get things

done that day. We usually have four hours to produce at the very least 32 pans of food. If it’s a theme day,

we’ll probably produce up to 50.“�at’s the biggest challenge,”

Foutch added, maintaining food quality and plate appearance through the day.

�ose theme days are favor-ites of Foutch’s, especially the Indian food he helped develop and produce. It’s also a favorite of many customers, he said, as “it’s really hard to �nd good In-dian food.”

“I’m a big fan of Indian day,” Foutch said, which has produced the Co-op’s highest gross reve-nue days. “I’m always trying for better ways to do things. And those theme nights are great and are what we want to bring to the Co-op — diversity.”

Foutch is pleased with reac-tions of customers, fellow sta� members, and the ongoing

growth of the Food Co-op.“It’s nice to see how much growth has come in

just a few years,” he noted, both in the store and in himself. But while his current role at the Food Co-op satis�es his current needs, he may need to someday move on to pursue other interests.

“I’d like to do line cooking someday,” Foutch said. “And I do have experience managing people. So, I’m getting some of the training I need.”

Besides the praise of management, fellow kitchen sta� members echo the same of the 24-year-old cook.

“He’s a good worker. A good teacher,” said fellow deli sta�er Mallory Smith, who’s been at the Co-op three months. And Foutch sends it right back.

“I really appreciate my co-workers,” he said.

Reach Associate Editor Dana Melius at 507-931-8568 or follow him on Twitter @SPHdana-john.

Erik Foutch in the St. Peter Food Co-op deli, his fourth year there. (Dana Melius/St. Peter Herald)

Erik Foutch

Recipe for Success

MORE INFORMATION

Erik Foutch laughed when asked about his “normal” schedule. Anyone who’s been in a food service kitchen, he said, understands. While Monday and Tuesday are his regular days o�, there’s usually nothing normal about the food service industry.

The St. Peter Food Co-op, located at 228 Mulberry St., is open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.


Dean Enter

Clearing the Way

ClearingContinued on Page 10

By PAT [email protected]

Dean Enter gets behind the wheel of a snowplow in the earliest and toughest road conditions on the day, but he enjoys the challenge.

A Nicollet County Public Works High-way Maintenance Supervisor, Enter has driven a snowplow for 27 years, so he’s faced a variety of conditions.

Enter likes the excitement of snow-plowing.

“It’s kind of adventurous,” Enter said. “Every condition is di�erent. It’s kind of fun most of the time.”

“Last year was a tough year for us. We had a lot of snow and a lot of wind blow-ing every day, so we had some instances where we had to replow just to open roads. We had roads that sometimes you get a dri� 4-5 feet deep. Visibility gets really bad sometimes. I’ve had a truck in the ditch once and my motor dragger in the ditch twice.”

�e biggest challenge of snowplowing is dealing with tra�c.

“�e biggest thing about snowplowing is to always be aware of your surround-ings and always know who’s behind you, so people don’t run into you or you don’t run into somebody else,” Enter said.

Nicollet County Highway Maintenance Supervisor Dean Enter checks tra�c at an intersection while snow-plowing county roads. (Pat Beck/St. Peter Herald)

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“Last year was a tough year for us. We had a lot of snow and a lot of wind blow-ing every day, so we had some instances where we had to replow just to open roads. We had roads that sometimes you get a dri� 4-5 feet deep. Visibility gets really bad sometimes. I’ve had a truck in the ditch once and my motor dragger in the ditch twice.”

�e biggest challenge of snowplowing is dealing with tra�c.

“�e biggest thing about snowplowing is to always be aware of your surround-ings and always know who’s behind you, so people don’t run into you or you don’t run into somebody else,” Enter said.

ClearingFrom Page 10

Snowplows normally go 30 to 35 mph, depending on conditions, and Enter said, “People drive too fast. �at’s the main prob-lem.”

Enter said vehicles need to give snow-plows “plenty of room to do things. Some-times we have to back up.”

