20 Under 40 Awards 2019

ASHLEY LINDSEY, 38 • HERMANTOWN

What do you do? (job, community involvement)

I’m the owner and photographer of Ashley Lindsey Photography, and I volunteer with the Junior League of Duluth, North Country RIDE, our local Alzheimer’s Association, the Twin Ports Women’s Foundation, a few photography organizations, and a couple more things.

How do you spend your free time?

Volunteering! Or trying to just relax.

Tell us about an influential person

JUDGE’S NOTE

Something unprecedented happened during this year’s 20 Under 40 judging session in the News Tribune’s main conference room: Our panel of DNTers and past winners selected two of the youngest nominees to win the annual award.

World, meet Helen Clanaugh, a student at Denfeld High School, and Bella Maki, a student at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Both are more than civic-minded — they’re incredibly active.

Consider this: The duo (they are good friends)

has inside jokes about door-knocking.

Clanaugh is involved with political organizations ranging from Minnesota Young DFL to Take Action MN. She was a

By Christa Lawler clawler@duluthnews.com

in your life.

I wouldn’t be where I am in business if it wasn’t for my mentor Sue Bryce. She’s been in the industry for 30 years and shares all of her knowledge so openly.

What keeps you in the Twin Ports?

Our creative community. We have some of the most spectacular makers and creatives, and they’ve been so welcoming and supportive.

What words of wisdom do you live by?

Done is better than perfect.

campaign manager for State Rep. Liz Olson who is — fun fact — her former babysitter. Much of Maki’s work is with student Democrats at UMD. Both are currently

involved in Mike Mayou’s City Council At Large bid.

At the other end of the age spectrum is Jeff Stark, the oldest person to win a 20 Under 40 award. Stark,

who has spent his entire career climbing the ranks at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center, turned 40 before this special section went to print. He was

technically 39 the day that judges Jana Hollingsworth, Brooks Johnson, Terresa Moses, Laura Mullen, Addie Bergstrom and I picked the awardwinners. Enjoy your asterisk, Stark. Have you been astounded by the go-gettem-ness of a certain U40 in your life? We will start accepting nominations for next year’s 20 Under 40 award next summer. Keep your eyes open for young local humans doing big things.

I love showing (women) their beauty with or without makeup and internally and their value and just giving them a taste of model for the day.

ASHLEY LINDSEY, Photographer

UNDER 40’S YOUNGEST WINNER

High school senior Helen Clanaugh organizes for climate justice and gun violence prevention

By Andee Erickson aerickson@pinejournal.com

Helen Clanaugh turned on her phone after a summer backpacking trip to find four voicemails letting her know she was a 2019 Duluth News Tribune 20 Under 40 winner.

At 17 years old, Clanaugh is the youngest winner of the award. For Clanaugh, that means organizing for climate justice and gun violence prevention in the community and around the state.

When talking about her various involvements — such as her stint as campaign manager for District 7B Rep. Liz Olson in 2018 or speaking in front of hundreds at the Minnesota State Capitol about working toward 100% renewable energy in Minnesota by 2025 — Clanaugh expresses humility and no burning desire to run for office.

“I thought I (wanted to) when I first started doing this work,” Clanaugh said. “But I realized how much I like to be behind the scenes and

how much I really dislike speaking in front of people. I never do this stuff to get recognition or credit, but if it comes to the point where I need to (run for office), or should, then yeah. But if there’s someone else more qualified and maybe represents more communities than me, then I’m going to let them do it.”

Clanaugh received the tools to put her passions surrounding climate justice and gun violence prevention to use during the fall semester of her junior year while attending Conserve School in Land O’ Lake, Wisconsin. Students can apply to attend the environmentally minded boarding school for a semester.

“It gave me a break and a new outlook on how I do things,” Clanaugh said. “I’ve found that since I got back from Conserve, I’ve been a lot more effective and efficient in how I do my work when it comes to working with people and creating connections with the people I’m working with.”

A few months before attending Conserve School, Clanaugh entered

the organizing scene when her childhood babysitter, Rep. Olson, asked if she’d be interested in working on her re-election campaign in the spring of 2017.

That same spring, Clanaugh organized her first student-led protest after 17 people died in the mass shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

Clanaugh also co-organized the first student-led climate strike in Duluth back in March that drew more than 100 students downtown. Too busy with other obligations, Clanaugh said she couldn’t help organize the most recent climate strike, but was happy to pass the torch on to younger students.

As a senior at Denfeld High School, Clanaugh takes classes at Lake Superior Community College as part of the post secondary enrollment options program.

Having a more flexible college schedule and not being tied to an eight-hour school day has allowed her to have time for the work she

cares about, like working on Mike Mayou’s campaign for Duluth City Council and growing into her new position as tools and technology lead for Students Demand Action Minnesota, an organization working to end gun violence.

She was also recently accepted to represent the Eighth Congressional District with three other students on the Minnesota Youth Council, a legislatively mandated body of young people who serve as the “voice of the youth” to the state Legislature and the governor.

Throughout her organizing and campaigning experience, she has learned a few things, such as how to stay calm when something goes wrong and the importance of pacing herself so she can do the work she wants to do as long as she can before burnout intervenes.

“Something I’ve learned about people in general is to always assume everyone has good intentions and everyone is kind of trying their hardest,” Clanaugh said.

Tyler Schank / tschank@duluthnews.com

Denfeld senior Helen Clanaugh, 17, is the youngest person to win the News Tribune 20 Under 40 award.

Tyler Schank / tschank@duluthnews.com

Activist Helen Clanaugh said she is passionate about gun violence prevention and the climate crisis. Her shoes, embroidered with sunflowers and a bee, reflect her interest in the environment.

MARTHA BREMER, 38 . DULUTH

sations and healthy teen debates. My husband, Doug, and I are parents to three amazing children who fill our lives with laughter, excitement, fun, tears and tantrums. We love every second of our wild parenting journey together and find joy in hiking, cooking and most importantly traveling with our small crew.

