Litter Bit Better 2024 success
I’ve participated in Litter Bit Better every one of its 18 years, before kids I was a group organizer and now I’m thankful that others do the heavy lifting to make these events happen. The 2024 key results for the Rochester MN community include: Thanks to everyone who helps keep…
Book review – “F.I.R.E. for dummies”
I know Jackie Cummings Koski, CFP, AFC, MSPFP and financial educator, from a number of professional groups and for several years now. She’s one of those people I keep an eye on as being a few years ahead of me professionally, with (like me) a strong interest in sharing her…
“Taking Stock” – Book Review and Discussion with the Author
This book got on my radar when it was added to my book club’s meeting list for April 2024. Given the financial planner theme in a professional development book club, I assumed it would be about stocks (ownership of companies), and investing. Until I saw that the author is a…
Selected for an editorial review board
Apparently all of my 2024 professional recognition is rolling in at once [1, 2, 3]! Today I was just accepted to the standing editorial review board for the journal “Therapeutic Advances in Gastroenterology“. So you’ll eventually be seeing my name show up on https://journals.sagepub.com/editorial-board/TAG . This joins my standing position…
Reviewing Scholarship Applications – a community building experience
It was that time again. Time to review scholarship applications for future Certified Financial Planners, courtesy of the Measure Twice Planners CFP scholarship to Bryant University. It was my pleasure to be on the Scholarship Board again this round. There are so many ways to build your community. Measure Twice…
Building resources for a professional community
I like to give back to my professional community. One of the ways I’m doing that in 2024 is to lead a discussion at the eCOTS (electronic Conference on Teaching Statistics) conference on “Connecting industry statisticians and educators needing field-specific teaching examples” (unfortunately they beat up my name). What does…
Earning the Reviewer Award for the AMIA Informatics Summit
I was recently honored with a 2024 Reviewer Award for the AMIA Informatics Summit. Great! Um, wait, what does that mean, and why did they pick me? Here’s how this award is described on their website: AMIA appreciates the Scientific Program Committee members and Reviewers who went above and beyond…
Class V moves on Class III whitewater
As a whitewater slalom racer and whitewater kayaking enthusiast, for decades I’ve taken the stance that there’s a lot of fun to be had on your local class II/III river. Despite the adrenaline junkies’ attitude that bigger is better, you can build great skills on smaller rivers, without having to…
Listening, librarians, and … empathy?
What do listening, being a librarian, and empathy have to do with each other? They’re all related to communication. Listening This week I had a first mentoring meeting with a new staff member, and one of the activities was an overview of communication. Since doctors and statisticians naturally speak different…
Tax bracket changes for 2024
The income tax brackets adjustments for inflation have been announced for 2024. Minnesota Minnesota’s income tax brackets are adjusted for inflation every year, based on the chained consumer price index, a specific inflation metric that is designed to measure inflation on consumers every day spending power. For 2024, Minnesota brackets…