Emily Ford 29

Glensheen Mansion

What do you do professionally?

I am the head gardener at the Glensheen Mansion.

How are you involved in the community? Do you volunteer with any organizations?

I present and speak about past winter treks that I have done, promoting equity in the outdoors.

What is important to you?

It’s important to me that folks get at least one good chance at experiencing the outdoors in a way where they feel safe. Even if it doesn’t become a part of their daily routine, the experience can be life changing. This inadvertently becomes important for protecting our wild spaces. It’s hard to know why spaces are important to protect if you’ve never experienced it.

How do you spend your free time?

If there is liquid water in Lake Superior, you can usually find me near there. Or I’m hanging out with my two dogs on the trail or out bikejoring the streets of Duluth in the early morning. Other than that, I’m poking around my house on my everlasting renovation projects.

Favorite things about living and working in the Northland?

The seasons up here are beautiful. There is no debate about that (no matter how hard the winters are). I get to experience every season so intimately and I wouldn’t trade that for much.

What advice would you give to up and coming professionals?

1. Your dreams may change along the way and that is quite alright. We all grow in different ways.

2. Don’t go it alone. I am a terrible networker,

From the nominators

“Emily’s passion for outdoor pursuits, from gardening to expedition/exploring, is seen in her daily life. She is an example for those around her who don’t see themselves reflected in traditional marketing of outdoor recreation.”

— Andrea B. Crouse

“Emily is an excellent role model for young but I recognize that other people have generally paved a bit of the path that I want to go down and that makes professional progression so much more efficient. Mentors are fantastic. girls… she’s achieved a great deal at Glensheen and through her wintertime marathons demonstrates how having a goal and going for it is possible.”

3. It can be hard work to grow professionally. Make sure to have fun and rest in some aspect of your life. It is okay to say “no” when you need time to recharge.

Favorite moment in life?

To be honest I do my best to live without favorites (sounds pretentious, I know. I promise it’s not). I have changed and grown so much in nearly 30 years. How can I choose from sweet, sweet childhood moments that are the building blocks of who I am now and current amazing expeditions that I get to go on? I work in the beautiful soil all day long right on Lake Superior with my dog, Zulu. Nearly every Lake Superior sunrise could be categorized as a “favorite,” but I can’t choose one.

Who has inspired you or your favorite motivational quote?

Two people have recently inspired me. One is Matthew Henson, arguably the first western recorded person at the North Pole and the first black person to the pole. He was so tenacious and had a dream that he let nothing get in the way of, even 1900’s racism. The other one is Ann Bancroft. She has such a passion for adventure that it is contagious. She has been to both poles and is an amazing arctic expeditioner. She pressed through the gnarly glass ceiling for females on expeditions. I carry these two with me in my mind when thinking about my future or trying to solve problems in the field.

— Dennis Lamkin

“Emily has engaged in a lot of work to become who we see today. And she’s not done becoming.”

Louise Levy

Congratulations Emily!

Emily Ford,20under 40 AwardWinner