Keith Warner’s
Enduring Legacy
B
y all accounts, Keith Warner was a
remarkable man — an inspiration
to all who knew him. Throughout
these VHEDC pages you will find events
and awards dedicated to Warner which
exemplify his passion for helping people
and his commitment to getting things
done. He was bestowed numerous
awards for his outstanding commitment
to community service and was honored
before his death with the mayor of White
Bear Lake declaring November 25, 2013
as “Keith Warner Day.” Keith Warner also served as the VHEDC’s
executive director 2008 – 2013 after
retiring from the baking and milling
industries. Patty Warner notes, “During
the years Keith served as executive
director of the VHEDC, he focused
on personal visits to businesses and
devel-oped open communications with
management to familiarize himself with
their firms. He encouraged an active
Board to reach out to the business
community, provide support and create a
positive environment.”
His most notable impact to the local
community was as co-founder, with his
wife Patty, of the Relay for Life event
in White Bear Lake, in remembrance
of their daughter, Lori, who passed
away from colon cancer. Warner’s family
genetics carry a variation called Lynch
Syndrome which predisposes them
to various cancers early in life. Keith
himself beat three different cancers in
his lifetime, with the fourth — cancer of
the brain — taking his life December 10,
2013. He’s also credited with transforming
VHEDC’s organizational focus from
“Open for Business” to “Taking Care of
Business” according to former Vadnais
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