Superior Woman Spring 2021 by pjsamar

RENEE PRUSI

journalist & icon SPRING 2021

We Give Back 10% of All Purchases

Donated to Nonprofits in Michigan

www.43DegreesNorthGifts.com

VOLUME 2, NUMBER 1

SPRING 2021

Superior Woman is published quarterly by The Write Company, 511 La Salle Blvd., Port Huron, MI 48060. Circulation 5,000. Co-Editors & Publishers: Patti Samar Marquette Senior High School 1981 Northern Michigan University: B.S. 1985 & M.A. 1989

CONTENT

Dale Hemmila Negaunee High School 1968 Northern Michigan University: B.S. 1973 Advertising, questions, comments or story ideas: Email Editor Patti Samar at pjsamar@aol.com

From the Editors

Renee Prusi

Sara Cambensy

© Superior Woman is the property of Patti Samar of The Write Company The Write Company is a writing, graphic design and marketing consultation firm. View our online portfolio at: www.TheWriteCompany.net

Mary Tavernini Dowling

Jenna Smith

ADVERTISE

Beth Millner

Melissa Holmquist

Mission: Superior Woman is the premiere publication for women living, working and playing in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Its stories and features are written and designed to be inspriational, motivational and encouraging. www.SuperiorWoman.Net

IN SUPERIOR WOMAN! Prices: Business Card Ad: $125/issue Quarter Page: $250/issue Half Page: $500/issue Full Page: $1,000/issue Advertorial: $1,500/issue For more information, contact: Patti Samar 810-300-2176 l pjsamar@aol.com Dale Hemmila 906-204-8111 l dalehemmila@gmail.com

www.TheWriteCompany.net

2 SPRING 2021 SUPERIORWOMAN.NET

FROM THE EDITORS

Spring is springing, right?

Cheers to the emergence of buds on the trees, ice melting in the Big Lake (it HAS melted, right???) and hopefully a fabulous, warm summer in the U.P. is on the horizon because, that is what everyone in the U.P. looks forward to the other 10 months of the year, right? ;) This year the blossoming of new life feels like it is taking on a new meaning, as our nation begins to stir out of its more than year-long pandemic hibernation. With many in Marquette County already vaccinated against COVID 19, we hope that we can all return to some sense of the “normalcy” that we recall from 2019. Are you new to Superior Woman? This is our second fully digital issue. We have created a full-fledged digital magazine, complete with a flipbook that allows readers to turn the pages and click on embedded links within the stories and advertisements. Speaking of advertisements… In this issue, you will find advertisements for tee shirts, hoodies, coffee mugs, wine tumblers, beer steins, face masks (oh so 2021!) and other items designed by, well, me, as a part of my business, Blue Water Publishing. All of these items can be purchased by visiting www.43DegreesNorthGifts.com. As a bonus: My online shop donates 10 percent of profits to five Michigan nonprofits, including the Marquette Women’s Center and U.P.A.W.S. of Marquette County. Does your business need to reach the women’s market? In this issue, we invite businesses in Superiorland that wish to reach the women’s market to join us on this Superior Journey. If it makes sense for your business to reach our target market of women, aged 35 to 65+, in the heart of Superiorland, then please contact one of us, below, for more information about advertising in a future issue. You can also find advertising information on our website at www.SuperiorWoman.Net.

About this issue… In this issue of Superior Woman, we are pleased to present to you the stories of six CO-EDITORS/PUBLISHERS incredible Superior Women from Marquette County. All have achieved personal and/or PATTI SAMAR & DALE HEMMILA professional goals that would make any parent, partner, friend or family member proud. We are honored that they are allowing us to share their stories. You will be inspired by their accomplishments. Do you know a Superior Woman worthy of recognition in this publication? We are very open to accepting recommendations for stories, so please do not hesitate to email either one of us if you know a Superior Woman with a compelling story who would be willing to share her story with our readers. Most of all, thank you. Thank you for taking the time to read this publication. Your support means more to us than you can ever know. We look forward to spending even more time in the U.P. in the coming year as we ramp up our storytelling adventures and meet even more spectacularly special and Superior Women. Peace,

Patti Samar Co-Editor & Publisher Superior Woman pjsamar@aol.com

Dale Hemmila Co-Editor & Publisher Superior Woman dalehemmila@gmail.com SPRING 2021 SUPERIORWOMAN.NET 3

4 SPRING 2021 SUPERIORWOMAN.NET

RENEE PRUSI

JOURNALISM icon BY PATTI SAMAR

Words matter. No one in the Upper Peninsula knows this better, perhaps, than Renee Prusi of Negaunee. As a child, she was taught the value and importance of the written word by the pure volume of words that entered her home. “I grew up in a house where every day we got a magazine in the mail,” she said. “I grew up in a house where my dad was always adding bookshelves because books were very important. “My parents wanted us to be aware and informed.” The young Prusi took that message to heart. She grew up, went to college and became one of the most iconic journalists in Upper Peninsula history. The long-time Marquette Mining Journal staffer in April 2021 celebrated 40 years writing and editing the history of the Upper Peninsula and its people as a staff writer at the Marquette Mining Journal, the largest daily newspaper in the U.P. Prusi’s place in the unofficial U.P. journalism hall of fame almost never came to be. “The first time I interviewed for the Mining Journal, I didn’t get the job,” she said with a laugh. Fresh out of college with a degree from Central Michigan University in her back pocket, Prusi was working at Woolworth’s in the old Marquette Mall, searching for her first job in journalism when that fateful interview took place. She continued working at Woolworth’s until, almost a year later, a second more successful interview landed her the job. She’s been there ever since. Prusi’s storied career at the Mining Journal has not only spanned multiple decades, but multiple areas of focus in the newsroom, as well. She started her Mining Journal career as a reporter at the Ishpeming Bureau in 1982 and remained there until 1986 when she became the lifestyles editor, covering weddings, engagements and other feature stories. After that, “I’d go back to Ishpeming for a while,” until she again switched careers within her career. A lifelong sports fan, Prusi became involved in covering sports in 1998 at the request of the publisher of the Mining Journal. The chain that owned the newspaper was starting a weekly magazine that covered the National Football League: “(U.P. Group Publisher) Joe Bradley tagged me to be the Armchair Quarterback,” she said. “I wrote previews of football games. I did that for four years and I

