the Woman today®

GENERAL MANAGER

ACCOUNT REPRESENTATIVE

GROUP PUBLISHER

Neal Ronquist

Stewart Hunter EDITOR

PUBLISHER

Nan Wisherd

Dee Munson

COPY EDITOR

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Nan Wisherd

Ali Comnick

PRODUCTION • GRAPHIC DESIGN

Welcome to the latest edition of The Woman Today magazine - and our first edition as the new owners.

MANAGING EDITOR

Glenda Sherman

Sheryl Jensen

PHOTOGRAPHY

COPY EDITOR

COVER PHOTO

Tracy Gilsvik

Three Irish Girls Photography

GRAPHIC DESIGN

INSIDE PHOTOGRAPHY

Renae Ronquist

On Dec. 3, Forum Communications Company of Fargo, owners of the Duluth News Tribune, announced the purchase of The Woman Today, Moms & Dads Today, and Duluth Superior Living magazines from Patrick and Glenda Sherman.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Derek Montgomery Photography, Three Irish Girls Photography, Robert Peters, Mary Rasch Photography

FRONT COVER

David Ballard Photography

CONTRIBUTORS

We’re proud and excited to be the new stewards of these excellent publications the Shermans started 19 years ago. We are thankful for the opportunity and eager to build upon these highly successful magazines.

INSIDE PHOTOGRAPHY

Kristina Bourne, Jessica Hehir, Angela Jones, Susan Peters, Mary Rasch, Alison Stucke, Connie Wirta

SALES

Stewart Hunter — 218-722-5998

Studio One JoAnn Jardine, David Ballard Photography, Alan Johnson Photography, LaCoursiere Photography, Bailey Aro Photography, Sternberg Studios, Shawna Vine Photography, Jeff Frey & Associates, Divine Living Space, Katie Marie stew@momsanddadstoday.com

The Woman Today® publication does not necessarily endorse or agree with the content of articles, photography or advertising presented.

The magazines have become an anticipated guest in many locals’ homes, arriving each month with a new batch of uplifting stories about the unique and talented individuals working and living in the region. We’re committed to continuing the passionate storytelling, the powerful photography, and the exciting design.

So, while the magazines may have new owners, the content and quality you’re accustomed to will remain. We appreciate you welcoming us into your homes and allowing us the opportunity to inform and entertain.

Neal Ronquist Group Publisher

©2016 dee@thewomantoday.com

(218) 428-2929 ali@thewomantoday.com

Emily Larson Blazing Her Own Trail

by Sheryl Jensen

Onequestion that comes up frequently in interviews with Duluth’s new mayor Emily Larson is, “How are you possibly going to follow Don Ness and all he did for Duluth?”

Larson, however, is much more interested in the city’s next chapter, by establishing her unique path and leaving her indelible mark on a city that she so clearly loves. Being the first female mayor to be elected in the city’s over 150year history is an accomplishment that Emily is taking completely in stride.

Part of a message that she posted on her Facebook page the morning after winning the election says much about who she is and how she will govern. “Thank you, Duluth. For choosing an inclusive, city-wide vision which builds on our momentum while ensuring that all neighborhoods, and neighbors, are a part of it. Thank you for challenging me to be the kind of candidate and Mayor that Duluth deserves.”

While running for public office can often be a messy and frustrating endeavor, Emily says, “Politics is a place where you can make a difference. It shouldn’t just always be asking someone else to do what needs to be done.”

Family Influences

Emily grew up in St. Paul as the youngest of three children. Her parents divorced when she was just ten years old, and she lived in blended households after her mother and father remarried.

“My parents found ways to stay in a good relationship with one another. I learned how to get along in two households where there were different expectations and different rules,” she says.

She relates that both her parents were interested in public service and that their households were filled with people who liked to read, discuss, and challenge each other. That spirit of lively discussion with intelligent people was an integral part of what Emily had influence her growing up.

Her mother is a poet and writer who inspired her with a love of words and appreciation for literature. Emily enjoys reading and says that trips to the Amazing Alonzo bookstore and to the Duluth Public Library for stacks of books are part of what bonds her own family.

Path to Duluth and Politics

On a family vacation, when Emily was a young girl, the family took the train to Duluth for a vacation. “I felt an emotional connection to the Lake right away and that has never left me,” she says.

After an offer of a generous tuition package from St. Scholastica, Emily was thrilled to be back to Duluth. “I fell in love with the city all over again,” she notes.

She earned her de gree in social work and then stayed here, working for twelve years with Churches United in Ministry (CHUM). “That job transformed my perspectives on life,” she acknowl edges. Working with families and homeless people at the drop-in center re vealed the humanity of all people, no matter their circumstances to her.

“I also learned the importance of listening — to be present to this person, need, and place, even in a life that seems to be in chaos,” she says.

Going back to earn her master’s degree in social work at UMD gave her broader horizons about being a community organizer. This led to her looking to give back to the community in even bigger ways by running for the Duluth City Council.

After twenty years of living in Duluth, Emily wanted to bring her own perspective, as she describes it to “something positive and fresh to local politics and to the city council.” She was elected as a councilor at large in 2012 and became Duluth City Council President this past year.

Family First

Even with all her community and political involvement, it is clear Emily’s heart is with her family. Her husband, architect Doug Zaun, has been very supportive of all Emily’s endeavors. “He is my closest advisor,” she says.

Emily and Doug have two children, sons Gabe (15) and Eli (12). She says, “Our boys are so grounded and humble. I am very proud of them.”

The family lives in a modest hundred-year old-home in the Hillside with a commanding view of the lake.

“We are outdoor people,” she says. The family enjoys running, skiing, and snow boarding.

“I love public service with kids, and I have seen the impact that it has had on my own family. The problems in Duluth affect my family directly too. My kids read the newspaper and

Continued on page 10 stay up on events. They listen to speeches and really want to know what is going on around them,” she says.

Transitions to Leadership

“Politics is so local,” Emily notes. “Asking for someone’s vote is a very personal thing. I don’t take that for granted.”

Admitting she is glad the campaign is over, she is primed and ready to move into the job. “After going through a campaign, you get tired of yourself. I am ready to pull back now and go all in to work on plans for the city. The job is a marathon, and I am recalibrating to go the distance.”

Transitioning into the job after Don Ness’ popularity and successes is daunting, but Emily is ready to roll up her sleeves and get to work. She explains, “It is my goal, as I meet with the different groups, to listen, learn, ask questions, and then step up to the plate and get things done. Mayor Ness has been so helpful in the interim to allow me access to staff and to meet with me to make the transition as smooth as it can be.”

A Legacy to Build

Emily didn’t hesitate when asked for a role model who inspires her. “Eleanor Roosevelt — she was smart and creative and found a way to have her own voice and to make a difference,” she says.

Emily’s plate is full already as she digs into a whole range of issues that are on the front burner. “I really want to focus on economic development and especially looking at how neighborhoods are a big part of future prosperity. We also need to look at how we can empower the business community and then get out of their way.”

While relating a story of one of her door-to-door campaign visits, a few tears came to her eyes. She recalls a conversation with a father whose 8-year-old daughter had been listening as her father and Emily chatted. He got in touch later to tell Emily that his daughter, after Emily left, said to him, “Maybe someday when I grow up, I can be mayor too.”

This hit home for Emily, as also reflected in her Facebook post, “Thank you to generations of women leaders who have paved a path of leadership for all of us, for making a milestone of Mayor something that all people, including girls and women, can aspire to and achieve.” D