Tell us about an influential person in your life.

Doug is my inspiration. He is the most honest, fun, patient, selfless person I know. He builds my confidence, encourages me to continue to develop my skills and supports my creativity and ideas. He is my go-to person during the hardest times and the very best times of my life.

What keeps you in the Twin Ports?

ALISON MOFFAT, 36 . SUPERIOR

What do you do? (job, community involvement)

Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College. I’m also a founder of Beer & Hymns Duluth and a quiz writer for Perfect Duluth Day. I regularly volunteer as an usher for the Duluth Playhouse, serve on the Wise Fool Theater board, and judge FIRST robotics at the Lake Superior regional.

How do you spend your free time?

I enjoy experiencing the local arts scene, competing in trivia, knitting, gardening, reading, playing board games and dancing (tap, hip-hop, jazz, belly dance and hula).

What do you do? (job, community involvement)

Director of Fuse and Leadership Duluth at the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce

How do you spend your free time?

Time off for me includes toddler snuggles, fascinating tween conver-

The hills, rivers, waterfalls, trees and lake feed my soul and the supportive community keeps me strongly rooted in Duluth.

What words of wisdom do you live by?

You cannot get through it, until you get to it.

I’ve never seen a community that is this supportive of one another, especially with the entrepreneur surge we’ve seen lately. Anyone that is from Duluth wants to support Duluthians. I just think that Duluth has really found its niche in the last few years and there are so many opportunities for young professionals that are moving to the area and for people that have lived here for a few years.

MARTHA BREMER, Fuse Leadership Duluth director

Tell us about an influential person in your life.

My 8-year-old stepdaughter, June, inspires me every day with her creativity and fearlessness. I’m an introvert by nature, and June’s outgoing personality forces me outside of my comfort zone on a regular basis. It’s such a joy to hear her perspective on the world.

What keeps you in the Twin Ports?

I love the community. There are

so many wonderful folks who share their talents and their passions. And, of course, that marvelous lake. What words of wisdom do you live by?

“Isn’t it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?” (I feel like this quote from “Anne of Green Gables” has become my mantra this year as I transitioned into a new career!)

I think Superior has a lot of good stuff going on right now. I think Jim Paine as mayor, he’s got a lot of really progressive ideas that I think are really great. Seeing those types of things in a smaller town is really cool.

ALISON MOFFAT, WITC

PROCTOR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER

RELISHES ‘HANDS-ON’ SUPPORT

By Melinda Lavine mlavine@duluthnews.com

It felt homey. A white fence in the backyard. Picture windows in the living room and hand-painted drawings on a bulletin board.

At Lifestone Health Care, Chiamaka Enemuoh sat next to Alice VanDell after breakfast. They talked about the official start of fall. “I don’t know how long the sun is going to be out,” Enemuoh said, holding VanDell’s hand.

This is Enemuoh’s favorite part of her job.

She is the founder and president of Proctor’s Lifestone Health Care, an assisted living facility she launched in early 2016.

At Lifestone, she and her staff provide extensive medical care for clients who are unable to stay home. That’s bathing, toileting, dressing, grooming, medications, doctor’s appointments.

Anything they need to be well and live well, said Enemuoh, sitting in a conference room at her facility.

And her business has allowed her to be a “hands-on owner.”

“I can do everything that my staff can do from A to Z. That’s what my intentions were, to be able to help in my own way, which I wasn’t able to do the more I advanced in health care.”

Enemuoh (pronounced “anymore”)

emigrated from Nigeria

to Madison, Wis., with her parents when she was 19.

She was introduced to health care almost 20 years ago, and her calling was clear, she said.

Working her way through the system, she started in group homes and nursing homes.

Today, she’s a board-certified family nurse practitioner.

She spends her days addressing the needs of the clients and finding the time to do administrative duties, she said.

It can be difficult to meet the special needs of each person, as well as their expectations. Patience and not taking things personally are key to working in health care, she said.

Enemuoh is also an

active member of the community. She’s involved in the Women’s Business Alliance, she’s an Age Well Arrowhead volunteer. She’s on the board of directors for the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce.

She attributes much of where she is today to her family and her husband, Dr. Emmanuel Enemuoh, who is “a big

Steve Kuchera / skuchera@duluthnews.com

part of my success in anything that I do.”

In her downtime, she likes to watch movies from Nigeria because they remind her of her culture. (She and her family visited Nigeria in August.)

And Enemuoh relaxes with conversations with her children — sitting back and listening to them talk about their

days like her mother did for her.

There will always be various challenges to health care and managing a business, but working through and finding solutions for clients is what’s it’s all about.

“This makes me happy, knowing that people are well taken care of.”

Chiamaka Enemuoh (left) visits Lifestone Health Care resident Alice VanDell recently in Proctor. Enemuoh is the president and founder of the assisted living facility, where she gets to provide the type of personal care she strives for.

What do you do? (job, community involvement)

I am the creator/executive director of Ellipsis MN, which is a social media based project that updates daily what’s happening in music, art and other community events. As Ellipsis, I also create my own events: local music shows, tap takeovers, fundraisers, etc.

I am a co-producer and Music Director for FEMN FEST, a feminist festival based in Duluth; events and social media coordinator for the Duluth Superior Film Festival; I’m on the fundraising board for the We

Health Clinic, and am in this year’s Leadership Duluth class. I also work for Minnesota Public Radio as the host of The Current Duluth’s “The Duluth Local Show.”

How do you spend your free time?

In my free time I like to go see live music (obviously), hang out with friends, drink local beer, read and watch movies.

Tell us about an influential person in your life.

I don’t know if I could pick a single influential person in my life. I’m surrounded by humans who put their heart and soul into their community

and their projects. I specifically find myself in the company of powerful women who take on the world in order to make the lives of other people better. Each one of them inspiring in their own way.

What keeps you in the Twin Ports?

The music and art scene, and the lake.

