Retirement

I will be retiring at the end of year. Or perhaps I should say I’m retiring again at the end of the year. I joked with our staff that if I was not careful, this blog could sound like a moment from an Oscars’ ceremony when the recipient goes on and on thanking people as the orchestra continues to play louder and louder to get the person to leave the stage, and everyone is uncomfortable. With that in mind, I have condensed the list and have three very important thank-you’s and a favorite memory of my time here. 

The membership. You have been wonderful to work with. One of my favorite parts of the position was our outreach, usually in the form of workshops. And the best part of the workshop were the questions. Many of them were not asked in front of the class but after class around the podium or in the hallway, or on the breaks or at lunch. Our conversations were always enlightening, and I came away with more information and understanding than I ever provided you. Thank you.

The League and Insurance Trust staff. From day one they welcomed me, and I quickly found that brainstorming the answer to an inquiry would produce our best response. As I talked with League organizations from other states, I realized how smart it was for us to have League staff and Insurance Trust staff together in the same building. It fosters communication and collaboration. Many of the questions or inquiries I received were related to personnel issues, and I think there was a path in the carpet between my cubicle and the offices of our HR staff as I sought their input. When asked what it’s been like to work at the League, my response is: “I always held the organization in high esteem before I worked there. Now I hold it even higher.” Thank you.

Maggie. Maggie Biever (who works in Communications at the League) has a tendency to stay out of the spotlight, but I want to publicly thank her for her work on this blog. It is Maggie who has made the blog what it is, as she takes my copy and photos and gives it the “Maggie touch.” She has been a joy to work with and exudes a positive energy even in her emails. And by the way, I think together we are ending up with around 210 blog posts. Thank you, Maggie.

Favorite League Story. The night before my first day of work, I was invited to come to the office to attend a presentation by college graduate students on distracted driving. That evening I parked my car in the lot and began to walk toward the building. I saw the League’s executive director, Jim Miller, coming quickly toward me. I had never met Jim, but I had seen his picture in League publications. He extended his hand and gave me a warm handshake, called me by name, and told me how excited everyone was that I was going to be working with them as we walked into the building together. After the presentation I drove home and told my family, “I think I’m going to like it there” — and I had not even worked my first day. 

Rob Boe

It has been a wonderful 9 1/2 years at the League and almost 50 in the Minnesota public safety community. A veteran public safety official who had worked statewide told me early on: “When you have seen one department, you have seen one department.” He was right — they are all different. I learned the phrase is a compliment, as Minnesota’s departments adapt their operations to their community needs, call loads, and resources. It has been fascinating to end my career having the opportunity to work in different areas of the state.

[Here is where the orchestra begins to play the music louder]

As I leave the League, I will be changing gears and looking forward to more time with our family, which now includes two grandchildren. In the immediate future we have an extended weekend of cross-country skiing booked on the Gunflint Trail and plans for lots of winter cabin time with books and campfires. Once we get through the pandemic, we look forward to traveling. Thanks again to all — it’s been a great ride.

Up next: They tell me the blog will continue: stay tuned!

Stay safe,
Rob