Attended the Mark Holsten appreciation gathering Tuesday evening at the Holiday Inn East in St. Paul. A healthy crowd of probably 100 people turned out to thank Holsten for his several terms in the state Legislature and the past eight years on sixth floor of 500 Lafayette Ave. From 2003 to 2007, Holsten was deputy commissioner of the Minnesota DNR, and four years ago, then Gov. Tim Pawlenty made Holsten the commissioner.
The crowd included dedicated DNR?employees from all branches of the agency, representatives of state conservation groups, and several legislators. At least a dozen stood up and commended Holsten for his leadership during some challenging times in Minnesota. Highlights of the evening included Laurie Martinson, Holsten's deputy, describing the dedication her boss held toward his staff and the teamwork atmosphere he fostered. Ryan Bronson has worked for Holsten twice - once in the Legislature and once at the DNR - and joked that he's quit working for the man twice, then he went and embraced his longtime friend and mentor in a big old bear hug. north face denali
Five minutes before the program started, Joe Duggan of Pheasants Forever asked if I wanted to say a few words. I jumped to the podium and pointed out how satisfying it was to watch an initially skeptical DNR staff embrace Holsten and rally around him. It was equally satisfying to watch this former legislator - who sometimes found himself in an adversarial role with the agency - embrace the job and rally around his staff. From a newspaperman's perspective, the Outdoor News staff also always appreciated the easy accessibility of both Holsten and his predecessor, Gene Merriam. (Trust me, not all commissioners have been as accessible.) Finally, though Gov. Dayton eventually chose someone else for the commissioner post, it was pretty amazing the number of people who recommended Holsten to remain as leader for the agency, even under a Democratic governor. I've never seen a transition before where that has occurred, and it speaks volumes about the quality of Holsten's leadership.
Among attendees it was great to see past commissioner Merriam on hand and chortling up a storm with his former deputy. During his comments, Holsten thanked Merriam for mentoring him throughout his career. As an observer, it was great to see these two guys together and enjoying some relaxed camaraderie. This scribe didn't agree with many of Gov. Pawlenty's natural resources decisions his last two years in office, but he appointed two fine DNR commissioners. cheap north face
What now after eight whirlwind years of hard work? Holsten told attendees that he's enjoying some time at home with family while he determines the next step of his career. After his wife, Mary, gave a heartfelt thanks to the crowd, Holsten spoke briefly and admitted he's led an unlikely path. He described himself as an out-of-work school teacher and coach who ran for office, followed his interest and love for natural resources, and turned it into a gratifying career. He left the group with some inspiring words: "Never be afraid to make an aggressive mistake. You never want to look back and regret an aggressive mistake you didn't make."
Those words of wisdom came from a still relatively young man. moncler down coats
Pheasants Forever's Joe Duggan emceed the evening, and a number of conservation groups helped host the fairly impromptu event. All deserve thanks and credit for putting it together.
From the staff at Outdoor News, good luck in future endeavors, Mark!
Relevant article:
www.coolwinter.info
www.monclershopping.info
没有评论:
发表评论