mankato

Cover Story

Dr. Gary Jernberg and Mary Jeanne Jernberg

Feelings in Mary Jeanne Jernberg of ardent admiration for her husband bubbled up and out like artesian well water. In our Connect Business Magazine interview, she spoke of her “best friend” and “companion” and how their separate business careers had been set afire by mutual support. In kind, husband Gary framed his wife and himself as “absolutely best friends” who were “so much in love with each other.”

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Cover Story

Mike Donohoe

Mankatoan Mike Donohoe has found his anam cara in the writings of the late Irish priest John O’Donohue, author of the popular book Anam Cara: Spiritual Wisdom from the Celtic World.

Anam cara is Gaelic for “soul friend.” Author O’Donohue believed people become soul friends when their souls are knitted together in a trusting, mutually appreciative, and transparent environment. You can reveal anything to an anam cara and he or she will always accept you for you.

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Feature Story

Brian Fowler

Brian Fowler is a storyteller—and not only with a camera. He shuts off his cell phone, which has a ring tone of James Brown’s line “I feel good,” and begins to answer a question about where he grew up with a description of his great-great-grandfather’s 1868 homestead claim. During the interview, he throws out a jaw-dropping line about getting a call from the White House to shoot photos of then-President George W. Bush. Fowler veers right past that explanation to talk about employees, friends—such as Free Press photographer John Cross—and wife Karen and three daughters, who work with him.

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Feature Story

Paul Wilke

General Growth Properties began building River Hills Mall more than 20 years ago. Today, the retail behemoth annually receives 8.5 million visitors, who often want more and so spill over into Greater Mankato’s many retail nooks and crannies. About 75 percent of Mall visits each year come from people that live more than 30 miles away, and that includes 850,000 visits from consumer-hungry northern Iowans seeking tax-free clothing.

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Cover Story

Mike & Cathy Brennan

Mike and Cathy are partners in every sense. They co-own Brennan Companies, which includes Brennan Construction and Brennan Properties, with the former completing such high-profile projects over the years as AgStar headquarters, The Marigold, USBank (2012), Landkamer Building, and Bolton & Menk headquarters. Besides the Landkamer Building, Brennan Properties owns and manages Old Town Center and two other commercial buildings, and has been developing the former Ember’s site that could become home for the Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota.

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