Heather Drees 39,

Duluth

What do you do? (job, community involvement): Safe Haven Resource Center manager and can’t wait to be a PTA mom this year.

What is important to you? A healthy work-life balance is really important to me. It’s always important, but with two young kids I really strive to be fully present for my family outside of work. I want my kids to be invested in their community, so supporting local, taking them to community events/fundraisers and having them participate in activities has been a priority of ours. Family really has been a cornerstone in my life, so even though both my husband’s family and mine live out of town, we make a point to visit them often.

Being around people that are supportive, share your same passions and challenge you, keeps you moving forward. I value that and is one of the reasons I’ve enjoyed my job all these years.

I also can’t forget about the importance of a good cup of coffee and ice cream.

How do you spend your free time? Does that exist as an adult? My free time is primarily spent with my family enjoying the outdoors — exploring the local parks, hiking, going to the beach — playing countless games of Uno or the board game of choice for that day; playing games that my daughter makes up that I never understand; cooking meals my kids won’t eat; and in the summer, we spend a lot of time in our backyard having fun on the homemade slip-and-slide waterslide my husband builds, complete with a landing pool. I enjoy binging a good series (thanks to the many recommendations from the people I work with); dreaming and planning home renovations for our old Duluth home; and sports (can’t wait to be at the UMD hockey games again).

From nominator: “Heather is the calm after the storm. She handles crisis with grace, challenges fear with strength, and speaks truth to power. Her professional achievements tell the story of Heather’s hard work. So much of Safe Haven’s success is attributable to her innovation, spirit and passion. Our agency wouldn’t be what it is today without her boundless hope for — and dedication to — improving the lives of those affected by violence.

Heather has a brilliant mind for anticipating the needs of others and acting in a meaningful way to support challenges that lay ahead. She is a realist with a sense of purpose and optimism — a unique triad of competing traits that blend perfectly together to make Heather who she is.”

— Brittany Robb