Q: When did you join the Minneapolis Club, and why was it important to you?
A: My husband Marc Gorelick and I were new to Minnesota and Minneapolis in 2017. Joining the Minneapolis Club seemed like a good way to meet people and to have a downtown anchor for our activities, both business and personal.
Q: What do you enjoy most about the Club?
A: We love meeting people, using the Club’s facilities and coming to events (especially when dancing is involved!). I especially enjoy the health and athletic facilities and use the pool on Sunday afternoons during the winter. For a real treat, I hope to work with Becky Goldberg for personal training. I attended her foot class recently – WOW!
Q: Describe your work with Broadview Collaborative. What makes it stand out and what does the future look like?
A: My tagline on Twitter kind of says it all: “Water is life. My life.” I’ve been working on environmental sustainability all my adult life, with a special focus on water for about half of that time. Through Broadview Collaborative, my consulting platform for the last five years, I’m able to provide insights on high-level trends in the water sector, as well as strategic guidance to philanthropists, investors, and non-profit organizations. I’ve been told that my perspective is unique, perhaps in part due to my openness to new ideas and my ability to connect people, problems, and opportunities.
Water is my passion in part because it belongs to all of us, and the Clean Water Act gives each and every person in the United States the standing to protect and defend their water. We’ve made a lot of progress on cleaning up our nation’s waters in the nearly fifty years since that law went into place, but we now face complex challenges that need new approaches. Climate change, agricultural practices, and urban intensification all create knotty issues that aren’t going to solve themselves. In Minnesota we see this through algae growth and fish die-offs in our precious lakes, as well as sediment and nutrient pollution in the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers that are a large contributor to the Gulf of Mexico’s dead zone. We are all connected through our shared waters.
Q: How is the Club helping you advance professional and personal goals?
A: My work is national, and my “office” is basically my computer and telephone. It’s nice to be able to work from anywhere, but ironically it can be isolating especially as a newcomer to a city. That’s one of the reasons I especially appreciate the Club’s drop-in office spaces. If I need to be downtown, I’ll often fill out my day by working from the Club and catching lunch or an after-work drink while I’m there. I appreciate having a place where I belong – literally and figuratively.
Q: Describe an extraordinary experience at the Club.
A: In early October I attended the breakfast session featuring Medaria Arradondo, Minneapolis Chief of Police. As expected, I learned about how the police force works as well as the challenges of financing and managing a major metropolitan police force. I also came away impressed with Chief Arradondo’s leadership and compassion. What turned it into an extraordinary event for me was hearing the questions and statements from Club members, several of whom previously served in police forces or the armed services. I have new appreciation for the diversity of experiences among our members, and the insights they bring to the challenges of public safety.
Q: What are your hobbies and passions?
A: I’m a want-to-be farmer living in a big city, with a little bit of space for gardening. Despite being on the road three weekends out of four, I managed to have my best vegetable garden ever in 2019, and (with help!) began establishing native, pollinator-friendly habitat in the rest of the yard. I also enjoy running, paddling, and bicycling. Marc and I love exploring Minnesota’s state parks, lakes, rivers, and trails. We try to get out for a camping trip once or twice a year, and each time we come home wanting more!
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be?
A: As someone who travels a lot professionally, being at home or at our cottage in Virginia is what I crave. That said, I do hope that I will have an opportunity to visit the countries of Africa at some point. I’d like to see the animals, but I especially want to meet people and to understand their lives and cultures, and to explore some of the continent’s ancient historical sites.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to share?
A: If you want to learn a little more about water, you might enjoy this podcast I was interviewed for earlier this year: ESG Players Podcast with Jonathan Kvasnik, #6 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals-Clean Water and Sanitation-Lynn Broaddus-Broadview Collaborative.
