The honor of my lifetime

I tell people I have the best job in North Dakota.

I get to tell stories about North Dakotans, about rural people and rural places, about co-ops and co-op people.

I grew up drinking the co-op Kool-Aid. My family was a Farmers Union family, which meant we were a co-op family.

My mom, Pam Musland, was even the magazine’s local pages editor for KEM Electric Cooperative when I was a little girl in Ashley. My name was first mentioned in the magazine when I was 2½ years old.

I’ve always understood the heritage of North Dakota Living and what this magazine means to North Dakotans. Every day in this job, I have felt the great responsibility to tell stories that matter, to elevate the voices of rural people, to highlight rural progress and to raise the profile of quality-of-life issues in rural America.

I’ve had the opportunity to live outside of North Dakota and have met many people far removed from this place. Naturally, I’ve often heard, “You’re the first person I’ve met from North Dakota.” It’s one of the phrases I most love to hear, because it gives me a chance to sell others on how great North Dakota is and why the best people come from the northern Dakota.

You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who loves this state more than me. And because of this deep love, I have loved every minute of being the editor of North Dakota Living. It is why I feel great sadness in sharing my time as editor of this magazine is coming to an end. My last day is April 9.

So, why leave the “best job in North Dakota?”

I guess the universe is calling.

An opportunity found me. Trust me, I searched high and low for a reason to say no. Ultimately, a reason never materialized.

Seven years ago, I was terrified about my ability to do this job. I feared the magazine would fail with me. Luckily, my mom was the ghost editor of North Dakota Living for those first few months, until my big sister finally called and told me, “Mom can’t put out the North Dakota Living magazine in addition to her full-time job, so you’re going to have to fly, baby bird!” (Thanks, Mom!)

That fear is gone. The magazine is in a great place. Getting recognized in March for having the best electric cooperative magazine in the country feels good. I am so proud of what the magazine team, in cooperation with our local electric cooperatives, has accomplished and produced these past seven years. I know the magazine will flourish long after I’m gone. I know so many people care about this magazine as much as I do.

I owe my gratitude to many:
• To the best boss I’ve ever had, Josh Kramer, who changed my life when he hired me and taught me North Dakota Living is a platform for good.
• To Duane, Liza, John, Kennedy and Luann – the magazine dream team – for always having my back.
• To all the people I’ve met, interviewed, cried and laughed with who have trusted me to tell their stories.
• To the electric cooperative directors and employees across the state who steward the cooperative business model – the best form of business – for the next generation.
• To North Dakota’s electric cooperative members and magazine readers for keeping North Dakota Living your trusted and reliable source of co-op news and information.

Wherever I go, I will forever be an advocate for cooperatives and the biggest fan of North Dakota Living.

Being the editor of North Dakota Living has been the honor of my lifetime.