Opinion: Bring on the surprises

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12 People You Need to Know in 2018

Who doesn’t like a good surprise?

OK, so some of them we could do without: that higher-than-expected tax bill, pink slip from your longtime employer or favorite stock tanking.

But generally, I like surprises because they keep me on my toes and they keep things interesting. You can probably see my interest in the news business. No day of news – and people to talk and topics to cover – is the same.

Well, this 12 People You Need to Know editorial series has been full of surprises the decade we’ve been doing it, and the 2018 group is no exception.

I found surprises around every turn. Here are a few:

Who would’ve thought we’d be talking about an underground cellar discovered below a building on Commercial Street? Tom Muetzel is – and he’s still deciding what to do with it. So stay tuned.

I was surprised to learn the majority of Opfer Communications’ business comes from Europe. Think Germany and Spain; and those clients travel to Springfield for extended periods each year for video filming and production work. What a neat surprise to have them in our community for business.

I was surprised earlier in the year at The eFactory’s decision to reformat its business accelerator program. This educational and practical 12-week program is a key component to our region’s startup ecosystem. I predict Rachel Anderson and the folks at The eFactory will continue to surprise us. But also, did you know she manages musical talent Shaun Munday? He’s flickered again lately with an appearance on the “Steve Harvey Show.” Expect more of the same from this grooving duo.

I didn’t know Amy Blansit grew up in poverty, and as the sixth child out of eight. That’s one of the puzzle pieces that begins to come together in knowing and understanding Blansit’s work in social entrepreneurship. The Fairbanks, loss of her husband to cancer and The Northwest Project – these are other pieces to her life puzzle. They’re coming together in a manner that says to me Blansit is one of the 2 percent of humans who can multitask effectively.

Elijah Haar, Speaker of the Missouri House? Yep, in 2019. But did you know he’ll be the youngest representative to hold the title and the first from Springfield? For now, it’s a year of grooming, and you can bet he’ll be ready.

Or how about Linda Saturno’s experience with the United Nations and U.S. Peace Corps? She worked on an island for some time. And she’s now working in the Ozarks advocating for children in dire situations. That’s what’s called a gift of human capital. We’re glad she’s here.

The director of several conservation and outdoors organizations has a degree in ... the arts. Read about Rob Keck’s journey to his current leadership post as chairman of Johnny Morris’ prized possession, Wonders of Wildlife. Just goes to show, sometimes the finish looks nothing like the start. But it’s finishing that counts.

That’s just a smattering of the surprises with these 12 People. There will be more as we work through the yearlong series.

Come along.

You won’t be bored, I promise.

Springfield Business Journal Editorial Director Eric Olson can be reached at eolson@sbj.net.