Young Professionals Spotlight: Brad Veit

Our first Young Professionals event took place last Friday..and it was a HIT! YPs came out of the woodwork for a chance to meet others similar in age. Who knew so many of us lived in the region? Not I. It was a pleasant surprise, to say the least. :)

Anywho, one of the YPs that made an appearance was Brad Veit of Iowa Lakes Regional Water (ILRW). He attended with fiance in hand (you might remember her from a few posts back..) and socializing on his mind. Brad is different than others I have spoken with; he’s originally from Spencer, went to college out of the state and then came back to his hometown.

At only 24 years old, Brad is the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for ILRW – what an accomplishment!

“I was originally hired to work with payroll, accounts payable and some HR. Shortly after I started, the current CFO was terminated and I was promoted. There is absolutely a lot of stress that comes with the job; don’t let anyone tell you different.”

Brad started looking in the Corridor region when he found out Amanda, his girlfriend at the time, had been hired at the Clay County Regional Events Center. I’m sure his mother wasn’t upset that he would soon be close to home again..

“After I found out Amanda got her job here, my job search shifted more towards Spencer rather than all of Iowa. I found an ad in the Shopper, applied and landed the job right out of college. Pretty lucky to find something so quick.”

Brad and Amanda both attended Southwest Minnesota State, but not before Brad received his Associates Degree from Alexander Tech College and transferred in. Once in Marshall, MN, he went on to earn his Bachelor’s in accounting.

I think it’s pretty obvious that Amanda working in the area captured Brad’s attention, but what else drew him back to Spencer?

“I’m very familiar with the area and have a lot of friends that still live here. I definitely wasn’t bummed to be moving back; I can’t handle all the big city hustle and bustle.”

Someone who doesn’t like the hustle and bustle of a big city? I just don’t believe it. ;) I’m kidding.. I think everyone I’ve talked with has mentioned something to that extent. There’s just something about the Corridor region that people are attracted to.

“I like knowing everyone. It would have been really hard if I lived elsewhere, particularly in a larger town. This job has been great in helping me network with other people around the area.”

What is Brad’s favorite thing about Spencer?

Traffic.

“Dealing with traffic in a big city is a turn off. When we go to visit Amanda’s family in the Twin Cities, I cannot handle it. Not many things beat driving only 5 minutes to work..”

Who knew traffic was such a hit? Coming from a larger city, traffic is just something you’re accustomed to; it was interesting to hear that.

“It’s not just the traffic that draws me to Spencer. We’re big enough that I can get what I need at Walmart or the mall, but definitely small enough to have that hometown feel.  It’s the best of both worlds.”

Traffic and friendly people are perks of living here. Anything else, Brad?

“I like to hunt, fish and ride motorcycles. This area is pretty good for that type of thing. I tinker around the house a bit, too, when I have the time.”

The greatest part about my conversation with Brad was learning about his desire to stay in the area for a long time.

“As long as we don’t lose our jobs, we’re here for the long haul,” smiled Brad. “I’d be hard pressed to find an opportunity that will take me out of Spencer. We have no plans of leaving anytime soon.”

Chalk another one up to the Corridor region – we rock!

If anyone is interested, we’ll be having the next YP event on Wednesday, April 16th at 5:30-6(ish) at Spencer Bowl. It costs $6 to get in; that gets you $0.25 games, $2.50 beers and free bowling for the whole night. Not too shabby! Send me an email if you have more questions. :)

Check out the rest of our blog here!

- Alexa Guessford (aguessford@lakescorridor.com)