Ready: Leaders to Know, with Bill Graves

On this episode of "Ready: Leaders to Know," Bill talks with Shannon Watson. As the oldest daughter of the chief of police in Wichita, KS, and the founder of Wichita Women’s magazine who were in a bi-partisan marriage, Shannon says she learned bi-partisanship at the dinner table. In recent years that experience inspired her to found Majority in the Middle, an organization that brings people of dif...

In this episode, Bill speaks with Sumair Sheikh, Executive Director of LISC Duluth. As the son of Indian and Pakistani immigrants, Sumair’s family found community in the upper Midwest. Sumair studied biology but ultimately decided to become a teacher and taught in classrooms in Michigan, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Minnesota. He became involved in education policy, advocating for teachers of colo...

In this conversation, Bill introduces Terri Thao. Having grown up as the eldest daughter of six siblings, Terri learned leadership early. Her mother was educated and ambitious and passed that “bad-ass” energy to her daughter. Terri’s career has touched many lives. She led at Nexus Community Partners, is currently on the MN Housing board, has served on the St. Paul Planning Commission, and leads no...

In this episode, Bill speaks with Maureen Ramirez, Chief of Staff to the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry. As the child of a union machinist and teacher, Maureen learned the value of advocacy and organizing from her parents. Inspired by her grandmother’s life in America as a Mexican immigrant, Maureen has worked to increase educational access through positions on the UofM Board of Regent...

In this episode, I speak with Aaron Klemz. Aaron balances his role as the Chief Strategy Officer at the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy and teaching communications at the university level.  During our conversation, Aaron shares how high school debate and speech gave him the tools to push back against bullying and unexpectedly prepared him to advocate for our environment and people impa...

In this episode of Ready: Leaders to Know, we’ll meet Willie Pearl Evans. In our conversation, Willie Pearl shares her journey from her childhood in the Robert Taylor housing projects in Chicago, through addiction and recovery, to passing key legislation on the opioid epidemic in Minnesota. She shares how her mother’s commitment to civic engagement through voter registration, voter education, and...

In this episode, Bill talks with Eric Meyer, Falcon Heights City Council Member and Founder and Director of Generation Atomic, a nuclear power advocacy and awareness organization. In this conversation, Eric shares how activism turned into leadership as he realized the potential for nuclear energy to impact climate change and how he went from singing opera about advanced nuclear energy to founding...

In Episode 7 of ‘Ready: Leaders to Know’ Bill talks with Ray Camper. Ray is an advocate for social services, a veteran, a poet, and Educational Leadership PhD candidate. Ray grew up in a large family whose nomadic lifestyle led to a homeschool education. As the eldest of 10 siblings, he carried responsibility from a young age. Ray was deployed to active military duty, serving in Iraq for 16 months...

Lisa Norton stepped into local leadership first on the Lent Township Board and then to serve as Mayor of Eagle Lake, Minnesota. In this conversation with Bill Graves, Lisa shares her journey from growing up on a farm in greater Minnesota to activism and politics. She has relied on mentorship and learned by doing while supporting Mark Koran’s state senate campaign. From Mark, she learned values lik...

Since 2017, Jim Paine has served as mayor of Superior Wisconsin. Before becoming mayor, he was the vice chair of the Douglas County Board. Jim talks about the importance and meaning that comes from his deep connection to Superior. He sees leadership as showing up, whether it be washing the dishes at the church fundraiser or leading Superior’s dragon boat festival.

In Episode 4, Bill talks with Bob Blake, founder of Solar Bear, a solar energy company that advocates for tribal renewable energy. Bob grew up in St. Paul and is a member of the Red Lake Nation. Bob’s family has led in Minnesota’s Native American community since his grandmother, Nelly Spears, founded the St. Paul American Indian Club in 1960. From leadership lessons gained as bodyguard to Minnesot...

In this episode, Bill talks with Lisa Thompson. Lisa was appointed by Governor Walz and serves as the Ombudsperson for childcare providers in Minnesota. She shares her path to leadership, from growing up in a family who knew the importance of workers and learning the power of organizing from her grandmother, a restaurant server who independently organized an emergency fund for servers, to becoming...

In Episode 2 of ‘Ready: Leaders to Know’ Bill speaks with Kirsten Kennedy. Kirsten served two terms as Mayor of North Branch, MN, was a Democratic nominee for Congress in 2018, and currently leads the Minnesota Center for Employee Ownership as its executive director.  Kirsten describes how her Father’s experiences as a young child in Nazi occupied Norway as well as his service in the Norwegian mil...

In this episode, Bill talks with Jake Spano. Jake is the outgoing mayor of Saint Louis Park and founder of Spano Group Advisors. Bill and Jake discuss Jake’s wide breadth of experience in Minnesota politics, from keeping up with Senator Klobuchar to learning how to take responsibility from Mayor Chris Coleman, to what’s happening right now as he closes out his final mayoral term.

Ready: Leaders to Know is a leadership podcast hosted by Bill Graves, featuring Minnesota, community leaders who lead with courage, care, and conviction. Each episode goes deep on what shaped these leaders — the moments, mentors, and challenges that forged their values. Whether you work in public service, nonprofits, advocacy, or education, you'll find honest conversations about what it really...