�e county plows the rural roads when-ever conditions are getting slippery.

Compared to city roads, county roads have less tra�c, and there is less tra�c a�er 8 a.m. when most people have gone to work or school.

“But we deal with more wind and dri�-ing,” Enter said.

Snowplow drivers also have to avoid hit-ting mailboxes and any other obstacles in their path.

Normally he plows the Traverse Town-ship area. But sometimes he also fills in nearby townships where needed.

Most of the routes are from 25 to 30 miles, which takes about three hours to complete. �e county has more than 300 miles of roads. �ey put 20,000 miles per year on a truck and replace one every year.

They usually start in the darkness at

5 a.m., depending on when it snows.“We try to have everything opened up

by 7 o’clock, so roads are open for the school buses,” Enter said.

Drivers usually work eight hours, but sometimes, if there’s more snow, they can do up to 12 hours of plowing. They encourage a break every few hours.

T h e c o u n t y has 10 trucks and three motor drag-gers (road graders) which are also used for blading gravel roads in the sum-mer.

There are 11 dr ivers who go through a one-day training program with the Minnesota Department of Transporta-tion. Supervisors ride with the drivers for several days.

“We have an excellent crew who does a very good job,” said Seth Greenwood, Nicollet County Public Works Director

and County Engineer. “Dean is an excel-lent operator and has served the county very well for many years. I trust him to get the job done.”

“A snowplow driver needs to be me-chanically inclined and a jack of all trades

because you never know what you’re going to run into in a given day. You might have break-downs out on the roads.

“You also have to have someone dedicated to the job. �e hours are not always set. You may get a call out of the blue that

you need to get out and plow at 5 o’clock in the morning. �e day can be long, and if it snows every single day for two months straight, you’re working every day for two months straight.”

It can be a stressful job, Greenwood said. “You’re not only looking at what you’re do-

ing, but also at what everybody else is do-ing. And you’re watching your wing for ev-ery mailbox, so you don’t slip those o�, too,”

In addition to plowing, Enter puts sand and salt down in the major intersections, curves and hills.

�e county has one main highway de-partment o�ce in St. Peter and three satel-lite shops where trucks are sent out. �ere are three trucks in St. Peter, three in Nicol-let, three in Klosner and two in Lafayette.

As the highway supervisor of 12 people year round, Enter spends time driving roads or calling people out to do highway main-tenance in the summer. Jobs include ditch mowing, seal coating, repairing pot holes and gravel road maintenance.

In the wintertime, they’re mostly snow-plowing. When temperatures warm, they do tree trimming along the highways so the branches aren’t interfering with signs. �ey also do most of the repairs on the trucks and snowplows.

Reach Sports Editor Pat Beck at 931-8566 or follow him on Twitter.com @SPHSportsPat.

DEAN ENTER FILEHome: St. PeterFamily: Wife Pam, children Je� and Jennifer; grandchildAge: 57Years snowplowing: 27Retirement plans: In a few years, 61 or 62, depending on health insurance coverage, he said.

SAINT PETER PUBLIC SCHOOLSWhat we hold true: * Guaranteed and viable curriculum * Ski lled t eac hers, admin ist rat ors, and s upport pe rs onne l * Safe, orderly and caring environment * All systems focused on student learning * Resources aligned w ith educational goals * Strong partnerships w ith parents and community

What drives our acts: * An unw avering commitment to continuous improvement * Qual ity educ ation de liv ered by h igh -perf o rming em p loy ees * Every child having equal opportunit ies for a quality education * That everyone is capable of learning * The development of good and productive cit izens * Learning as a shared effort betw een staff, students, parents, and the community. All our sites are:

* AdvancED Accredited

Educating Students for the 21st Century

Contact Information

South Elementary507-934-2754

North Intermediate507-934-3260

Middle/High School507-934-4210Community &

Family Education507-934-3048

District 508 Office507-934-5703

www.stpeterschools.orgTwitter: @Saints508


Greg Davis

Here to Help

HelpContinued on page 13

By DANA [email protected]

Greg Davis hasn’t strayed far from his na-tive Cleveland. It’s been his life — as a farmer, a teacher, a DFL activist and community volunteer.

