Kate Wolford, president, McKnight Foundation

Last update: February 9, 2008 - 6:34 PM

KATE WOLFORD, PRESIDENT, MCKNIGHT FOUNDATION

I've worked primarily internationally and in other states. Everywhere you go, you hear about Minnesota, our vibrant nonprofit community, our incredible philanthropic and business community. A lot of things work here that haven't worked elsewhere.

What I'm learning over the course of this year is that the Minnesota Miracle is moving toward Minnesota Mediocrity. We're losing ground on so many things. Look at the disparities [between classes and races] in education. We're disinvesting in areas where other states are stepping up to the plate.

Let's not forget about the common good, and that our destinies are entwined in this state, rural/urban, and across minority and ethnic communities. This state has incredible human capital and natural resources. But we either pay now or we pay later.

In the face of a recession, it's time for a really bold move, which is to say education will be protected and if anything, we will increase investment there. That's our workforce of the future. That's where Minnesota excels. That's what can provide the Minnesota Miracle for our children and grandchildren.

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We [as foundations] may soon be looking at our spending policies, to ask whether we are using the large endowments we manage in the most responsible way. But it will never replace the kind of government cuts we saw in 2003. We can provide research, show what works, highlight what a healthy ecosystem or social structure looks like, but what we spend, combined, is nothing compared with what a school district spends in a day.

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Minnesota is a leader, regionally and nationally, on climate change issues. We can look to that, not only as a benefit to the environment for future generations, but also as a great economic opportunity. This is an effort we can take pride in and continue to try to be at a leadership level.

The kind of folks we need for a green workforce that's technologically driven are also the folks you need in a creative community. We have great resources here to attract that workforce -- natural resources, parks systems that are unparalleled and the arts. There's a lot of vibrancy on which we can build, to grow and retain the workforce we need.

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