PEOPLE PROFILES
BOB FLETCHER NEW VADNAIS HEIGHTS MAYOR
Bob Fletcher, a former Ramsey County Sheriff and current counter-terrorism instructor, won the 2016 Mayor’ s election with 70 percent of the vote and has some definite dreams for the City’ s future. For one, he hopes to continue and expand economic growth and attract new businesses.“ Our location is ideal for economic growth, and our future depends on how well we can promote our business growth,” he says.
Fletcher wants to develop the land north of Perkins Restaurant on County Road E. He says,“ Residential taxes can be kept low with sound economic development.” He notes the recent street light project on County Road E was undertaken with the intent to increase the area’ s attractiveness for businesses and visitors and says,“ We want Vadnais Heights to be a destination, not just a stop on the freeway.”
Along those same lines, Fletcher has a vision for a City ice castle – 40 to 50 feet high on lots north of the Allina Health Clinic – during the 2018 Super Bowl. He says,“ This is a rare marketing opportunity to leverage national media attention, because they’ re going to be looking for other stories every day. With one of the best locations in the Metro area, we have an opportunity to bring thousands of people to Vadnais Heights. And, the“ Castle of the North Wind” will put smiles on a lot of kids’ faces. That’ s a magical experience.”
One kid’ s happiness, in particular, is a ����������������������������������������� old son Bobby. Fletcher and his wife, Kris, moved to Vadnais Heights 12 years ago. They are“ outdoors’ people.”“ We’ re very involved with Bobby’ s football and hockey teams, and we spend a lot of time on White Bear Lake.” The family loves to travel too:“ Florida’ s our favorite destination in the winter. And, my wife has a list of places she wants to visit. Last year, we crossed an Alaskan glacier off her list( Mendenhall Glacier; see photo). A couple years ago, it was the Grand Canyon. This year, it might be Hawaii. We want to see Pearl Harbor; we like mixing in history with the adventure.”
JOHN AND JOE ERICKSON BUSINESS OWNERS
It’ s obvious that the brothers love each ������������������������������������ teasing each other. John, the older one, kids Joe frequently about being bald.“ I( emphasis on‘ I’) have a full head of luxurious hair,” he gloats. And, Joe – a world-class barefoot water-skier – delights in telling the story about how“ Johnny tried it once and fell hard, then complained for four days. It was a weak attempt.”
They also enjoy running their family’ s business together. IC System, Inc., one of the country’ s largest debt collection companies, was the first corporation to set up shop in Vadnais Heights in 1982. John is president and CEO, and Joe is healthcare operations manager and manages the day-to-day operation of collections. Both say their grandmother, Ruth Johnson, is their inspiration and, when faced with a challenge, ask themselves,“ What would Grandma do?”
John explains,“ Grandma founded IC System back in a time( 1938) when women weren’ t recognized for their business contributions. She started in sales, door-to-door, and was a woman in a man’ s business world. She was a pure leader, who commanded the adoration of all who worked with and for her. It would be great if I could ask her questions today.”
Joe stresses the value of teamwork:“ We use a management system called Traction, which ensures there’ s accountability in the business and makes sure everyone is on the same page. We conduct monthly all-employee town hall meetings, and the leadership team spends time off-site together once a quarter. We all work toward the common goals that matter most to the business.”
The Erickson brothers appreciate the Vadnais Heights’ area for several reasons:“ The small-town feel, and it’ s like home. We grew up in White Bear Lake. The City’ s been a great community partner. Business is good, and we like what we’ re seeing from the VHEDC. Vadnais Heights is becoming a more attractive place to recruit to. We definitely have a strong attachment to this area.” vhedc. com 21