World domination? Missile Silo? Chili cook-offs? It sounds like the plot of a Hollywood Blockbuster, but its a sneak peak into the life of this week's Cheyenne Rotary Club's person of action. Let's learn a little more about Anja Bendell of Cheyenne Leads...
Anja Bendell Rotarian Since 2012
Other than Rotary, which community organizations are you involved in? How does that involvement reflect what you most value about Rotary? My other community is Chugwater, where I have been involved in the volunteer Chugwater Economic Development organization, the Chugwater Chili Cook-off, and the community choir.
Why did you join Rotary? When I began working in Cheyenne, I felt it was a great opportunity to get to know some other community members. I also like how respected Rotary is world-wide, and I like the international exchanges.
How long have you lived in Wyoming and what do you like most about living here? I have lived here since 2007, and I love the how easy it is to get to know your neighbors, to get involved, and to do something meaningful.
What is your favorite book (business and/or pleasure)? What did you love about it? Business: Good to Great by Jim Collins. I love the scientific approach to an inspirational book about leadership. Not only was he able to distill qualities of people and companies that make them great, but told the story of how they got there, thus hopefully creating a guide for others. Pleasure: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin. Being a liberal arts major, I’ve read quite a bit of non-contemporary literature - sometimes you really have to be in the right mindset to fully appreciate the work. But in this novel, despite the early 19th century British setting, language and people, I immediately get immersed in the language, the characters, and the social tangles that are woven and re-woven.
What do you like to do in your spare time? In the depths of our underground missile silo that we converted into our home, my husband and I like to plot how to take over the world.
Tell us about your family. Odd facts: my German mother and American father met on a boat crossing the Atlantic Ocean. Also, both my father and my father-in-law have a PhD in meteorology.
