Time is one of the most difficult things to get a grasp on. Sometimes it seems to move very slowly and other times it goes by in a wink.
The wink is how I would classify BestPrep’s past 40 years. It seems like just yesterday that I made my first visit to 3M’s corporate headquarters in Maplewood with a group of students from Breck School. Growing up in St. Paul with a father who was a small businessman, the corporate world was not familiar to me. At first glance it seemed overwhelming and impersonal. As the facade began to disappear, I came to know the individuals. I realized how absolutely fortunate we all were to be living in a state where building a strong community was as important as profit margins.
Along the way I had the opportunity to meet and learn from many CEOs including Fred Lanners of Ecolab, Bruce Atwater of General Mills, Tad Piper of Piper Jaffray, Bob Senkler of Securian, Irv Weiser of RBC Wealth Management, Doug Leatherdale of Travelers, Jim Campbell of Wells Fargo, Doug Baker of Ecolab, Walter White of Allianz Life, and George Dixon of US Bank. These individuals and others from corporate foundations played a critical major role in shaping our organization.
Celebrating our 40th anniversary will begin with the BestPrep Educational Forum on November 10, followed by Birdies for BestPrep on January 30, our Annual Luncheon on May 17 and the GEN Financial Charity Open on July 18. Each of these events will honor the individuals and companies that have played a critical role in our history. Throughout the year, our social media and newsletters will feature stories from those who have been impacted by BestPrep. Be sure to follow along on Twitter and Facebook.
We wish to thank all of our donors, volunteers, and teachers for a great 40 years of helping Minnesota students prepare for success in work and life.
Signed,
Bob Kaitz
President and CEO