PEOPLE PROFILES
THOMAS VOEGELE BUSINESS MANAGER
Thomas Voegele knows the value of good communications, as well he should ���������������������������������� manager. He says,“ It’ s my responsibility to make sure businesses are getting the most out of their IT systems( information technology).” He’ s also a VHEDC Board member, who has had a hand in the first-- and, very successful – Northeast Metro Expo event.
The 2016 Northeast Metro Expo at the Vadnais Heights Sports Center connected commerce, schools, nonprofits and community, and was a family-friendly event with entertainment that drew over 1,300 people. The 2017 Northeast Metro Expo will be held at the Sports Center Sunday, April 30.
“ Syncing” commerce with community can be hard work. Voegele says his father
– a retired business owner – has been his greatest inspiration.“ He showed me the value of hard work. His business imported silk plants and sold them wholesale in the U. S. and Canada. He‘ built’ artificial trees for airports, hospitals and malls. I worked for him when it was a company of three employees, and I’ ve watched it grow to 45 employees.
“ The most rewarding aspect of my job is helping new business owners reach their goals. The biggest challenges nowadays are moving information to‘ The Cloud,’ updating technology and making sure businesses have the infrastructure – such as bandwidth – to make it all work. A business’ s success depends very much on the strength of its IT systems. Technology is constantly changing and businesses need to change as well, to be more competitive and to create more efficient ways for their employees to perform, thus ensuring success for the business, their employees and their customers.”
Voegele is enthusiastic about the Vadnais Heights’ area.“ I love the lakes! I love the outdoors! My wife, our two sons and
I like to fish and canoe and hike in the woods. The great thing about Vadnais Heights is it continues to grow and change. It’ s a vibrant place to live and entertain.”
AMY JOHNSON FOOD SHELF BOARD CHAIR
Amy Johnson, board chair for the White Bear Area Emergency Food Shelf( WBAEFS), is inspired by positive people:“ One of my college roommates used to wake up in the morning and yell out,‘ It’ s great to be alive!’ She was a promoter of Positive Mental Attitude. I’ ve come to believe that a positive attitude is integral to making a positive difference in the world.”
The WBAEFS is celebrating its 40th anniversary in March, and Johnson wants the community to know“ we’ re here for you when you need it. It’ s our job to make sure no one in this community goes hungry. There are many situations that put people at risk of having enough food: people who just can’ t pay a heating bill and buy food in the same month; Social Security checks that don’ t cover it all; the loss of a job or a tragedy means a family can’ t afford groceries – many of whom have never been in that situation before.
“ In the five years I’ ve been involved, the number of people and families in this community needing food has increased. We’ ve expanded and redesigned our facility; we began to offer meat, produce and healthier options, as well as more cultural choices. We switched to a shopping model so our neighbors can choose the food they want rather than get a pre-packed bag; we partner with local schools to provide food for students over the weekend; we have begun a mobile food shelf to bring our resources directly to seniors and to other areas of the community, where things like transportation prevent people from getting food.”
About why she loves the Vadnais Heights / White Bear Lake area, Johnson says,“ We have it all here! We have all the resources of a suburban area – topnotch schools, restaurants and retail, parks and trails, access to quality health care, numerous cultural organizations and amenities, as well as proximity to all the Twin Cities have to offer. Yet, we have a close-knit, small-town feel. People care about each other and come out to support their communities. It says a lot that many people who grew up in this area never leave, or come back to raise their families.”
20 Vadnais Heights Business Guide & Community Profile