What words of wisdom do you live by?

In order to lead a fascinating life, one brimming with art, music, intrigue and romance, you must surround yourself with precisely those things.

I think that the music aspect is one of my favorite parts. And I actually find that if I don’t go out to see live music I get very sad. And I can’t figure out why. Then I’ll go out to a show that I’m really excited about and suddenly my entire mood has changed and I have a more positive outlook on life.

BRITTANY LIND, The Current Duluth

What do you do? (job, community involvement)

I am currently a student at the University of Minnesota. I am in my final year as a biochemistry major and women, gender and sexuality studies minor and am in the process of applying to medical school.

I was a DFL Campus Organizer during the last midterm elections, an initiative that increased campus voter turnout by 64%. I have volunteered on numerous campaigns for races that run from city council to president. Currently, I have multiple DFL roles, acting as Duluth DFL District 2 director and as a Senate District 7 DFL director. I am also the political director/constituency organizer for the DFL-endorsed candidate for Duluth City Council At-Large, Mike Mayou. In addition, I am the current president of the college Democrats at UMD, after serving two years as vice president.

I am a member of the Duluth for Clean Water political committee and a former co-chair and social justice task force leader for the Minnesota Public Interest Research Group. I spend time organizing with various local gun-violence-prevention organizations and helped organize the March For Our Lives in Duluth.

I am passionate about making politics and advocacy work accessible to young people and have found Duluth to be the perfect place to do so. The

“biggest small town” descriptor for Duluth is incredibly accurate, and I am so thankful to have made Duluth my home.

How do you spend your free time?

In my free time I enjoy skiing, rollerblading, brewing kombucha, and searching the lakeshore for agates and beach glass. I like to hike and kayak. I love cooking and going to farmers’ markets.

Tell us about an influential person in your life.

My dad has always been an influential person in my life. I grew up in a rural community with a rural physician father. I watched as my dad would come home from work with smoked fish in his hand that his patient had made for him. I now realize how special it is that my dad is able to wholeheartedly connect with people around him. As I have gotten older, I have realized how much of a role model my dad has been for me in teaching me empathy and humility. As human beings, we take care of one another. “Treat others how you wish to be treated” is a saying I will always live by.

What keeps you in the Twin Ports?

Throughout my undergraduate experience, I have formed meaningful relationships with people in the Twin Ports community, to the point where my friends my own age chuckle when I talk about my friends in the community, as they are often 40-70 years old. My involvement in advocacy efforts, volunteer experiences and issue-based organizing in my community has enabled me to learn the power of a single conversation and the power of networking. I spoke at a gun-violence vigil about my work rallying around decreasing gun violence only to find myself being invited to speak on a community panel later that month by someone who was at the vigil. The networking opportunities and warm atmosphere of Duluth make me never want to leave. What words of wisdom do you live by?

“Significant social change comes from the bottom up, from an aroused opinion that forces our ruling institutions to do the right thing.” — Paul

Wellstone

Work that I’ve been really proud about and really motivated to do is to spin that disenfranchisement message back and (say) ‘Yeah I understand you’re feeling not heard and not listened to and I feel that as well, but the best way to combat that is to get involved, is to get to the polls.’ And just turning that message around is really motivating.

BELLA MAKI, UMD student, activist

RENEE PASSAL, 38 .

reruns of police dramas, like “NCIS” and “Chicago PD.”

Tell us about an influential person in your life.

John Whaley, our longtime chief photographer at WDIO, made an incredible impact on my career. He had decades in the business, and taught me so much about people, places and the mining industry. Even though we have nearly nothing in common in terms of hobbies and interests, he would share what he loved about sports and fishing and hunting. That helped me understand those topics, when covering stories about them. He became my work husband, and I wish he’d come out of retirement!

What keeps you in the Twin Ports?

What do you do? (job, community involvement)

Reporter/anchor/producer at WDIO-TV, House of Hearts committee

How do you spend your free time?

Feeding/clothing/playing with my boys, Weston (6) and Elliot (3). My husband and I enjoy curling and volleyball. I love to read, especially books about WWII and survivors of the Holocaust. And I won’t turn down a movie with Sandra Bullock, or

Knowing that I can make a difference with my work is a huge part of it. Especially when I cover stories on the Range, which is where I’m from. Plus, I love the short commute, seeing the lake on a daily basis, and friends who’ve become family.

What words of wisdom do you live by?

When it comes to the kids, it’s knowing everything is a phase. When it comes to life, it’s being grateful. We report on plenty of tragedies. I know coming home and hugging my family is not something to take for granted.

I got interviewed once by a Duluth TV station when our (high) school got an award and I was just hooked. That was so great. I always thought I would do the jump around thing. You know, start here in Duluth, move to bigger markets, someday move to the Cities. But then the longer we’ve stayed, my husband and I, it just kind of felt like home. This is my place and we are here to stay.

RENEE PASSAL, WDIO-TV

What do you do? (job, community involvement)

I have the joy and privilege of serving our community as Safe Haven Shelter & Resource Center’s executive director. My path to this place was winding. I came from a background of working with kids, particularly everybody’s favorite age group, pre-teens. The majority of my community involvement outside of work still centers on youth.

How do you spend your free time?

As an extroverted-introvert, I spend most of my free time recharging my social batteries doing quiet things. In the summertime I garden. Actually I just grow a lot of weeds and try to pass it off as intentional horticulture! In the fall some of them have berries so it almost passes as a harvest-able bounty. I’m pretty sure my neighbors are on to me by now. It sounds like a weird pastime, but I daydream a lot, usually while I should be pulling weeds. The winter is my best time: It’s quiet, cool, relaxed. Everyone and everything moves a little slower, with a little more intention and a little more thoughtfulness. People take better care of one

another when its cold. No matter what time of year it is, more than anything I love spending time with my closest people. Shout out to you, Nate Robb, and my fur babies. They’re pugs. Fun fact: A group of pugs is called a “grumble.” I will 100% show you all of the pug pictures you never knew you wanted to see.