became sports editor in 2001.” Prusi remained in the role of sports editor until 2009. “Since then I have been a writer, but I don’t do much writing anymore,” she said. “We have really good writers on staff right now. “The last year has been interesting, because it’s probably been the hardest year for newspapers all over the country.” Over the past four decades, Prusi has witnessed, first-hand, the evolution of the newsroom, first, as it was ushered into the computer age, and more recently into the digital age where news items need to be posted in real time to keep them relevant. “It’s been an interesting evolution,” she said. “When I started, we used typewriters. I was the second reporter in the Ishpeming office and we had to call our stories in,” meaning, they had to write them on the typewriter and then recite them over the telephone to someone in the main newsroom in downtown Marquette. “The transition to computers was tough,” she said. “Everything I know about computers, I learned on the job. “So, the process has changed, but the fundamentals are still the same.” When Prusi started at the Mining Journal, she was the second reporter assigned to the Ishpeming bureau, and there were four or more reporters in the main office in Marquette, and there was another reporter based in Munising. “We have three reporters (total) now,” she said. “Good for us for surviving. I get sad when I see some of the papers that have folded.” In recent years, even before the pandemic hit, the Mining Journal had to learn how to pivot in order to balance the books while maintaining balanced news coverage. “We are six days a week now,” she said, noting the reduction of one publication day per week. “But we’re not doing any less work than when we published seven days a week.” But Prusi is no stranger to hard work. Her parents were first generation Americans who were Finnish. Her father worked at one of the mines. She had an early calling as a writer – “When I was a junior and senior in high school I wrote for a Sunday magazine called ‘People’” that was published by the Mining Journal – but guidance counselors at school tried pointing her in a different direction. “I was told I should be an engineer,” she said with a laugh. She began her college education at Northern Michigan University where she majored in social work. SPRING 2021 SUPERIORWOMAN.NET 5

“But one of my professors told me, ‘I think you’ll have everyone living at your house,’” she chuckled. “I was getting good grades, but it didn’t fit.” She eventually transferred to CMU. “I’d always heard it had a good journalism program,” she said. The CMU campus also felt somewhat familiar, as her older brother had attended the Mt. Pleasant campus. Family has always been extremely important to Prusi. Growing up, she was the youngest of five. The 1976 Negaunee High School graduate said: “I’m one of 79 first cousins on my dad’s side, and one of 23 first cousins on my mom’s side. There are hundreds in the generations after mine. It’s kind of overwhelming.” Sadly, her mother died when Prusi was just 22 years old. “She died the day before I started at the paper,” Prusi said. Having a new job and career to focus on after a great loss helped Prusi move through her grief. “It was a life saver,” she said. It wasn’t the only time in her life that working at the Mining Journal would feel therapeutic to Prusi. In 2008, Prusi was diagnosed with breast cancer. It felt, indeed, like the entire Upper Peninsula rallied around her fight. Her editors allowed her to write about her battle with the disease and it become one of the two projects of which she is most proud during her tenure at the paper. “Letting me write about my cancer experience in any way was cathartic for me,” she said. “I still get people who come up and talk to me about it and it was more than 10 years ago,” she said. Prusi is also proud of her volunteer efforts and the stories she wrote

“

Letting me write about my cancer experience in any way was cathartic for me. I still get people who come up and talk to me about it and it was more than 10 years ago.

Pick Your Poison

Bearded Yooper Surf Co. Beverage Containers

90 . 0 2 $

. 6 SPRING 2021 SUPERIORWOMAN.NET sness.

90 . 7 1 $

43DegreesNorthGifts.com

”

about being a part of the U.P. Honor Flight, which is part of a national effort that transports veterans of war to Washington D.C. for an organized one-day trip to visit memorials in the District. All veterans on each flight are accompanied by a volunteer who helps them throughout the day. Prusi first volunteered in April 2012 and she completed a dozen flights in years following. “I got to meet these veterans, and everybody there has a story to tell,” she said of her experiences. One of the things Prusi has enjoyed most about working at a local daily newspaper over the years is her ability to help share the stories of many people of all ages across the U.P., and she sees the way the issues the newspaper covers impacts the community where she, in fact, lives. “I think what we do is important,” she said. “We still report things that other media would never bother with, like 50th anniversaries, honor roll, and graduation classes. But we are digging for the truth, too. “I feel privileged that people would share part of their lives with me.” Prusi has had opportunities to leave the Mining Journal over the years. But, every time an opportunity presented itself, she decided to stay put. “Other papers in the chain have offered me jobs, and it validates my work,” she said. “I’d probably have made a lot more money if I’d gone into other things, but I think what we do is valuable. “The problem is people don’t want to pay for what we do, and we are not a nonprofit,” she said. “But people still want someone watching local government and telling them what is happening in their local school district. “I want newspapers to survive and I want to be a part of that.”

46.5° North Da U.P., Eh?

Tees. Hoodies.Gifts.

FUN FACTS about Renee Prusi l In 2019, she was named to the Marquette Area

Music Hall of Fame for her contributions to the local music scene via her entertainment reporting. “I love music and that’s one of the things I’ve missed the most about the pandemic. I’m looking forward to sitting outside on a lawn chair and letting the music wash over me.”

l Saturdays are known as “Caturdays” in her home,

where her cats, Cash and Simon, are social media stars on Prusi’s Facebook page.

l In Renee’s Wildest Dreams She... “is Aaron Rogers’

agent.” Would she help him get the gig as Alex Trebek’s replacement on Jeopardy? “Absolutely!”

