The End of an Era

I got news late Sunday, news that marks the end of an era. George Latimer, Saint Paul’s longest serving mayor, passed away Sunday morning at the age of 89. The Pioneer Press wrote a nice piece on him.  

Take a moment and read the article – you’ll learn something. I sure did. Latimer’s service as Mayor preceded many of us here in Saint Paul; others have deeply treasured memories that extend to your own parents. What I have learned is that he brought innovative thinking coupled with a spirit that deeply cared about people as individuals. People have been telling me stories, about both his great successes (District Energy and the Ordway are but two) and his challenges. Most importantly, in each case people speak about how Latimer cared about people. What I appreciate the most about what I’ve learned about Latimer is his growth mindset. He focused on building up Saint Paul, on thinking bigger than we were, something we need to embrace today as well. We are at another inflection point, and downtown revitalization must remain front and center.

See you in the trenches,

​B