Kim Loquai NielsenMy beginnings were inauspicious. I was born Kim Laurie Loquai in Proctor, Minnesota, wherever that is. I have little memory of the experience. My proud French father always told of transporting me home in a laundry basket. Both my mother and father wre raised on Minnesota farms by immigrant parents. From them, I learned the values of family, frugality, being a good steward of what you've been given, and the importance of servant leadership. Both worked hard throughout their lives. I especially remember the "road trips" I took with my father during his traveling sales job in the Midwest. From him I learned the importance of customer service. I experienced a happy childhood, doing the things most kids did-especially summer vacations at the lakes and on the farms. As I grew into young adulthood, I developed the spiritual commitment I continue today. And I learned how unimportant "fitting in" was. I set my own course while competing as a figure skater, playing trumpet in the jazz band, and enjoying what we now consider simple pleasures.After graduating from nursing school at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, I began my long career in nursing, managed healthcare, as well as transplant and medical research. I served as director of nursing at a well-known senior living community. All the while, never wavering from my passion for patient dignity. Today, I continue to research-focusing on nutrition. I've traveled extensively in the United States, Canada, South America, and Europe-where I visited a toy factory in Germany owned for generations by my dad's family and traveled the route of his family's migration from the Czech Republic and Switzerland. It's always been important to me to be compassionate to those who need me. And when not doing research or performing service, I love to travel, visit the ocean, cook, listen to music, take long walks, and maintain relationships with my family and lifelong friends. I have a blessed life. Read More Read Less