Lake Superior

Unsalted ~ Shark Free

Other Colors Available

Women’s/Men’s Tees ~ Hoodies

www.43DegreesNorthGifts.com

Other Colors Available

SPRING 2021 SUPERIORWOMAN.NET 7

SARA CAMBENSY 8 SPRING 2021 SUPERIORWOMAN.NET

BIG PICTURE approach BY PATTI SAMAR

Last September during a meeting of the Michigan House Committee on Commerce and Tourism in Lansing, 109th District State Representative Sara Cambensy (D-Marquette), asked an important question. When addressing one of her colleagues from, as they say, “across the aisle,” she inquired: “Shouldn’t the legislature be looking for a longterm solution (to a problem) instead of solving just one problem?” Cambensy’s ability to understand the importance of addressing the “big picture” while paying attention to important details is what makes her a good government representative. Cambensy has taken that big picture approach to a number of key issues that are of significant importance to both her constituents in the Upper Peninsula and to all citizens in the state of Michigan. Though in just her fourth year as a state representative, Cambensy has more than a decade of public service under her belt, having served first as a member of the City of Marquette Charter Commission for several years, and later as a Marquette City Commissioner from 2012 to 2017. Cambensy first ran for state representative in 2017 to fill the seat of former 109th State Rep. John Kivela, who died in May of that year. To fill the remainder of Kivela’s term, which ended in 2018, thenGov. Rick Snyder scheduled a special election for November 2017. And when she threw her hat in the ring, many influential people and entities didn’t think she would be elected.

“The Detroit Free Press had me coming in third,” she said with a chuckle of that first race, in which she had to first win a party primary before facing a Republican challenger in November. “You have to take these moments and realize I do deserve to be there. I did my time. I had 10 years in local government.” Moving through the election cycle that year, Cambensy just kept her focus on moving forward, one step at a time. “I thought, ‘Are you going to let someone tell you that you can’t, or continue on your path and show them you can?’” She noted that having a tight group of female friends who were supportive and encouraging was also a big help. “Having those women in your close circle who believe in you, who will encourage you and say, ‘You really need to do this,’ is amazing,” she said. “It’s all about women helping women build themselves up. “I’m hopeful that the next generation coming up will have even more confidence and not doubt themselves,” she said. Interestingly, Cambensy’s seat had never before been held by a woman. “As progressive as Marquette can be, we were the only district in the U.P. that had not had a woman representative before,” she said. “Two of my opponents had been in politics a lot longer than I had,” she said. “And I didn’t have the time to knock on doors or do those traditional things. But people knew what they would get; I had a track record. Certainly, the votes I had taken while on city commission, SPRING 2021 SUPERIORWOMAN.NET 9

people trusted me enough.” What voters got was a smart state representative who was willing to roll up her sleeves and get to work on a wide range of issues. During her time in office, Cambensy has passed five bills into law. “In the time I’ve been in Lansing, I feel like I’ve been effective,” she said. She is most proud of passing the first of her five bills, Public Act 47 of 2019, which put into place the Committee on Michigan’s Mining Future. With multiple mining operations within her district, Cambensy is more than fully aware of the economic impact that mining has on the economy both locally and U.P.-wide. She is also aware of the way that national and global economics directly impacts that industry and, therefore, the Upper Peninsula economy. Her interest in establishing this committee was also about creating balance between economic well-being and environmental well-being. “That is something that I’m most passionate about,” she said. “We have tons of minerals in the U.P., but it’s critical that we be mindful of how we mine and how we protect the environment, so we are not choosing the environment and we are not choosing the economy. “I want to lessen the fear of the extractive industries, whether it’s the (Enbridge Line 5) pipeline going through, or mining and making sure our water and natural beauty is protected. I’m out walking the trails on Little Presque Isle with my golden retriever. “If you don’t want mining in your backyard, do you have the right to demand those are mined elsewhere for your modern conveniences?” During her time in office, Cambensy has taken the time to get to know a lot of the steelworkers in the district, and she is encouraged by those conversations and the creativity of their thinking. “We always ask, ‘How do we do it better?’”

“

We have tons of minerals in the U.P., but it’s critical that we be mindful of how we mine and how we protect the environment, so we are not choosing the environment and we are not choosing the economy.

Pick Your Poison

Superior Woman Beverage Containers

43DegreesNorthGifts.com 10 SPRING 2021 SUPERIORWOMAN.NET

”

Prior to serving full-time in public office, the 1994 graduate of Marquette Senior High School was the director of adult and community education for the Marquette Area Public Schools. Cambensy holds both a bachelor of science and a master of public administration from Northern Michigan University. It was her work on the city’s charter commission that led to running for a seat on the city commission. “I was on the charter commission with people twice as old as I was and they said you really should run for city commission,” she said. “I considered a lot of the men at the local level mentors, and I’ve learned a great deal from them.” Choosing a career in politics is not for the faint of heart, and Cambensy has learned to roll with the punches. “You have to have thick skin and be willing to look at where others are coming from and not take any of it personally,” she said of some of the back-and-forth between political opponents encountered both before and after elected into office. “It’s about knowing who you are and being okay with losing some battles or people not liking me.” With all that has gone on politically in recent years, with a state and a nation divided, often times, by political lines, has presented unexpected challenges at times. “It has been difficult,” Cambensy said. “No parent wants their kid to go into politics. My dad said, ‘If you’re going to run, you need to remember that you work for the people, not yourself, and not special interests.’ “That has kept me grounded. I’ve always been able to sleep at night knowing I voted for the best thing for myself and my people. “If you do the work that the people want, they will reward you and put you in this position because they know that someone’s listening.”

“

My dad said, ‘If you’re going to run, you need to remember that you work for the people, not yourself, and not special interests. That has kept me grounded. I’ve always been able to sleep at night knowing I voted for the best thing for myself and my people.

