Roger and Karen Millner
How do you apply your faith and Catholic values at work?
As the owner of a school bus company and an employer in Annandale for 40-plus years, our business has tried to be fair in treating our customers. We realize that families and businesses are trying their best with sometimes limited means and many unknown circumstances. We consider our employees as part of our family and have tried to always treat others as we would like to be treated.
Please tell a story about a time when applying your faith at work really made a difference.
It is difficult to tell a particular story. When we have provided opportunities for prayer for our employees, they have expressed appreciation for that. We have always tried to lead by example. We have been open to sharing our faith at all times with employees and community members.
Who or what has been most inspirational to you in bringing your faith to the marketplace?
We were blessed by being born into Catholic families. Through our parents’ example, we learned the importance of the Church. Both of us were able to attend parochial school for 12 years.
These opportunities were instrumental in forming our lives.
What achievement at work are you most proud of?
Our business is a family business. Having our four children work with us in making our business a success has been very rewarding.
We are also blessed by having our children’s spouses work with us. It is a premium that they enjoy and have the same expectations and feelings of accomplishment as we do.
We are proud of our community involvement. It is very rewarding to work with community members for the good of everyone.
In what specific ways have you experienced God’s presence in your workplace?
Over the years, there have been several times when we have prayed for an answer to problems that had manifested themselves. Many times we have begun a new day and the problem had resolved itself.
Although the resolution is not exactly the solution we expected or even wanted, it is for the best.
Trusting God to lead us in the right direction has been a large part of our life. This is something that is a learned skill. A younger person may not want or think they need to trust in him.
The tendency is to be always in control. But, to say whatever happens is for the best is much less stressful for everyone.
Profile
Age: 58
Company: M & M Bus Service, Inc.
Title: President (Roger) and vice president (Karen)
Parish: St. Ignatius in Annandale
Children: Shelly, Shari, Scott and Sam
Volunteer activities: Parish trustee, board of directors for Annandale Health and Community Services, board of directors for Minnesota School Bus Operators, Kiwanis Club member and officer, chair of the Annandale, Maple Lake and Howard Lake Sewer board, chair of various church and Annandale community events
