Neighbors Serving Neighbors – Don Broberg, RPR

Don Broberg has been with Bollig Engineering for over 10 years and has over 30 years of construction and building experience. As an RPR (Resident Projects Representative) and Construction Services Manager with Bollig Engineering, Don is responsible for keeping track of daily construction operations for his communities to assure that the project is being constructed per the contract documents and construction plans. He also connects with residents, contractors, and the community at large and is living out Bollig’s “Neighbors serving Neighbors” purpose. Below is Don’s perspective on why he is passionate about small towns and serving his neighbors.

Growing up in Kerkhoven, MN

My life has never been about the big city. I grew up on a farm just outside of Kerkhoven, Minnesota and now live just 5 miles from that spot. Most of the cities I work in now are much like my hometown in that they have less than 1,000 residents, maybe have a gas station, a couple churches, someplace to eat, and a park that is the central area for celebration in the summer. People are proud of their town. They like seeing it grow and work together – and the whistle still blows for supper.

Leadership & Community Involvement

All my life I’ve been involved in church activities in both leadership positions and in areas of community involvement. As a member of First Covenant Church in Willmar, leading music in worship for the last 30 years has been a privilege and a joy. I have also had the honor of leading Troop 3224 in the Boy Scouts of America program for nearly 20 years and am proud of the 10 plus Eagle Scouts from our Troop. Earlier in my life, coaching sports was important as my own children were busy growing up. As a parent, I also participated in fund raising for music events and mission trips for youth in many different churches, food shelf collections, Funds for Hope pregnancy center, The Fortress Men’s Restoration Program, and Operation Christmas Child – a Franklin Graham ministry. I have also returned to giving blood after nearly 20 years.

Importance of Lending a Hand

Growing up on a farm in a small-town community, my parents taught me the importance of supporting each other in good and bad times, in times of moving forward or correcting the past, and knowing when to help those who have nowhere else to turn for help. Our small towns are slowly making a resurgence to a point where they are trying to sustain themselves and be able to rely on each other rather than seeking help from places that won’t see them as an important dot on the map. As an employee of Bollig Engineering, I invest a lot of time in different towns witnessing firsthand the movement and care many residents have for their community. If I am able, I take time to lend a hand to make the load a bit lighter – even if it’s for just that moment.

Making Small Towns Great

I have been pleased to be able to work in many great small communities and to be able to tell my kids “That thing right over there is here because of what we were able to do together.” The WE is not just Bollig. It is the people of the town, the city council, the city employees, and those who live around us in support of their community. The age of materials that compose a town’s infrastructure is much like the age of the working parts of a human body. They wear out and just don’t work sometimes. They need fixing and rest. I love answering the questions from children and oldsters who wonder why we are doing the work we are doing, or when they ask, “Wasn’t it working just fine before?” The answer sometimes gets technical but most of the time it’s best to keep it simple, but I always want them to know how much I love my small town and I want theirs to be just as great as mine.

The WE is not just Bollig. It is the people of the town, the city council, the city employees, and those who live around us in support of their community.