”

Superior Woman

Women’s & Men’s Tees & Hoodies Other Colors Available

43DegreesNorthGifts.com SPRING 2021 SUPERIORWOMAN.NET 11

MARY TAVERNINI DOWLING 12 SPRING 2021 SUPERIORWOMAN.NET

FAITHFULLY optimistic BY DALE HEMMILA

Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” ~ Helen Keller. ~

If there ever was a quote to sum up the time you spend talking to Mary Tavernini Dowling, well, Helen Keller hit it right on the head. In the midst of heading up a $5 million fundraising campaign, she remains upbeat and confident, and convinced that optimism, faith and some well-learned business acumen will carry the day. Currently, Tavernini Dowling is chief executive officer of the Hospitality House of the Upper Peninsula (HHUP). The organization, formerly just known as “Beacon House,” now manages 21 hospitality rooms in the UP Health Systems-Marquette hospital, the hospital gift shop, coffee shops in the hospital and in the Peninsula Medical Center, and a cancer patient wig salon. Of those ventures, the hospitality rooms are the focus of most of Tavernini Dowling’s attention, as is the planning, construction and, most importantly, fundraising for a new hospitality facility with a familiar name: a new Beacon House. The “old” Beacon House was a converted hotel near the former Marquette General Hospital. It housed 36 overnight hospitality rooms for patients who were receiving treatment or family members visiting patients at Marquette General Hospital. When the hospital was sold and renamed UP Health Systems, the buyer decided to build a new hospital across town. That led to the sale of the old Beacon House and a decision to build a new Beacon House adjacent to the new hospital. With a new design and an opportunity to offer even more amenities than the previous establishment, a fundraising goal of $3 million was set to begin the first phase of construction. This is where Tavernini Dowling and Beacon

House intersect and it turns out she was the perfect person for the task, bringing enthusiasm, energy and years of business savvy into play. Tavernini Dowling has always been someone who can’t sit on the sideline. Her first business experience came as a teenager working at a local retail shop. The Cat’s Meow on Third Street in Marquette offered distinctly styled women’s clothing and accessories and gave Tavernini Dowling a chance to get involved in sales. “When I was in high school I fell in love with The Cat’s Meow,” she said recently while tracking her business career history. “I was 16 when I started working there and I just enjoyed everything about it, I loved the clothing, I loved the fashion shows and I talked the owner and my dad into letting me go to Chicago first and then New York to do the buying for the store while I was still in high school.” With a love of fashion and a convivial personality that lent itself to selling, she found that her try at college following high school wasn’t right for her and she decided to carve out a different career path. “In the first year I realized I was not ready to be a student again,” she recalled. “I really wanted to be out in the world; I wanted to keep that ball rolling, all the things that were happening with The Cat’s Meow. I had saved enough money to make an offer to buy the store, so when I was 19, I bought The Cat’s Meow.” But for Tavernini Dowling The Cat’s Meow was just the first step in building a business career that would take her away from Marquette for a time and expose her to a corporate world where she gained more valuable business experience. “I kept thinking there is so much more I don’t know; everything I SPRING 2021 SUPERIORWOMAN.NET 13

had learned was self-taught” she said. “I thought maybe the next step would be to learn from a larger corporation, where I could learn from the big dogs.” So, after five years in local retail, Tavernini Dowling moved on to take a position as a department head in a privately owned department store in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. “I enjoyed that very much,” she said, “but then they ended up selling to someone else so I ended up going to work for Casual Corner and Career Image and I ended up opening some of their stores and ended up being one of their top performers. “I just always wanted to wow people; I don’t just want you to think, That’s nice.’ I want you to think, ‘WOW! THAT’S REALLY COOL!’ I didn’t want a store to just be successful, I wanted it to be the number one store. I always had that drive to see what else I could do, to use my creativity to make something not just better, but the best.” That drive and a nudge from a customer who suggested she might be better served in a larger sales environment moved Tavernini Dowling out of retail and into a different venue. She moved on to Atlanta-based Lanier, a company involved in sales of phone systems and fax machines. “I ended up being their top performer and one of the reasons I was so successful was because I installed a cellular phone in my car, back when only doctors and lawyers and really, really rich people had them,” she said. “That kept me in touch with my clients; they would call and I would call them back immediately and so I had so much fun with the cell phones.” That “fun” led to her being recruited by Bell South, which was just getting into the retail cellphone business. “That was just the very early years of cellular,” she recalled. “I thought that was just the coolest thing to get in on the ground floor and work my way up the ladder there.” And she did. Ultimately she was offered the position of vice president of national accounts, but it was a job she turned down. “I was flying to Atlanta, interviewing for the job and flying back and I was just miserable,” she said. “I was just offered this executive position with one of the biggest companies and I couldn’t figure out why I was so sad. “I called my parents and told them I got the job and they said ‘That’s great!’ and I said but I want to move home. I realized what was really important to me--the U.P., my family and I really didn’t care what I did for a living anymore, I just wanted to be back home.” Once back home, though, she wouldn’t be far removed from the cellular business. “So I moved home and interestingly enough there was a company that was just starting a cellular business here and they hired me and I became the Vice President and General Manager of CellularOne of the Upper Peninsula,” she said. “And that was really fun because now I was on my home turf and I was able to do something I thought was really helpful for people in the U.P. to get them connected and communicating better.” After helping to get the U.P. better connected, Tavernini Dowling decided to step out on her own. She established a marketing and advertising business with her name on the door and then began a video production company, all of which led her in a different direction. “I found my passion was helping nonprofit organizations,” she explained. “They didn’t have the money or the voice to tell their story to do so much good and I felt almost like I was working for each of those organizations when I would help them with their (fundraising) campaigns.” 14 SPRING 2021 SUPERIORWOMAN.NET

“

This is where I belong. You can be around the guests that we serve and see the difference it makes in their lives during the worst times they are ever going to experience, and you see the immediate impact you make and the comfort and the care and concern;

”

It’s just the most rewarding thing in the world.