Tell us about an influential person in your life.

This is an impossible question to answer because if you pay attention, everyone you meet exerts an influence on the trajectory of your life. There are some, though, who’ve truly offered their broad shoulders when I needed a sturdy place to stand. Y’all out there know who you are.

What keeps you in the Twin Ports?

The beauty of the Twin Ports keeps me here. Beauty in geography, of course, but also beauty in our sense of community, belonging and spirit. The Northland isn’t just a place, it’s presence of mind. There’s nowhere like it, and no place I’d rather be.

What words of wisdom do you live by?

Expect nothing, appreciate everything.

When you are in the people business and you are a caring person, your mind just never stops. You always wonder if they are going to meet the goals that they set for themselves that day. BRITTANY ROBB, SAFE HAVEN

Big enough to be interesting. Surprising. Special. Small enough to know your neighbors. And right on the shores of Lake Superior. The Twin Ports have become a destination for a generation. Young people have made Duluth and Superior a place to call home. Part of the attraction? An ability to get involved, lead and have impact. One way young people do this is through the Young Leaders Fund of the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation.

Young Leaders Fund

A fund of the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation

• We helped the Head of the Lakes Untied Way provide young professionals skills to serve on local boards of directors.

• We assisted NORTHFORCE in pairing college students with mentors, developing the students’ networking and professional skills and increasing chances that they stay here after graduation.

It’s a special place where young leaders can make a difference.

At the Young Leaders Fund, we help the next generation improve our community. Here are two examples:

STARK GOES FROM GUARDING DOORS TO BOOKING TURTLES

Barry Manilow does not want to be looked at in the face. That was in the ’90s. I still remember that. You could not look directly at Barry Manilow. And I don’t know if that is still the case. Maybe he’s gotten over it now. But back in ’97, ’98, eyes down. No looking at Barry.

JEFF STARK, DECC

accountant for the city, got him the job guarding doors.

“I probably could have got it on my own merits,” Stark said, “but my mom might have greased the wheels a little.”

By Matt Wellens mwellens@duluthnews.com

Growing up watching Minnesota Duluth Bulldog hockey at what was then the Duluth Arena, Jeff Stark decided when he was 16 years old to go after an entry-level job at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center as an usher and ticket taker.

He soon learned that’s not where you start.

“There’s a step below that,” Stark said. “There’s a door guard. First you have to guard inanimate objects before you can actually interact with the public.”

Twenty-four years later, Stark oversees the operation of the crown jewels of Duluth’s entertainment scene — Amsoil Arena and Bayfront Festival Park. The oldest-ever selection (rules may have been bent) for the News Tribune’s 20 Under 40 award, the DECC venue operations/ Bayfront Festival Park director was nominated

by former state legislator and Duluth City Councilor Roger Reinert.

Stark went from guarding doors to helping set up microphones, sound systems, lighting and the like. He then took a fulltime job as the building services manager working with event organizers for conventions.

During the construction of Amsoil Arena, Stark was invited by long-time DECC Executive Director Dan Russell — who retired in 2017 — to planning meetings, initially for input on furniture, fixtures and equipment. Later they had him help design the locker rooms and press box while serving as a liaison between the DECC and UMD hockey coaches

Scott Sandelin and Shannon Miller.

When the project was completed, Russell handed Stark the keys to Amsoil Arena. When the city handed over the administration of an underutilized Bayfront

Festival Park to the DECC in 2012, Russell put Stark in charge of that as well.

“When I was a city councilor, we were happy if there were four significant events at Bayfront in a summer,” Reinert said in his nomination of Stark. “This past Fourth of July holiday, there were five significant events in five consecutive days. Jeff lived (literally) at Bayfront during this stretch, and ensured each one was a hit.”

Stark doesn’t like to take credit for the good times all of Minnesota is having these days at Amsoil Arena and Bayfront Festival Park, pointing to the 400-plus people he works alongside who make things work.

He won’t even take credit for landing that first gig at the DECC, which was just supposed to be a job he took to get through high school, and later college at UMD. Stark claims his mom, who at the time was an

Stark said he views Amsoil and Bayfront as community-based assets. His goal is to maximize the value of

those assets for the citizens of Duluth every day. Almost all of the city’s major events pass through the facilities Stark helps run — from Grandma’s Marathon, to concerts like Trampled by Turtles and the eighttime NCAA champion UMD men’s and women’s hockey programs — and its an honor for

him to be part of those events.

“It’s a fun experience. You’re an ambassador for your city, your town,” Stark said. “I grew up here. I love showing this place off. I think everybody knows what the potential is. There is a Bayfront effect now that wasn’t there a long time ago.”

Clint Austin / caustin@duluthnews.com

Jeff Stark is the director of operations for Amsoil Arena and Bayfront Festival Park in Duluth.

What do you do? (job, community involvement)

I am an assistant professor in the Mechanical & Industrial Engineering department at the University of Minnesota Duluth, and I work on materials science through textile recycling and engineering design via designing toys for children with extraordinary needs. I co-advise Engineers Without Borders’ UMD student chapter (ewbumd. org), and we are trying to raise $1,700 to gain access to a generous donor’s $2,000 pledged match in order to travel to the 2,000-person town of Nyansakia, Kenya, in December to help the town get access to clean water when their stream runs dry throughout the year. I am a member of the Duluth NAACP’s Health & Environmental Equity committee and am steering the Morgan Park Food Justice Community Garden project through a small grant. How do you spend your free time?

My kids and I love skiing and snowboarding at Chester Bowl while my husband helps keep us all safe as a ski patroller. I love running on trails, and I love swimming in Lake Superior — most of all in July when I don’t have to wear a wetsuit.

Tell us about an influential person in your life.

