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Praise for recently retired Joan Gardner-Goodno’s work as executive director of the Lloyd K. Johnson Foundation was enthusiastic and heartfelt as seven people came forward to thank her for her dedication and kindness shown to Cook County residents, in particular to the county’s children, on Thursday, June 1 at a celebration dedicated to Joan held at the North House Folk School campus Blue Building.
Valerie Marasco Eliasen thanked Joan for working with her on submitting grants for the North Shore Health Care Foundation. Of Joan’s many attributes and abilities, Valerie noted, “She is kind, gracious, and has great listening skills. She will be missed at the LKJ Foundation. She leaves a beautiful legacy.”
I.S.D. 166 Superintendent Chris Lindholm talked about the two-year scholarships offered to graduates of Cook County High School through the Lloyd K. Johnson Foundation, telling Joan he didn’t think there was another program like it anywhere else. Lindholm added, “This is bold, magical work that this foundation and Joan does.”
Cook County Higher Education Director Karen Blackburn pointed to the many programs that higher education has been able to offer to locals because of grants and tuitions to students given by the Lloyd K. Johnson Foundation. When working with Joan, she found her to be “Kind, considerate and generous.”
Blackburn added a quote from Paul Wellstone that very well sums up Joan’s legacy, “We all do better when we all do better.”
Great Expectations charter school is undergoing an expansion, and plans have changed along the way, Howard Hedstrom said. And, he added as the plans changed the school submitted and resubmitted proposals for funds to the LKJ Foundation, but Joan stuck with them. “I’m not sure I would have done that,” Howard said as he drew a laugh from the room.
Hedstrom said he had talked to former longtime Great Expectations Administrator Peter James who expressed how nice it was to work with Joan, “even when she said no to a grant proposal.”
Paul Nelson represented the Oral Health Task Force which in 2020 became a program of the Sawtooth Mountain Clinic working in conjunction with Grand Marais Family Dentistry.
Nelson said the financial support received from the LKJ Foundation helps ensure that all of the kids in Cook County and Grand Portage can receive screenings, fluoride applications and sponsors two free days at the dentist (spring and fall) for those ages 0-26 without dental insurance. The OHTF also has a sliding fee payment for folks without dental insurance.
Paul added that because of this program “Children in Cook County have the lowest cavity rate in the state.” When it came time to hopefully expand the program to include senior citizens and people up to the age of 26, Joan gave the program the green light and the LKJ board of directors voted to add grant funding.
North House Director Greg Wright shared three short stories with the audience. The third culminated in support for him personally by Joan when he was struggling and in need of a friend. The LKF Foundation, board and Joan, “builds and shapes communities by caring about individuals,” said Wright.
Thea Hedstrom (with a little help) presented Joan with a Dave Gilsvik painting of the harbor from North House.
Last, Anne Brataas told everyone that she had reached out to Joan about securing funding for the Minnesota Children’s Press late 2019. The goal was to have children edit and write books and learn the publishing process but then, just a short time later, the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
The schools closed. The library closed. The YMCA closed. All of the places the kids could meet were closed so the program would have to be scuttled, thought Anne. But in a phone call Joan told Anne to go ahead and start the program. Today the kids have produced five books and Anne presented Joan copies of each one along with two boxes of full of letters and notes from children.
Next, longtime North House Program Director Jessa Frost presented Joan with a gift from North House, a solo ride on the Hjørdis sailing vessel operated by the school.
Joan stood and thanked her friends and former colleagues who came to wish her well on her retirement. She said she grew up coming to Cook County, was married at the Maple Hill Church and had her wedding party at a local lodge. “Cook County,” said Joan, “Has always been a place I have loved.”
The sentiment coming from the folks on hand was that Joan was much-loved as well, and will certainly be welcome home anytime she comes back for a visit.
What is the Lloyd K. Johnson Foundation?
Lloyd K. Johnson was born and raised in Grand Marais, graduating high school in 1925. Lloyd earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Minnesota. He worked in real estate and then joined a law firm in Duluth as a partner. One of his business ventures was helping to start the Superwood Corporation, as noted by Howard Hedstrom.
Lloyd and his wife Marion never had any children, but they loved kids. They began a grant making foundation in 1975 and following Marion’s death in 1992 the foundation was named the Lloyd K. Johnson Foundation. In 2006, following the death of Mr. Johnson, the board of directions hired its first Executive Director. With 27 million in assets today the Foundation provides over $1 million in grants and scholarships each year to organizations and folks in Cook, Lake and Southern St. Louis Counties.
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