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Guest column by Benya Kraus

My Grandma Vivian Zimmerman was one of Tim Penny’s earliest and most emphatic supporters during his initial run for Congress — so much so that she convinced my Grandpa Jim, an active member of Waseca County’s Republican Party, to vote for Tim despite the “D” behind his name.

This traversing across political identities seems almost miraculous in today’s eyes. But I am told that it was Tim’s willingness to listen, his commitment to knock on the doors of every house in the district, to see national problems with the specificity of a local context, that won my grandpa over. Tim brought these virtues to his role as president of Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation for nearly two decades. As I now step into the role of the next SMIF president, I can’t help but feel my grandma’s pride and hopefulness that I, too, may carry forward Tim’s legacy of service and courageous listening.

It is a courageous thing to listen.

In light of the recent acts of violence that have shaken our state, I’ve found myself reflecting on what it means to truly listen — especially in difficult, divided and uncertain times. These moments test our belief in the goodness of our neighbors and the strength of the communities we call home. And yet, I come to my first week in my new role with a deep sense of gratitude and knowing that this spirit of connection and care still defines who the vast majority of Minnesotans are — thanks in large part to the civic institutions, like SMIF, that model the virtues of empathy, trust and shared responsibility. Our work to foster belonging across our programs and region feels all the more urgent. I’m grateful to step into this role with all of you, to live out our values more boldly, and to keep listening — one of the most powerful tools we have to build community — as we move forward together.

Listening requires us to temporarily suspend our own judgments and ways of thinking of the world in order to make space for another’s story to take shape in our mind — and potentially, to take hold of our heart. We may find that when we listen, we see problems and uncover new solutions we didn’t see earlier. Or maybe we listen, and the stories we hear don’t change our minds at all and instead, give us a perspective on why others may see things differently. However, sometimes when we really listen, we are called to hold two opposite things true at the same time. Living in paradox runs almost counter to the very human, biological desire to sort and categorize the world around us.

Yet, I am no stranger to paradox.

For one, I am both native and newcomer. I was born in Bangkok, Thailand, where I spent most of my childhood and high school years, but I also enjoyed summers on the family farm in Waseca County, where my dad’s side of the family has farmed for six generations. As the daughter of a first-generation Thai immigrant and a blonde-hair, blue-eyed Minnesota farm boy, I’ve had the gift of seeing southern Minnesota through the eyes of both parents. Since moving back six years ago, I feel connected to a family history tied to this prairie land, yet still miss the taste of lemongrass and scent of jasmine flowers from my childhood home.

I am a social entrepreneur who co-founded a national nonprofit that encourages young people to return to their rural hometowns, embracing fresh perspectives and new ways of building community. And yet, I’m also a Rotarian and a Catholic who loves tradition and the wisdom found in faith institutions and having friendships with people older than me. I’m a humanities student who also earned her master’s in business administration, energized by private sector solutions while also attentive to community needs that arise from market failures. I worked to redirect national philanthropy toward rural America, and also believe that the most innovative investment strategies are forged at the local level.

Living in paradox takes courage because very often, you don’t feel “enough” of either identity. And when one part of myself gets territorial of the other, it takes courage to remind myself that all the parts of me need each other.

I believe this is true for us as a region, too. We need all of each other.

At SMIF, we are a funder, convener and capacity builder for southern Minnesota. Our issue areas focus on entrepreneurship, early childhood education and community vitality — and while almost all of us can agree that these are important factors for a thriving community, we likely have different, perhaps paradoxical, ideas on how to get there. Rather than see paradox as a peril, I see it as a promise. It is a promise to listen deeply and courageously, to build a region that is resilient because of its dynamism and diversity, to strive for a culture that balances the needs between old and young, newcomer and native, private and public, small and large.

In my first 100 days in this role, I’ll be hitting the road to every corner of our region, eager to listen with the same courage and persistence as my predecessor, Tim Penny. I look forward to hearing your stories and weaving together the paradoxes of our region as we craft a shared path, and shared identity of who we are, together.

Benya Kraus is the president and CEO of Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation. She is the co-founder of Lead for America and served as the Network Advancement Director at Resource Rural.