Save Face

We Give Back to the Community

$4 from each face mask purchase donated to local nonprofits

$4 from the purchase of each mask sold will be divided between these local nonprofits:

Marquette Women’s Center U.P.A.W.S. Thank you for helping us support the community!

www.43DegreesNorthGifts.com

From there, things got interesting. Tavernini Dowling met her future husband, Kevin Dowling -- “the most grounded person I ever met” -- and in their conversations, he suggested that instead of multiple nonprofits, perhaps she could find one organization that could really benefit from her experience. So, in 2011 she was a member of the Beacon House board of directors and they were about to lose several significant funding sources. Someone suggested a celebrity golf tournament might raise some money and Tavernini Dowling agreed to head that up. She resigned from the board and took a part-time position with Beacon House. The tournament was a huge success, drawing significant celebrity star power from the entertainment world and professional sports. And it seemed Tavernini Dowling was off and running in yet a new direction. In 2013, she was named CEO of HUPP to oversee their operations and raise funds for the new Beacon House. “I have three small businesses to run and a charity,” she stated, “and I felt everything I had ever learned, every experience I’ve had, I know I was taught those things so that I can use those tools to help this charity.” In addition to the tools she has brought to the process, fundraising has benefited from a high profile partner. Steve Mariucci, an Upper Peninsula native and former National Football League head coach and now-analyst for the NFL Network, has been at the forefront of the fundraising campaign. In fact, the new Beacon House will be named the Steve Mariucci Family Beacon House in honor of their financial and fundraising support. “Steve has never forgotten where he came from,” Tavernini Dowling said. “When his mom had cancer and everyone knew that she was

going to pass, the family came from around the country and they all stayed at Beacon House. He could have afforded to stay anywhere, but at Beacon House, he could be Steve the son. Everyone was there for a medical emergency, and everyone respected each other’s privacy. The whole family was able to be together, make their plans and be in close proximity to their mom until she passed, and that was life changing for him and he’s been the biggest fan of Beacon House since then.” While that is one high profile story, it is just one of the thousands of stories about the purpose and the blessing that Beacon House has been for hundreds of families since its inception. Now, with nearly $4 million raised out of the overall goal of more than $5 million, it is those experiences that still drive Tavernini Dowling to continue a process she believes was what her career path was leading her to do. “I absolutely get that feeling,” she said, “three thousand percent. This is where I belong. You can be around the guests that we serve and see the difference it makes in their lives during the worst times they are ever going to experience and you see the immediate impact you make and the comfort and the care and concern; it’s just the most rewarding thing in the world.” The business savvy she gained during her career coupled with an abundant optimism and drive is a large part of the reason the new Beacon House is on its way to becoming a reality. Oh, and one more thing. “I have the strongest faith of anyone I’ve ever met,” she explained when asked if she ever thought the task was too much. “Here’s the cool thing: knowing I’m not in charge — God is. That takes a lot of pressure off you. When you are doing something that is truly pure, this isn’t about any of us; it’s just a pure honest thing that we’re doing. How could God not be behind that?” www.upbeaconhouse.org

Superior Woman

Women’s & Men’s Tees & Hoodies Other Colors Available

43DegreesNorthGifts.com SPRING 2021 SUPERIORWOMAN.NET 15

JENNA SMITH

16 SPRING 2021 SUPERIORWOMAN.NET

MS. mayor BY DALE HEMMILA

When Jenna Smith was living in Colorado a few years back, she knew she and her husband wanted to return to her hometown of Marquette to raise a family. What she didn’t know was that following her return she would not only be raising a family, but also helping to lead the city. Following the 2020 election season, Smith was re-elected Marquette Mayor for a second term this past November. That move by her fellow city commissioners would validate Smith’s work as a city commissioner and her first full term as mayor beginning in 2019. Smith began her commitment to the city after being appointed to a vacant seat on the city commission in 2017. She won election for a full term on the commission in 2018, and Smith was voted in as mayor by the commission in 2019. Smith, who at 33 is one of the City of Marquette’s youngest mayors, became the first woman to hold that position in 40 years. “I was proud and excited,” she said recently while recalling the meeting where she was elected mayor for the first time. “I also felt that I would make sure that I do it right.” Doing it at all wasn’t really something that she had in mind after moving back to Marquette from Boulder, Colorado and then Escanaba in 2014. A graduate of the University of Michigan with a degree in psychology, the move home had always been in her and husband

Lou’s plans. “We got married in 2013,” she said “and we always knew we wanted to raise our family here.” Once back in Marquette, she settled in with a job as human resources manager for the Marquette Area Public Schools. When current Michigan State Representative Sara Cambensy left the city commission after her election to the Michigan House of Representatives, Smith applied to be appointed to fill out the vacated term. “In 2016, I didn’t really love what was going on with national and state politics,” she recalled. “At the time I was meeting with a group of young women who felt similarly and we all decided to get involved at the local level, just kind of encouraging each other to get out there to serve our community and to have more young women in leadership roles. “About 10 months later after we started meeting, the vacancy for Sara Cambensy’s seat came up. I shared it with this group of women and tried to get someone to run and no one was up for it. I kept pushing and finally one other gal was interested and through that process I decided I was interested so we kind of did it together.” Ultimately, the commission chose Smith to fill the vacant seat. “I have to say no one was more surprised than me when I was SPRING 2021 SUPERIORWOMAN.NET 17