Steve Dentel invited me to advise Engineers without Borders and co-teach a class with him on engineering for sustainable development at the University of Delaware. Mentoring from Steve eventually led me to advise four female engineering students in Engineers Without Borders to successfully oversee the drilling of two borehole wells for water supply in the 500-person town of Mphero, Malawi. Steve passed away from his battle with prostate cancer in 2015. I want to carry on Steve’s legacy and help engineering students at UMD gain confidence in their skills to engineer good in the world by helping Kenyans in Nyansakia to get the water they need to live.

What keeps you in the Twin Ports?

I was born and raised in Minneapolis and have spent decades living away from Minnesota. Being able to move to Duluth was and still is paradise! My grandparents sat behind each other when they went to the old Central High together, so it’s exciting for my family to get to call Duluth home again.

What words of wisdom do you live by?

Perfect is the enemy of done.

We are really lucky to live by Lake Superior and a great water supply. It’s essential to life, right? We can’t live without it. So we are pretty lucky here and it is pretty amazing to get to help people that don’t have the water resources that we do.

ABIGAIL CLARKE-SATHER, UMD ENGINEERING ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, ENGINEERS WITHOUT BORDERS

What do you do? (job, community involvement)

I am the executive director of the nonprofit Mentor North, which supports the Mentor Duluth and the Mentor Superior programs. I also am an adjunct teacher at UMD in the social work department. I volunteer on the Homegrown Music Festival steering committee to help plan the greatest time of the year!

How do you spend your free time?

Playing outside on the Superior Hiking Trail, primarily backpacking! I love backpacking and go with friends and go solo. I also enjoy hiking, kayaking and camping.

The local music scene is vibrant and engaging. Homegrown is the best time of the year. I usually try to go see music on a regular basis.

And if it’s a major snowstorm outside, I like to walk around the side streets to help push out other cars. Tell us about an influential person in your life. My sister Sheila. She is an amazing woman who has guided me throughout my growing up years and into

adulthood. She brings joy to everyone around her! She was a mentor many years ago in Mentor Duluth, and I used to have sister weekends with her and her mentee when I was 13 years old. That was what led me to my work with Mentor North. Sheila continues to be a guiding force for me.

What keeps you in the Twin Ports?

Everything! Sheila and her family are here, it’s nice to have my sister just down the road. I love my job and the community I work with, and I truly believe mentoring is the key to changing the world.

Winter is the best season, no competition. The more snow, the better!

What words of wisdom do you live by?

“I’m trusting that it’s OK to just keep doing the next right thing — even when the long-term plan isn’t quite clear. Enough right things will get me to where I need to go.” — Brene

Brown

Growing up, my sister Sheila was a mentor. I was 13 years old when she got matched with her mentee Whitney and they have been connected ever since. And so Whitney has sort of become a third sister in our family. She was a bridesmaid, along with myself, in my sister’s wedding. This program is really near and dear to my heart.

ERIN MOLDOWSKI, MENTOR DULUTH

What do you do? (job, community involvement)

Jobs: Public Information Coordinator for the Superior Street Reconstruction, Northeast Minnesota Regional Coordinator for the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits

Involvement: National Trainer Vote Run, lead board chair First Witness Child Advocacy Center, board chair Duluth Community Schools Collaborative. I’m a former member of the Duluth School Board.

How do you spend your free time?

My husband and I practice the art of hygge as often as possible. We love gathering our family and friends in our home to spend time being cozy and connected. I love to cook for the people that I gather or just for us at home. I enjoy taking my dog, Rorygirl, to local dog parks or to the beach. I love to travel, whether it’s to Denmark to visit my in-laws or to find a new spot up the shore to explore, I love seeing and experiencing new places. And I love as much time as possible with my niece and nephew.

Tell us about an influential person in your life.

I stand on the shoulders of generations of women that have been bold and have built networks of strong women to support one another. One particular woman was my high school theater director, Liz Larson. Beyond my amazing mom, Liz was one of the people I look back

at my formative years and can recognize that she truly saw me for what I was capable of and encouraged me to step out. I learned from her to not hide my voice, to be committed and loving in relationships, to never downplay your age but to rise above expectation through hard work and hustle, and how to speak confidently — even in the face of fear of rejection. Liz invested in so many people in our community, and it is great to see a number of other people leading in our area from her wonderful teaching.

What keeps you in the Twin Ports?

The deep connections I have to the phenomenal people here is why I stay. I love that my family is nearby and that I have built a chosen family of other people committed to living lives centered on hope and justice.

What words of wisdom do you live by?

It’s not joy that makes you grateful, it’s gratitude that makes you joyful. “Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything.” —

Rainer Maria Rilke

ANNIE HARALA, NORTHLAND CONSTRUCTORS

I was born and raised here and graduated from the Duluth school system. After being away for a while I came back a little sooner than I expected but I love living near my family and in a community that I get amenities like a big city but I can still get home in a couple of minutes.

Rambler goes from wheels to West Duluth

By Christa Lawler clawler@duluthnews.com

Jonathan Reznick’s business HQ is a kitchen space in West Duluth filled with all the Duluth things: a print of a weary chef over a sauce pot painted by local artist Jonathan Thunder, a table for six made by Duluth Timber Co., a Ramble On coat rack for the aprons — a gift from Rachelle Rahn of Duluth Kombucha.

The owner-operatorinventor of a highly cravable pulled pork and pineapple sandwich has a bag from Duluth Pack laid out on a chair.

This is MidCoast Catering, where the business-behind-the-business happens. Reznick, 39, whose food truck, The Rambler, has been a local curbside staple since 2013, is a pick for the News Tribune’s 2019 20 Under 40 award.

He was nominated by Kelsey Auran, his office manager. She credits him with fitting the award’s qualifications in every possible way — including running a business with passion.

“He’s a wonderful person, a great person, he cares very deeply about people,” she said.

Reznick was among the first to bring food trucks onto the local scene. Within two years,

his big, boxy green truck was in enough demand for private events to warrant expansion to his own commercial kitchen.

