Employee Spotlight – Vinnie Hennen

Why work in city government, specifically in Alexandria?

Working for a government to me means you are working for people, you are doing a service, government is a service job, the city is not in it for a profit, and I like helping people.

Alexandria has that “come move here” feeling. It is a progressive community, great school system and of course, the lakes, I wake up every morning thanking God I live here and work here  

Share a memory of a time you felt proud to be in local government.

I am always proud of when people come to the RCC for the first time and walk in and thy just stand and stare at the roof in the RCC and then they point at the ceiling and say, “wow this is cool” or “they don’t build them like this anymore”.  People also say how well it is maintained – I love that for my team, but that goes for the whole city.  We see many people here and I am told how nice Alexandria is, how clean it is and how well people take care of their businesses.

What are your goals for this year?

Do a better job this year than I did last year

What are your hobbies?

My hobbies are working in my yard, in my shop building stuff, helping my neighbors; one real hobby is ice fishing all winter.  I go every day, if I can.

Tell us about your family and yourself.

Joan and I have been married 43 years.  We started dating when I was a sophomore in high school we were married in 1975. Joan works at Eldens in the POS department. We have three kids, Mat lives in Alex and works with me at the RCC, he is the Community Center Operation Lead.  He is married to Brianna (Christensen) and they have two children Wyat, 8 and Ruby she is 3.  Kayla lives in Lowry she owns a daycare in Starbuck and is married to Lee Vichich they have one son he is 3 and his name is Jackson.  Our youngest is Scott he lives in Alexandria, works at WSN, and is a civil engineer

What are you goals this year and for your department?

Goals for this year are to continue to get a third rink, we are so desperate for more space and ice time, even with FCA rink we could sell more ice and accommodate an ever changing schedule

Other goals to work on improving our locker rooms, changing our team benches in the RCC for quicker changeovers from dry floor to ice   

Where is your favorite place to go to enjoy Alexandria?  (Restaurants, parks, activities/exercising, etc.)

My back yard, eating – we like D Michael Bs and Angelinas on Wednesday nights for wings, and of course the man store Fleet Farm.

Photo by licia marie photography (www.liciamariephotography.com)