Icon. It’s a moniker that gets thrown around so often that it begins to lose its meaning. According to Webster’s, something referred to as iconic is “widely known and acknowledged especially for distinctive excellence.” It’s a term that definitely applies to our 2019 Minnesota Icon honorees.

Some of this year’s award recipients are perhaps more widely known to a broader audience. Former Minneapolis Mayor Sharon Sayles Belton certainly fits the bill, as do leading figures in the legal field whose firms feature their names, such as Elliot Kaplan or Douglas Kelley.

While others may not yet be quite as recognizable, each of the 20 Minnesota Icon honorees exhibit the “distinctive excellence” that puts them at the top of Minnesota’s business and legal communities. Each has left their mark in fields ranging from architecture (Edward Kodet has served the Twin Cities design community for 50 years) to homebuilding (Betty Hardle actively built affordable housing for 25 years before making the transition to research and consulting).

The awards were presented to the honorees during a Dec. 11 celebration and networking event at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Minneapolis. Each profile features a short introduction of an honoree, followed by a Q&A. The answers have been lightly edited for clarity and length.

Congratulations to our 2019 Minnesota Icon honorees. Your example is a lodestar to guide us all.

– Joel Schettler, Finance & Commerce Editor

Honorees

Warren Beck

Phil Boelter

Alan Carlson

John Diehl

Alan Eidsness

Robert Esse

Kathleen Flynn Peterson

Mary Hansen

Betty Hardle

Robert (Randy) Hopper

Elliot Kaplan

Douglas Kelley

Edward Kodet Jr.

Don Kveton

Eric J. Magnuson

Larry Mahoney

Rebecca Egge Moos

Robert Rosenbaum

Sharon Sayles Belton

James Volling