“We were renting, and space was limited,” Reznick said during a recent stop to his shop. “We were starting to get more catering.”

Suddenly, his summer help had winter work, too. Reznick has seven people on staff.

Midwest Catering is on North Central Avenue. It’s next door to the West Theater and across the street from Zenith Bookstore. His picture window view is of Central Sales, and Gannucci’s Italian Market is within smelling distance.

A white board at the shop has a grocery list, the menu for a tasting, other notes. During this visit, a tree trunk-style serving tray held peaches and brie and strawberries and blackberries. Still to come: an antipasto bar and caprese

salad. He had a catering job with a local radio station later that night.

Reznick has always worked in food — starting with a suburban Pannekoeken where he bused tables and washed dishes, including a family pizza restaurant, and a job with Savories Catering in Duluth.

Food truck life works for him, he said, more creativity than a brickand-mortar restaurant.

“I get to be more creative and we get up close with customers as well,” he said. “I like the rush of the truck.”

Getting to know my customers is my favorite part of being out on the streets. We get to meet so many different people and go to different events and listen to different music and art. We’ve done grad parties for people and then done their wedding, which is kind of cool. I think we are really personable with our customers and I think they enjoy that.

JONATHAN REZNICK,

FOOD TRUCK, MIDCOAST CATERING CO. OWNER

2014 file / News Tribune

Jonathan Reznick (front) is behind The Rambler food truck as well as MidCoast Catering.

RAMBLER

What do you do? (job, community involvement)

I work full time as the arts and cultural program coordinator at the American Indian Community Housing Organization (AICHO), unofficially as the in-house graphic designer/marketing and web manager, but more officially as part of a team of folks who coordinate events and establish programming for the community. Outside of my day job, I’m a working visual artist (specifically a painter, though I dabble in everything). Due to some physical issues that I’m still navigating today, I actually lost the use of my arm for a few years, but as a result I got into arts organizing and event curation. I help coordinate a community events like the show Goody Night and find myself teaching

in a lot of classrooms for folks of all ages.

Most recently, I fell into the realm of public art, and it’s truly been surreal, from coordinating the Chief Buffalo mural project at the Lakewalk with the Indigenous Commission to collaborating with Zeitgeist to create street murals all through Central Hillside. Painting on my own can sometimes be very painful for my body; however, with my process of creating public art, I often invite volunteers to help install my designs, so work gets done faster and folks sort of become my living paint brushes. The feeling of letting go and seeing the end result come to life is pretty wild.

How do you spend your free time?

I have a very public private life. I’m surrounded by people 90 percent of the time, which I don’t mind so much. For various reasons I grew up quite isolated besides going to school, so I feel at this point I’m making up for all that time. Art used to be my free-time activity, but I hesitate to call it that now.

I am learning to find and appreciate a lot more leisurely activities these days, though. I love going out dancing and I love taking mini-vacations to the Twin Cities (which is funny because, growing up in Cloquet, Duluth used to be the “big city” my family took trips to). Going for walks with my “walking buddy”-turned-boyfriend is one of my favorite pastimes. On the few occasions where I’m not driving myself places, I enjoy reading books while somebody else does the driving. I’m a big fan of economics textbooks (for fun, yes) and reading in general

when I get the time.

Tell us about an influential person in your life.

There’s a quote that says we’re the average of the five closest people in our lives. Throughout my adult life, those five people have changed a lot for me, which I don’t see as a bad thing, it just makes it hard to pinpoint my main influences. One of those close people (who remains today) once compared me to the Pokemon “Ditto,” in that I kind of take the appearances of whoever I’m spending time with. I’m a bit of a sponge/filter when it comes to people; I’m constantly absorbing and shifting.

My chosen family is my greatest influence, though, all my friends who’ve stayed connected over time and distance. My Goody Night family taught me to use my voice. One group I’m part of, affectionately called soup fam, in turn taught me about how to think more before I speak, and also to leave toxic spaces. AICHO artists taught me to embrace my identity. My influences are groups.

What keeps you in the Twin Ports?

Our region can function as a nice incubator space for arts and innovation. There’s a lot of room to experiment with your creativity and due to our small size, this place presents a lot of opportunities to really consult community members and work with people to make art happen. I’d also say that the Twin Ports has its strong subcultures, but among those, there’s not necessarily a setin-stone, “established” artist community. You won’t find an artist “elite” like in larger cities, but the quality still exists … so I’ve thor-

oughly enjoyed building up my career alongside artists both young and old, emerging and established. While I wouldn’t say it’s super easy to break out as a visual artist here, if you’re willing to push your limits and take down barriers for yourself and others along the way, you’ll find that the arts scene here is really in its infancy and that even at an individual level, you can help it grow. There’s so much that hasn’t been done that should be and I’ve carved out a philosophy in my artistry and organizing that looks at “What hasn’t been done yet?” and “What is missing?”

What words of wisdom do you live by?

Gosh … there’s quite a few great things I’ve heard in my life. I’ve learned a lot from books. “The Prophet” by Khalil Gibran is one of my first favorite books. From the Minnesota book “We Know How This Ends: Living While Dying,” I found the quote “Legacy is an act of ego, teaching is an act of faith,” among other words of wisdom.

From a cultural standpoint, I’ve learned a lot in ceremonies and from elders about our resources and the way we appear in the world. The water we drink today, through many processes, is the exact same water our grandchildren will taste, what we use today is what our descendants will also have to use. With that in mind, the philosophy is this: Always leave things better than you found them.

That leads me to the old circus adage that seems to permeate our lives, “the show must go on.”