“I’ve lived in the same location all but two years of my life,” Davis, who resides on the family farm north of Lake Washington re�ected.

And if there’s a celebration or activity with Cleveland stamped on it, Davis is sure to be in-

volved, most o�en in a volunteer role. �is sum-mer is the big one for Davis and much of his com-munity, as Cleveland Public Schools celebrates its 100th year. Davis is part of the organizing committee. He’s a 1967 graduate.

“We’re kind of proud that we’ve still got a school here,” Davis said. “It’s the glue that’s kind of kept this community together.”

�e Davis family’s deep roots have also put their stamp on Cleveland Schools. His grandfa-ther served on one of the eight country school

boards in the early 1900s, helping consolidating them into Cleveland Public School in 1914. His father, W.C. Davis, was an early School Board member and his uncle, Royal Davis, etched his name into the 1949 building addition plaque.

Davis now teaches social studies and driver’s education at this historic school, but he took the long way, not joining the full-time Cleveland school district sta� until 2000. While Davis has substitute taught at Cleveland since 1971, at age 50, Davis �nally landed that full-time position.

Fi�een years later, he’s still at it, still enjoying his work, always hoping to instill something that will stick with his students.

“I was the 50-year-old rookie,” he joked. “�at was di�erent, a�er subbing for a long time, now all of a sudden you’re into a full-time school po-sition.”

What took so long? Davis said two main rea-sons kept him on the sidelines for quite some time – the family farm and a glut of teachers in his �eld.

Greg Davis still dreams that a state tournament participation trophy will �t into the Cleveland Clippers trophy case. (Dana Melius/St. Peter Herald)


HelpFrom Page 12

DID YOU KNOW?Greg Davis expects

to wear several hats during the Cleveland Public Schools 100th-year celebration during the community’s annual Cherry Creek Days June 20.

Davis is a part of that organizational committee, and for good reason.

“There hasn’t been a year that I haven’t actually stepped foot in here since �rst grade,” Davis has said. As a 1967 CHS graduate, Davis’ walk through those halls dates back into the mid-1950s.

“Back in the ‘70s, social studies teachers were a dime a dozen,” he noted. Yet, be-cause of the Davis family farm, deep roots in the region and his diverse interests, he stuck close to home. When his mother died in 2000, full-time teaching became more of a possibility.

But that doesn’t mean Davis didn’t walk the halls of Cleveland Public School through the years. Or sit at the scorer’s table in the gymnasium. Davis �gures he’s been either keeping score or manning the clock at basketball games since 1966. His one hope remains that he’ll be at the scorer’s table for a Cleveland state tourna-ment trip.

“I was never a player myself, but I’ve always enjoyed it, especially basketball.”

Dawn Brown, principal at Cleveland Public Schools, applauds Davis’ commit-ment to the community.

“Greg is known for being the town historian of Cleveland,” she noted. “He is very knowledgeable and involved in lo-cal politics. He is quite talented at public speaking and historical story telling. Greg thrives on the relationships he builds with

community members and with the stu-dents through teaching and involvement in athletic support.”

Davis doesn’t only sink his time into school events. He’s active in a host of other activities, volunteering in nearly all. His mother had been a U.S. Army nurse, so he’s helped keep the Cleveland Sons of the American Legion branch active.

“We’re one of the few Sons of the Amer-ican Legion branches with its own build-ing,” Davis noted.

Davis has also been active at Our Sav-ior’s Lutheran Church in Cleveland, as well as serving on the Washington Township Board for 35 years.