appointed,” she said. “I guess the commission liked my qualifications, my ambition and my connection to the community. I thought this was a one year term and I could decide if I like it or not before I have to put in my name for election, and I enjoyed it. I learned a lot, I felt like I had a valuable role in the community to help and provide a voice for people that might not have felt they had access to local, elected officials.” The one year experience was enough to persuade Smith that it was worth pursuing a fully elected position, and in 2018 she was elected for a full three-year term. It was just a year later in November of 2019 that she was tapped as mayor. At the time, she knew it would be only the third time in the city’s history that a woman filled that position. Holly Greer was Marquette’s first female mayor, serving from 1975-1977, and Glenda Robinson served in 1979-80. “It had been an awful long time since a woman was mayor of Marquette and I am very honored that I was chosen,” Smith said. Taking over the gavel has meant additional responsibilities beyond just being a commissioner, as she works with the city staff to help plan the meetings and set the commission’s agenda. Additionally, as mayor, she directs the commission meetings. It also has given her an opportunity to set priorities and include her vision for the city moving forward, pointing to some accomplishments so far. “We formed an ad hoc housing committee to focus on the middle housing market in Marquette; there’s a lack of a middle housing in Marquette,” she explained. “Prices for homes in Marquette are sky high and it’s difficult for a working family or young professionals to buy homes. There are no magic answers, but (the committee) is looking into different things we can do such as zoning or densities or different incentive programs.” Smith also has put a focus on addressing issues related to the homeless in Marquette, and she has turned her attention to some of the city’s public spaces. “As a young mom, I saw that the park situation needed to be addressed, and this summer in 2021 the Mattson Park is going to be redone and it will be an accessible park for those with disabilities,” she explained. “Having a toddler and infant, I saw most of the parks were not suitable for a really young child to play on, so accessibility will be good for both toddlers and folks with disabilities.” She continued: “Some of the biggest goals on the commission are just transparency, communication, making sure we have a fiscally responsible budget, and keeping in touch with the public needs and wants.” Taking on the mayor’s position while holding a full-time job would probably be enough of a challenge, but when you add in her responsibilities as a mother and wife, well you kind of get the picture Smith has a lot on her plate. She is quick to credit a strong city staff as helping her be flexible and Mayor Pro-Tem Jenn Hill’s willingness to step in during a brief maternity leave. In addition, she said she gets a lot of support at home when it comes to managing the needs of daughters Clara, who is oneyear-old, and four-year-old Olive. “A really supportive family,” she said, helps her juggle her home life and outside responsibilities. “My parents live here, my husband’s parents live in Negaunee and they help with the kids a lot. My husband has been extremely supportive and I could not do it without him. Without all of that, I wouldn’t have the freedom and flexibility to take on as much as I do. “I have a never-ending drive to help, and I struggle because do I have all the time to devote to being mayor? Clearly, I don’t, but I share an awful lot, I prioritize, and make sure the most important things get 18 SPRING 2021 SUPERIORWOMAN.NET

“

I have a never-ending drive to help, and I struggle because do I have all the time to devote to being mayor? Clearly, I don’t, but I share an awful lot, I prioritize, and make sure the most important things get done. I delegate, I try to build capacity in my fellow commissioners and give them the opportunity to engage.

”

It’s a balance, but I really do enjoy it.

done. I delegate, I try to build capacity in my fellow commissioners and give them the opportunity to engage in different activities and events. It’s a balance, but I really do enjoy it. Maybe I wouldn’t have planned to be the mayor, but I think it has worked out for the best.” As for the gender shift in the mayor’s office after four decades of male only mayors, Smith eyes what that may mean for future commissions. “I hope that it paves the way for more frequent female mayors in the future, or more equal gender distribution on the city commission and in the top leadership roles,” she said. Of course, for that to happen, more women would have to get involved, and Smith is making efforts to enhance those possibilities by offering her insight into the political process for novices who have a political interest. “My personal mission is to get more of the people who really care involved in politics and keep them there; I think we need more of that in our world,” she said. “I would say especially moms who are interested in running for office,” she said. “There’s a different perspective when you’re a mother in the things that you want to make sure your community has for your kids, which is why I stepped up.” As for her political aspirations, any higher office calling is not in the cards at the moment. “I have no intention of living outside of Marquette while my kids are in school so maybe ask me in 18 years,” she said with a laugh. However, her initial stint as mayor and her re-election has left her pleased to continue in the role with a long list of projects in mind. “I am honored to be re-elected as Mayor of Marquette and I am looking forward to working with the commission over the next year,” she said. “This coming year will be focused on building and strengthening relationships in the community to respond to the ongoing COVID-19 situation, communicate regularly with the public, continue working on critical city projects such as economic development, capital improvements, Lakeshore Boulevard, the Mattson Park accessible playground, planning, and many more ongoing projects.” www.marquettemi.gov

YOUR AD HERE Does your business need to reach Superior Women? l l l l l

Women control more than 60% of all wealth in the United States Women make about 85 percent of household purchasing decisions, with heavy influence in more than 90% of new home purchases and more. Women make 90% of the healthcare decisions in a household. Women make 65% of new car purchase decisions. Approximately 40% of U.S. working women now out-earn their husbands.

Give your business a presence where Superior Women can be found. To advertise in a future issue of Superior Woman, contact us today!

Patti Samar Co-Editor. Publisher pjsamar@aol.com 810.300.2176 www.SuperiorWoman.Net

Dale Hemmila Co-Editor. Publisher dalehemmila@gmail.com 906.204.8111 www.SuperiorWoman.Net SUMMER 2020 SUPERIORWOMAN.NET 19

BETH MILLNER 20 SPRING 2021 SUPERIORWOMAN.NET

GIVING back BY DALE HEMMILA

As a designer, jewelry maker and creative business woman, Beth Millner likely never figured to be in the mask-making business. But, a global pandemic can change a lot of business models and for Millner it meant masks, masks and more masks to design, create, sell and even give away. Millner’s vocation is jewelry design and sales, and she operates a small retail outlet and jewelry studio on one of the main thoroughfares in downtown Marquette, along with a strong presence on the Internet. But when Covid 19 showed up and changed pretty much everything for everyone, Millner and her staff responded creatively by getting into personal facemask creation and distribution. This changed her business plan and also helped keep people safe and well. A Marinette, Wisconsin native, Millner now calls Marquette her home. “I came up here to visit some friends who were going to college,” she recalled. “It was my first visit to Marquette and I thought, ‘I’m moving there forever.’ I couldn’t believe how beautiful it was here.” Moving to Marquette in 2005 allowed her to complete her college education, which she had begun in Wisconsin. She graduated from Northern Michigan University with a bachelor of fine arts degree. While still at NMU, in 2007 Millner began her jewelry business with a storefront on the online marketplace Etsy.com and a booth at the occasional art fair and music festival. After collecting her degree from NMU in 2008, Millner left Marquette for a while, though she was destined to return to the U.P. to operate her business. “I travelled around the country with my significant other, Mike, in a popup camper,” she said. “We went down to the south during the winter and then we came back here and I did three art fairs in the U.P. and it went really well when I got back here, but I basically started in a recession. “I had my business running five years from home. I actually started off the grid in a cabin running off a little bit of solar power and used only hand tools to be good to the environment and save money.” By 2012, she bought the building that is now her shop and studio and over the years the success of her business has changed how the building is configured. “When I opened here there were three apartments and now there’s only one left,” she said. I’ve kind of taken over the apartments for more