I’m a bit of a sponge/filter when it comes to people; I’m constantly absorbing and shifting. MOIRA VILLIARD, ARTIST, ACTIVIST AND AICHO

What do you do? (job, community involvement)

I’m the preschool director at Hartley Nature Center. I had the honor of creating and opening Hartley Nature

KAITLIN ERPESTAD, 36 . DULUTH

Preschool, which is now in its sixth year, and provides about 35,000 contact hours to 92 preschoolers annually. I spend my days helping young children develop connections with the natural world by providing them with opportunities to play in the woods like kids used to get to play: to climb trees, jump in puddles, play in the mud, listen to the wind blowing in the pines, and play in the snow. At home, I do more puddle jumping, beach-going and forest exploring with my delightful 2-year-old twins, Silvo and Seppo, and my husband, Matti.

How do you spend your free time?

I head to the waters and woods of Duluth in my free time to paddle, run, cross-country ski, bike, or hike on my own or with my family. I love that we have so many parks and so many trails that I can visit a favorite stomping ground or explore a new trail even though I’ve lived here most of my life.

Tell us about an influential person in your life.

Emily Vikre and I have known each other since we were 3 years old and she is amazing. Emily constantly inspires me with her passion and creativity and the resiliency and intention with which she faces her personal and professional life.

What keeps you in the Twin Ports?

I was born and raised in Duluth. I tried to live away from Lake Superior, but the lake gets into your blood, and there’s no turning back. I love that we Duluthians have the feeling of infinite space and infinite possibilities as we look out at the lake’s far horizons. I love waking up on a perfect summer morning and having my main question be which beach to visit that day. I love that we have to be humbly human here. When your car is sliding down the ice on Lake Avenue or a storm is blowing waves halfway across Canal Park, you are reminded that we’re just human beings and that there are things that are, and should be, beyond our control. I love being able to be out of my driveway and on a lake in the BWCA in two hours

where I can experience dark skies, the call of loons, solitude and the good old-fashioned hard work of paddling and portaging. I love that we have ski and bike trails across the community that encourage Duluthians to get outdoors in all seasons, say hello to our neighbors and experience different parts of our city. And, I love sharing the city park where I learned to ski as a 2-year-old and ran and pondered life’s big questions with my dog and high school friends with the 3- to 5-year-old preschoolers who come to Hartley Nature Preschool every day. What words of wisdom do you live by?

“It takes a village.” Over and over again I’m amazed at the power and strength of community. Whether at work with the preschool families or with my own community of family and friends, I believe that we are stronger, healthier, happier, more resilient, more rooted, more authentically ourselves when we give and accept support.

I love how (children) look at the world in such a fresh way. Whatever comes out of their mouth is unfiltered. They are sharing their experiences and their impressions and their thoughts and it’s all fresh and new. Sometimes hilarious and sometimes profound.

KAITLIN ERPESTAD, HARTLEY NATURE CENTER PRESCHOOL

What do you do? (job, community involvement)

Job: attorney at Johnson, Killen & Seiler here in Duluth.

Community involvement: I serve as a member of the board of directors for the Superior Hiking Trail Association, Age Well Arrowhead, DRCC and Goodwill Industries Vocational Enterprises, serving as board chair for Age Well, and vice chair for Goodwill. My wife and I are also members of the Ronald McDonald House Charities Upper Midwest Speakers Bureau, and volunteers for their Cooks for Kids program. I’m a graduate of the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce Leadership Duluth program and have served as a panel member for the Head of the Lakes United Way’s Emerging Leaders Program. I’ve also been involved with the Volunteer Attorney Program. How do you spend your free time?

Seems like most of it these days is spent at the baseball field, soccer field or hockey rink. I also spend a lot of time getting scored on repeatedly in knee hockey or backyard soccer, or chasing “homers” over my fence. But I love all of it. We also try to spend as much time as we can on the trails, up at the lake, hanging out with friends and family, or doing home-

town-tourist type stuff.

Tell us about an influential person in your life.

You’ll get a few. First, my old man. My dad, now enjoying a well-earned retirement from the State Patrol, made a career out of protecting and serving the community, and intimidating all of my friends. He was never overbearing in telling me what to do or how to act, but I learned through his example of what it means to work, be responsible, how to treat people, and how to be a father. Next, my mom. You couldn’t find a better one. She’s taught me the importance of lasting friendships, family relationships and humor. She’s also tough as nails, making her 60s look like a normal person’s 30s, and cancer after a prior bout wish it wouldn’t have messed with her. Last, my son Gino. He dealt with more in his first few years than I have my whole life, and he never flinched. He’s truly reshaped the way I view or deal with stress, fear, anger, etc., and provides a constant reminder that it’s all a mindset, and there’s always plenty to smile about.

What keeps you in the Twin Ports?

The simple answer is that it’s my home. My family is here. My friends are here. I care a great amount about what’s going on in the community, our schools, and in the area’s progress and development. Thinking about the development that’s gone on so far in my lifetime even more so makes me want to stay to see what the future holds.

There’s just also something about that lake. When I’ve lived elsewhere, whether in the Twin Cities or out in the middle of Michigan, it always felt like something was missing. No real way to explain it, but there’s some weird need to be around big water.

(The trails and breweries are also a plus.)

What words of wisdom do you live by?

Illegitimi Non Carborundum. (“Don’t let the bastards grind you down.”)

JOHNSON KILLEN SEILER &

From all of us at JOHNSON, KILLEN & SEILER, Congratulations to Kevin Pillsbury for being recognized as one of this year’s 20 under 40 recipients!

Kevin C. Pillsbury

KEVIN PILLSBURY, 33 . DULUTH

I love it here. There was really no other option for me. I never even thought about going anywhere else. I went away for school, but the goal the whole time was to come back here.

KEVIN PILLSBURY, LAWYER

What do you do? (job, community involvement)

Community and Political Organizer at Take Action Minnesota

I work in the community to build with our neighbors and create a city that benefits everyone, ensuring that all citizens in Duluth can live and work with dignity.

How do you spend your free time?

Outside of work I usually spend my time supporting other organizers and community leaders and members in their endeavors to build a more equitable city. Fighting for racial, gender and class equity isn’t something that we stop doing when we are not at

work. It should be embedded into every aspect of our daily lives, even when we are having fun with friends.