And he’s also put his social studies in-terest to work in Le Sueur County DFL politics, having served on and o� as chair-man since 1989, o�en a thankless post. While Davis recalls days when hundreds of party activists would attend precinct caucuses and county conventions, he’s also stuck with the organization during down times, according to Le Sueur County DFL Treasurer Brad Gess of Le Sueur.

“He was basically the one who kept the

organization together in the lean years,” Gess said, who returned to the county in 2007 from the more active party political scene in Minneapolis. It’s much di�erent in rural Minnesota, Gess said.

“I really appreciate that he’s been such a loyal supporter of the Le Sueur County DFL,” Gess said. “He de�nitely puts his heart and soul into it.”

Gess said it’s volunteers like Davis who are so vital to any organization.

“It seems like volunteers like Greg al-ways seem to have time to help out with one more thing,” Gess added.

Still, Davis hopes his teaching and love for government and politics transfers to his students. �at, he admits, hasn’t been easy.

“I really haven’t had much luck getting those young kids interested in politics,” Davis admitted.

So, maybe he’ll stick at it at least a couple more years, he said. Or until that Cleveland state tournament trip.

Reach Associate Editor Dana Melius at 507-931-8568 or follow him on Twitter @SPHdanajohn.

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Nicollet County Bank Employees Give Back to their Community!

The Nicollet County Bank encourages its offi cers and employees to participate in community functions. During the year of 2015, the offi cers and employees will be involved with the following boards, committees, clubs and organizations.

Member of St. Peter Lions ClubMember of St. Peter American Legion ClubMember of Masonic LodgeMember of Osman ShrineMember of VFW Post 1220Member of Linnaeus Arboretum GACMember of Masonic Lodge #54Director of Shoreland Country ClubMember of St. Peter AmbassadorsMember of St. Peter Rotary ClubTreasurer of Greenlawn CemeteryMember of St. Peter Education FoundationSt. Peter Lions Club Board Member St. Peter Area Hospice Committee, Co-Chair St. Peter Regional Treatment Center (SPRTC) VolunteerCouncil, Co-PresidentMember of Gustavus Library AssociatesMember of St. Peter Chamber Public Affairs Committee Board Member of St. Peter Chamber of Commerce Member of Nicollet County Historical SocietyMember of Arts Center of St. PeterMember of St. Peter Food Co-opMember of Shoreland Country ClubBoard Member of St. Peter Basketball Booster Club/Treasurer

Volunteer SPHS Basketball StatisticianTreasurer of SPHS Golf BoosterTreasurer/Member of the Echos Big Band Member of Nicollet County Farm BureauMember of Nicollet County Soybean Growers Assn.Member Nicollet County Corn Growers AssociationMember Nicollet County Planning & Zoning Advisory CommitteeDirector and Treasurer of St. Peter Sons of the American LegionChairperson of St. Peter Education FoundationMember of Lake Washington ClubMember of St. Peter Chamber of CommercePresident of Nicollet County Holstein AssociationMember of RIM (Nicollet County) Advisory Committee for NRCSMember of MN Holstein AssociationMember of St. Peter Chamber Business/Education CommitteeChairman Member of South Central Technical College Farm Business Management Advisory Committee Member of Sioux Trails Mental Health Service Advisory Board

Member of South Central College Center of Agriculture Advisory CommitteeMember of H.S. Agri-Science Advisory CommitteeMember of St. Peter High School Co-Curricular CommitteeMember U of M Southern Research & Outreach Center Advisory CommitteeMember of St. Peter Economic Development AgencyRegion 9 Development Loan Committee Board MemberCharter Organization Representative for Troop 58 Member of St. Peter Catholic WomenMember of MN Emergency Medical Services Assn.Volunteer Religion Education teacher -Church of St. Peter Licensed foster care provider through Lutheran Social ServicesMember of Norseland Lutheran Church Ladies AidMember of Nicollet County Pork ProducersAlter Care & Funeral Committee of Trinity Lutheran Church

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