business space.” Early on, however, rent paid by the apartment dwellers helped subsidize her jewelry design and creation. “Back then, my average price point was around $100, so with the apartments I only needed to sell a couple more pieces a day from what I was doing at home to support doing this because I had the rentals here,” she said. It didn’t take long for the business to expand to where she now employs five full-time employees and two part-timers. “The community and the people here have always supported the jewelry business,” she said. “It’s always been busier than I expected. We’ve always been really successful. “We use a lot of recycled materials in our jewelry and we make pieces that are inspired by the area, and I think the jewelry is reminiscent of what we all love. I didn’t realize how many people would be coming for gifts and you want to give something that feels worthwhile and meaningful. There’s a lot of mass- produced items out there that you don’t know where they were made and who they were made by and the quality of them. I think people want nice things that are going to last.” Millner’s jewelry remains a reflection of the area, and the designs are also based on the materials that are included. “Silver, copper, glass, white gold, rose gold, yellow gold all of the jewelry metals,” she said, adding that she also incorporates stone into her designs. “I work with local stone from around the Great Lakes region, so Michigan greenstone, Lake Superior agates, and copper agates, which are kind of rare.” While she buys some stones, she also does some picking of her own. “I’ve gotten an eye for it,” she explained. “The beach is my most favorite place to find them.” So what began in a cabin in the woods has expanded considerably over the past eight years. “We sell hundreds of pieces a month now,” she said. “Maybe a quarter online and certain times of the year maybe more; in July we actually doubled our online sales, which is really great for us. We do all of our marketing, photography,and graphic design in-house.” In July 2020, the business received statewide acclaim as Beth Millner SPRING 2021 SUPERIORWOMAN.NET 21

Jewelry was awarded the 2020 Woman-Owned Small Business of the Year award from Michigan Small Business Administration and Michigan Celebrates Small Business. “To think of all the small businesses throughout the state that are woman owned and under 500 employees, that they picked me up here with my small staff, and recognized what we do felt like a huge accomplishment,” Millner said. “To get that recognition made us reflect a little bit that somehow we’ve really done a lot here. It’s not just about me, the award is titled Woman-Owned Business, but it took this whole staff, this whole team, to get that recognition.” So, about those face masks. “When the pandemic, hit my partner Mike and I made metal pieces for the masks,” she explained. “We made 2,000 and gave them away. “Then we started working with a roofer and we made 36,000 and distributed them all for free. We just knew there was a huge need. There were all these mask making groups all over the U.P., and I could see that they were needing them and there was no resource. “I could see the mask mandate coming down and you couldn’t buy a mask. So, initially, we were just giving away masks or selling them on a sliding scale, people could basically pay nothing or whatever they wanted. What was kind of cool about that is we basically broke even on that even though some people were paying nothing or a few dollars and some people paid $35 because they wanted to see it work.” That initial foray into the mask business expanded fairly quickly, as facemasks at the time were difficult to come by. “In April (2020), I hired 10 people to sell masks from home,” Millner said. “I got all the materials together for them. They had sewing machines and skills, my graphic designer and staff had put together a pattern on how to make these.” Soon they were marketing, selling and shipping masks all from home as her shop remained closed due to the pandemic. As the mask portion of

“

To think of all the small businesses throughout the state that are woman-owned and under 500 employees, that they picked me up here with my small staff, and recognized what we do felt like a huge accomplishment. It’s not just about me ... it took thise whole staff, this whole team, to get that recognition.

Snag a Bag

Our Weekender Bags Make Great Gifts

www.43DegreesNorthGifts.com 22 SPRING 2021 SUPERIORWOMAN.NET

”

her business moved forward, Millner made that a large part of her focus. “I had gotten myself to a point in the business where I wasn’t needed necessarily,” she explained. “I would design stuff in advance with my assistants making the production, so to have that freedom in business to where you’re not needed in any particular area allowed me to do this. I have a great staff that can do everything and because I have enabled them to do what the business needs to succeed, my only role is designing jewelry, which gave me the opportunity to do this whole mask thing.” As part of her business, Millner has given back to the community by designing specific jewelry pieces designated for area non-profits and donating part of the sales price back to the organization. So far, the business has donated more than $40,000 to various local non-profits. “I can’t just make money and be so happy that ‘Hey, I made a bunch of money;’ it’s a little bit hollow. I’ve got to give back because that’s how life works; you give back, and then you are successful. You can’t just take, take, take,” she said. Subsequently, she has folded in her mask business as an additional way to give back. She has developed designs for various local non-profits where $5 or more of the purchase price is donated to specific organizations. “I’m excited about the fundraising with masks,” Millner said. “Obviously, it started because people were afraid and needed to be protected, but now this is a fashion accessory that protects you, but never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I’d spend 80 hours a week making something that’s kind of a medical device and a fashion accessory. Everybody needs them and they are going to feel better about something that no one really wants, but if you can give back, it makes people feel a little bit better.” So far the U.P. Children’s Museum, the Upper Peninsula Animal Welfare Shelter, The Hiawatha Music Festival, the Vista Theater and others have been beneficiaries of the fundraising mask program. Designs and a running count of mask sales and donations are on Millner’s website: www.bethmillner.com

46.5° North Da U.P., Eh?

Tees. Hoodies.Gifts.

“

I love being able to solve challenges. I have a passion for the U.P.;

”

I feel like an advocate for the U.P.