Tell us about an influential person in your life.

LeAnn Littlewolf. I first met LeAnn while working on the Earned Sick and Safe Time campaign in 2017. She has taught me so much about community building and organizing. She has also taught me ways to show up as an ally and helped me understand and learn from my own mistakes (of which I’ve made many). I wouldn’t be the person I am today if I hadn’t met her.

What keeps you in the Twin Ports?

The short answer is the people and

the lake.

The longer, more detailed answer is now that we are in a climate crisis, Duluth will be one of the only year-round habitable places 50 years down the line if we don’t get our act together as a country and world. So I’d like to be a part of building a community that treats everyone with respect and is welcoming to the new folks who will inevitably be moving here.

What words of wisdom do you live by?

Build bridges, don’t burn them.

I care about fighting for a community that thrives for everybody. I care about making sure our city is working for all of the individuals regardless of race, class, income level, gender. I just care about equity in a nutshell.

ASHLEY NORTHEY, TAKE ACTION MN

What do you do? (job, community involvement)

President/CEO, Duluth Children’s Museum; vice chair, Minnesota Council of Nonprofits; secretary, Lincoln Park Business Group, volunteer for many community causes and events.

How do you spend your free time?

Aside from my work at the museum, I teach organizational leadership for Southern New Hampshire University. I run, having completed a couple of Ragnars and will run a half-marathon, Whistlestop, for my first time. Mostly I just run for me. I love tabletop and video games as well.

Tell us about an influential person in your life.

My 17-year-old son, Blaez, has been

the most influential part of my life since he was born. It is our responsibility as parents to raise kids better than we are and Blaez has hit this out of the park, as a third-year PSEO student, collections intern for Glensheen, and active volunteer in our community.

What keeps you in the Twin Ports?

Lake Superior is magic. Whenever I leave for any length of time, cresting Thompson Hill and seeing the lake gives me goosebumps every time.

What words of wisdom do you live by?

The Platinum Rule: Do unto others as they would have you do unto them. Seek to understand everyone you meet, before being understood.

We think of play as sort of this ‘Oh, it’s fun that they are playing,’ but it actually is vital for kids to grow and develop and to have that. And what the Duluth Children’s Museum has been doing is making sure that’s accessible to everyone. I have kids myself and I think I’ve learned a lot from what I need from our community for my kids to grow and develop here and that has translated really well into my work at the Duluth Children’s Museum.

CAMERON KRUGER , DULUTH CHILDREN’S MUSEUM

Shawna Weaver’s social justice work expands to four-legged friends

By Melinda Lavine mlavine@duluthnews.com

Nilla’s ears flopped as she bounced around the room. Her inactive hind leg more obvious than her crooked jaw. Both were broken, along with her ribs, when the 9-pound toy poodle was adopted by Shawna Weaver’s family.

Nilla was Weaver’s partial inspiration for the Twin Ports Safe Pet Project, a foster program for animals whose owners are escaping domestic violence. When she was surrendered to a shelter in Arizona, Nilla’s injuries were attributed to an animal attack, but they were more consistent with what shelters see with animal abuse, Weaver said.

“The irony is while she can’t tell us her story in her own voice, neither could the woman who surrendered her.”

Animals can be a big reason why people don’t leave domestic violence situations, she said. Many shelters don’t allow pets, and pet owners don’t want to leave them in an unsafe environment, or surrender them to a shelter.

Weaver has worked in social services and is an active animal rights activist, values that branch out into her day job and volunteer work. She’s the training specialist for animal advocacy group The Humane League, and she volunteers at Animal Allies.

She likes finding one solution to multiple problems, and the Twin Ports Safe Pet Project aims to get to the root of a social justice issue while helping animals and people, she said.

It’s a double-blind collaboration between Weaver and the Center Against Sexual and Domestic Abuse.

A woman or man in need calls CASDA, who sets them up with a shelter. CASDA contacts Weaver, who arranges

a foster home for their dog or cat.

In more than a year, the program has helped seven animals during the transition into safe housing. People temporarily surrendering their pets know they’re safe and in a settled environment. They also know they’ll get their pets back, Weaver said.

The Twin Ports Safe Pet Project works with an anonymous shelter for foster training, and if for some reason,

Clint Austin / caustin@duluthnews.com

the animal can’t enter into foster care or new housing with their pet owner, Weaver helps people fulfill necessary steps to the process — medical procedures or emotional support animal certification.

Animals arrive at the foster home with food, treats, whatever is provided by the family, and the organization covers the rest with money from fundraising or grant support.

In the Northland,

out with animals than people because it was just easier to be around them. … That experience enabled me to see animals through maybe less of a filter than we’re cultured really early to see them through,” she said.

Weaver’s fur family is a cat, Aldo, and a half-jackal, half-street dog, Durga, whom she adopted from India. She has been a vegan for about six years, and she’s an admin on the Vegans in Duluth Facebook page.

Eating a plant-based diet helps people and the planet, making our lifestyles more environmentally sustainable, she said.

In all of her areas of work, she said it’s tough to maintain hope with persistent bad news about the Amazon rain forest or kangaroo cullings. And it gets tricky trying to break down belief systems about animals.

Weaver has seen animals with “pretty serious emotional trauma,” but none with physical trauma yet. “We had one situation where they planned to bring an animal in, and the animal was shot.

“That really motivates us to keep going,” Weaver said.

She described a deep regard for animals.

“When I was little, I was very hardof-hearing, so I was more drawn to hang

But Weaver said she looks forward to her work, and she loves seeing people feel empowered to help others. We’re at our best when we act like a full community, and her favorite part of her work is “building our compassion muscle as a group.”

More info: If you’re interested in fostering, or you or someone you know is facing domestic abuse, reach CASDA at 715-392-3136 or 800649-2921.

Shawna Weaver of Duluth walks her 7-year-old poodle mix, Nilla, in Duluth recently. Weaver is a Duluth News Tribune 20 Under 40 award winner.