|
Keith Olson did double duty, giving the invocation and serving as song leader. He also announced the peach truck would be arriving at the back of his store during our meeting, a day early, so he would have to leave early to give the peaches their due. There were very few brags and self-imposed fines, although Tim Hunt paid up for forgetting he was going to do the Rounds, this writer was happy about an appellate decision received that day and Kathy Austvold said she was heading off on a two week vacation, to Pennsylvania, New England and then Canada. Sean Sullivan gave his classification talk, admitting to some anxiety, not necessarily because of speaking to us as he has grown more comfortable speaking to groups, but because he was wearing a white shirt and barbecue meatballs were part of our lunch menu. He handled both the speaking and the meatballs adroitly. Sean started out talking about his family: wife Kayla, three children (a daughter who majored in elementary ed and recently married, another daughter who is attending Bethel and hopes to become a chiropractor, and a son who is a senior at our high school and captain of the soccer team), and two dogs. The past couple years, Sean has started hunting again, which he did as a young man but had gotten away from for an extended period; he enjoys exposing his children to the hunting experience. He does a lot of reading, particularly in the personal development area, and as to working out, Sean said he does so "once and awhile," with one of his daughters dragging him to the gym. Sean was born in 1965 in Moorhead and graduated as a Spud in 1983. He has three siblings, two sisters and a brother. He received his college degree at age 40, joining the Navy out of high school. After two years of extensive training on nuclear power he was out with the fleet for four years and could not wait for his discharge. He then obtained his Class A boiler's license but really did not take to the work and after bouncing around a couple jobs headed to Texas to help Kayla's grandparents manage a mobile home park. After coming back Sean and his brother started a landscaping business. In the mid-90's he began working at US Bank in Fargo (Sean's father was in banking) and after seven-eight years there took a job with a privately held bank holding company in South Dakota, which he held for another eight years. Deciding to try something different, Sean moved into what he called "consulting banking," but it was 2008 and being the last man in he was first man out when the economy crashed. The family then moved back to this area and he tried to sell insurance but described that as a "tough, tough gig." Being out of work for 18 months was very difficult, but the greatest thing that ever happened to him occurred then, when he found his faith. When a job as office manager at U.S. Bank here in Fergus Falls opened up he was hired, moving to Gate City Bank after a number of years and managing its local office for two more years, also getting involved with commercial banking, saying that is what really interests him. Northwestern Bank then came calling; it is a small, family owned fourth generation bank with headquarters in Dilworth. As one of 40 employees, Sean believes he is much more able to serve customers effectively in this smaller bank environment. Sean is in his final year as a member of the Board of the Fergus Falls Area Chamber of Commerce; he is also on the Board of Dollars for Scholars and a Place to Belong. About to become empty nesters, he and his wife look forward to travel and buying a lake place somewhere. Sean, we look forward to you becoming part of our Club! |
