By all accounts, Keith Warner was a remarkable man — an inspiration to all who knew him. VHEDC hosts an annual golf event and has named a business award dedicated to Warner which exemplify his passion for helping people and his commitment to getting things done. He was bestowed numerous awards for his outstanding commitment to community service and was honored before his death with the mayor of White Bear Lake declaring November 25, 2013 as “Keith Warner Day.”

His most notable impact to the local community was as co-founder, with his wife Patty, of the Relay for Life event in White Bear Lake, in remembrance of their daughter, Lori, who passed away from colon cancer. Warner’s family genetics carry a variation called Lynch Syndrome which predisposes them to various cancers early in life. Keith himself beat three different cancers in his lifetime, with the fourth — cancer of the brain — taking his life December 10, 2013.

Over the past 20 years, the annual WBL Relay event, held the last Friday in July, has raised over $4 million for the American Cancer Society. Keith was eternally grateful to the scores of dedicated volunteers and relay teams who donated their time and hearts to the cause. In fact, much of the fond remembrances of Warner in his later years come from the selfless comfort, guidance and friendship he gave to those battling cancer. He encouraged all who would listen “not to be afraid to reach out to a friend with cancer because, at that moment, they needed your support more than ever.” He served a number of state and national roles with the ACS and was a devout member of St. Mary’s of the Lake Catholic Church in WBL.

Keith Warner also served as the VHEDC’s executive director 2008 – 2013 after retiring from the baking and milling industries. Patty Warner notes, “During the years Keith served as executive director of the VHEDC, he focused on personal visits to businesses and developed open communications with management to familiarize himself with their firms. He encouraged an active Board to reach out to the business community, provide support and create a positive environment.”

He’s also credited with transforming VHEDC’s organizational focus from “Open for Business” to “Taking Care of Business” according to former Vadnais Heights City Administrator, Gerry Urban. “Keith was a master organizer and brought people together, dialing down objectives and transforming people’s ideas to get things done. He was a bulldog — persistent until you said ‘yes’ — and then hand-picked people to make it happen.” It was a simple but effective leadership style, according to Urban. “He was very social, and inclusive in getting people involved, and always thankful, in so many ways.” Not without coincidence, “maKEITHappen” became his signature phrase and also happens to include the spelling of his name.

Each summer, the VHEDC hosts the Keith Warner Memorial Golf Tournament which raises money for their Business Education Partnership Fund. The proceeds are used to sponsor internships and address local workforce development issues. In addition, the Keith Warner Standard of Excellence Award is given at the Annual Dinner & Awards event to a member business that has shown a singular degree of excellence in the areas of business success, philanthropy and community service.

Keith Warner’s incredible legacy continues through these events, and in the hearts of friends who knew him, honoring the exemplary community leader he was.