Lake Superior

Unsalted ~ Shark Free

Other Colors Available

Women’s/Men’s Tees ~ Hoodies

www.43DegreesNorthGifts.com

Other Colors Available

SPRING 2021 SUPERIORWOMAN.NET 23

MELISSA HOLMQUIST 24 SPRING 2021 SUPERIORWOMAN.NET

CLIMBING the corporate ladder BY DALE HEMMILA

It is not often that someone who began her career as the company receptionist ends up running the entire organization, but that’s exactly what Melissa Holmquist has done. She currently serves as president and CEO of Upper Peninsula Health Plan (UPHP), a managed care and provider service organization that offers a variety of individual healthcare coverage. Along her journey from the ground up, Holmquist held a number of job titles, each of which put her in a position to better know and understand the business on a granular level, making her uniquely qualified to hold the top leadership role. “I actually started working here while still attending graduate school,” Holmquist said recently while discussing her variety of experiences within the company. “I started working here at UPHP because I was trying to find a job that fit within my schedule, but I also wanted something that was helping people. That was always my ultimate goal. So I started here as a receptionist in 2002 and never left.” A Crystal Falls, Michigan native, Holmquist received a bachelor’s degree in psychology and then a master’s degree in education/school counseling from Northern Michigan University. “Obviously a perfect fit for leading a health plan,” she said with a laugh. “But you never know where your path takes you.” In Holmquist’s case that path led her away from the reception desk in relatively short order as she began to immerse herself more in the workings of the organization, which was one of two health SPRING 2021 SUPERIORWOMAN.NET 25

“

I’m happy to represent the U.P. and women. Being a female leader, I feel that I have a little more responsibility to help out other young female leaders or potential leaders.

”

If you look across the U.P., there are a l ot of amazing female leaders. I think we could teach some other areas a thing or two.

plans in the Upper Peninsula. UPHP had only about 20 employees, but was beginning to grow, and grow it did. The company currently employs more than 150 people. “Right before we started to see some growth, I transitioned to the claims services department,” she said. “I worked in that department for several years and was promoted to a different position as a quality control reimbursement analyst. Then I moved into our clinical services department where I was a team leader for case management and utilization management, which was interesting because I don’t have a nursing background and traditionally those roles are filled by nurses. It was a challenge for me because it was outside of my immediate skill set, but it was really exciting and I enjoyed that work quite a bit.” What followed was an assignment as assistant director of operations, then a promotion to director of government programs working directly with then-UPHP CEO Dennis Smith. Holmquist became the main point of contact with the company’s contractors. Her next step was elevation to the chief operating officer position, and when CEO Smith retired, she was tabbed to become the new president and CEO in 2018. “It’s been quite a ride,” she said. As she moved up the UPHP ladder, Smith, as CEO, was instrumental in mentoring her along the way. “His leadership and his confidence in me really helped me, particularly in those last couple of years before he retired,” she said. “There were some times when he helped push me outside of my comfort zone; he was extremely helpful to me and a great mentor.” Smith noted he saw a lot to like about “Missie” Holmquist and her ability to follow him as CEO. “Missie has developed the ability to see several moves down the road in planning for future developments,” Smith said. “This has been very beneficial in planning and implementing the remote work environment that was necessary by the pandemic, or planning the fiveyear projections needed to stay on top of delivering healthcare services to the members of UPHP. She allows her staff to grow, learn, and expand their horizons in their work and careers. She recognizes that the best for the employee is, in reality, the best for UPHP and the U.P. community and residents” With operations in all 13 U.P. counties and connections to a dozen Upper Peninsula hospitals, the UPHP reach is wide-ranging, providing healthcare coverage and services to more than 50,000 U.P. residents. “My top priority is serving our members,” Holmquist said. “I like to surround myself with people who are smarter than me. I have amazing people who work here. We have people who are passionate; that’s so important when you are serving a vulnerable population. You really have 26 SPRING 2021 SUPERIORWOMAN.NET

to be passionate about the work you do. That’s one of the main reasons I continue to work here. My ultimate goal is to help people and I’m doing that in a much different way than I ever thought I would.” Holmquist’s work at UPHP recently received statewide recognition as Crain’s Detroit Business named her one of the Notable Women in Health for 2020. Crain’s cited her unique rise within the company and noted: “With Holmquist at the helm, UPHP has implemented the Healthy Michigan Plan, which provides health coverage to nearly 16,000 UP residents; launched the Connected Communities for Health initiative to connect residents with local resources to help them meet basic needs; piloted a remote patient monitoring program to help keep patients out of the ER; and expanded the transportation department to get members to and from doctor’s appointments.” “I was honored,” she said of the recognition. “To me the biggest honor was that it was one of our staff members here that nominated me and that made it very special.” Out of the 41 women recognized by Crain’s, she was the only Upper Peninsula representative. “I’m happy to represent the U.P. and women,” she said. “Being a female leader, I feel that I have a little more responsibility to help other young female leaders or potential leaders. If you look across the U.P., there are a lot of amazing female leaders. I think we could teach some other areas a thing or two.” Assuming that responsibility and relying on her experience, she offers some guidance to those looking to move up in their career. “Don’t shy away from a challenge,” she said. “Be bold, be eager; I think sometimes women may not take that extra step because they feel a little intimidated, but everybody learns one day at a time. Take that step. “I would encourage anyone, female or male, looking to get into a leadership position to get involved in their community. Join a board, join a service organization; it’s a great way to give back and you meet so many amazing other people, many leaders from other industries. I think that’s really important, too.” All of that advice worked for her, and now, with a seat at the top of her organization, Holmquist can look back at her journey and how the one-time receptionist has become the CEO. “Drive, an eagerness to learn new things, you have to have a passion for your organization, a passion for what you do,” she said. “Just having that passion and eagerness to try new things and push yourself and get out of your comfort zone and you would be surprised at what you can do.” www.uphp.com

“We are your out-sourced Marketing Department.”

CALL TODAY TO SCHEDULE YOUR FREE MARKETING CONSULTATION

YOUR AD HERE Does your business need to reach Superior Women? l l l l l

Give your business a presence where Superior Women can be found. To advertise in a future issue of Superior Woman, contact us today!

Patti Samar Co-Editor. Publisher pjsamar@aol.com 810.300.2176 www.SuperiorWoman.Net

Dale Hemmila Co-Editor. Publisher dalehemmila@gmail.com 906.204.8111 www.SuperiorWoman.Net