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For Jodi Otte, the call didn’t sound quite right.

The Chisago Lakes activities director had already been named Region 7AA Activities Director of the Year, which is a requirement to be named the AD of the year. But when the phone rang around Christmas and she was told she had been selected Minnesota Interscholastic Activities Administrators Association (MNIAAA) Pete Veldman Activities Director of the Year in Class AA, Otte’s first instinct was not to celebrate.

“It was super humbling,” Otte said. “I was kind of like, ‘Are you sure you called the right person?’”

Otte, who just finished her eighth year as activities director and her 27th year in the Chisago Lakes School District, was recognized with one of the top honors for activities administrators in Minnesota. The award, named after longtime South St. Paul athletic activities head, Pete Veldman, recognizes leadership, service and contributions to school activities.

For Otte, though, the award is less about individual recognition than it is about the people around her.

“It’s nice to be recognized for doing good things for kids and for our community,” Otte said. “But this couldn’t happen without everybody.”

That “everybody” list is a long one.

It starts with coaches, the people Otte refers to as her team. It also includes office staff, custodians, school administrators, community sponsors and volunteers. And it extends to the student-athletes and activity participants who are at the center of the whole operation.

“I’m really proud of the staff that I have,” Otte said. “You don’t coach high school sports for the money. You coach for the love of the game, for the love of kids, for the love of the community and wanting to give back. I think we have a really great group of people.”

That team-first mindset came up again and again. Even when asked about her biggest accomplishments in the role, she steered away from personal milestones and instead talked about building systems and support for students and coaches.

One of the biggest examples of that came early in her tenure as activities director.

When Otte took over the department, Chisago Lakes did not have a dedicated uniform budget. There also was not a reliable source of funding for some of the extras that can turn a state tournament trip into a true experience for students — hotel stays, travel expenses and details that make the trip memorable.

Otte got started by building a sponsorship program centered around advertising and signage at school athletic facilities. The sponsorships tied to football, baseball, basketball and soccer have grown into a  revenue stream for the department.

“That’s where the sponsorship program came,” Otte said. “So I put that together.”

The program now brings in an estimated $50,000 to $60,000 per year, money that has helped create a uniform rotation and allowed Chisago Lakes teams to enjoy a more complete state tournament experience when they qualify, as well as odds and ends for each program.

“It gives them an opportunity to make state and those experiences special,” Otte said. “(no more), ‘We’re going to Minneapolis for a game and we’ll be back tonight.’”

It has also helped modernize the look of Chisago Lakes programs, something Otte said matters more than some people might realize.

“When I came, the uniforms were pretty ratty,” Otte said with a laugh. “Now we’re on a uniform rotation.”

In a district the size of Chisago Lakes, those dollars do not come from a major corporate donors writing one big check. Otte said it comes from local support, from businesses and people in the community willing to chip in and back school activities.

“We don’t have a lot of big businesses here,” Otte said. “I rely on the people in our community, and I’m very grateful.”

The dollars matter because Otte believes the details matter.

“A lot of kids remember that high school stuff,” she said. “They remember those experiences.”

That has become one of the defining themes of Otte’s time as activities director. For her, the job has never been strictly about scoreboards, conference titles or state appearances. Those things are part of the fun, but they are not the reason the work matters.

“What we do is never about wins and losses,” Otte said. “It’s great to win, but not at all costs.”

Instead, Otte said she wants Chisago Lakes students to leave their time in activities with something bigger — the life skills and relationships that come from being part of a team, cast, roster or program.

“The bigger part for me is when our kids walk away from our programs and go on to their next step in life, that we’ve given them the opportunity to grow,” Otte said. “Working in a team, being part of a team, communication skills, good character, doing the right thing, time management. I hope they walk away with more than just winning.”

That message is one she shares directly with coaches. Otte said she reminds them often that only a very small percentage of high school athletes will go on to play at the next level, so the lessons of high school sports have to be about more than chasing a college roster.

The philosophy fits Otte’s background.

A northern Minnesota native and Bemidji State University graduate, Otte came to Chisago Lakes 27 years ago after taking a job in the district through a connection with former Chisago Lakes adminstrator Pete Eikren. She started as a phy-ed teacher at the middle school and also coached middle school basketball, softball and volleyball. From there, she moved into administration, serving as dean of students for about a year and a half, assistant principal for seven years and a principal for eight before taking over as activities director.

Every one of those stops, she said, helped shape the way she approaches the position now.

“Every step in my career has made me better at what I do today,” Otte said. “From teaching, to dean of students, to assistant principal, principal, becoming a parent — all of that plays into this.”

So does the work ethic she practiced long before she arrived in Chisago Lakes.

Otte credits her parents, John and Marsha, for much of that foundation. Her mother taught in a Catholic school. Her father worked for an electric cooperative, starting there at age 17 and retiring from the same company at 57. The family also owned a softball complex in Bemidji for 21 years, and Otte spent much of her childhood and high school years working there, with her siblings.

“We were expected to work,” Otte said. “That’s where I get my work ethic.”

That work ethic shows up in how Otte describes leadership. Asked what principles guide her, she came back to the same few words repeatedly: communication, integrity, honesty and support.

“Communication is huge,” Otte said. “Integrity. I’m a straight shooter.”

She also made it clear that one of the biggest parts of her job is having coaches’ backs. That does not mean shielding people from accountability. It means being honest with them, addressing issues directly and helping them work through problems rather than leaving them on an island.

“If somebody calls and complains about you, I’m going to be honest with you,” Otte explained. “This is what happened. We’re going to work through it.”

Otte also believes that visibility and willingness to be present may be one of the reasons she stood out for the award. She is a regular face at nearly every Chisago Lakes event, and she also serves on several Minnesota State High School League committees and works at state tournaments in host and support roles.

“I think it’s important as an AD to be visible,” Otte said. “To be part of your community.”

That visibility, of course, comes with a cost. Otte admitted the job can be draining. It is full of long days, late nights, complaints, emergencies and countless details that most people never see. It also can be hard on family life.

“The hard part sometimes is my family falls by the wayside,” Otte said. “That’s hard.”

Still, even with all of that, Otte says she loves the work. And as she looks ahead, her goals are pretty much the same as all along: keep showing up, keep working, keep supporting coaches and keep finding ways to give Chisago Lakes students the best experience possible.

She wants to keep participation numbers strong. She wants to continue growing opportunities where it makes sense. She wants to make sure Chisago Lakes students can keep having the kind of activity experience that sticks with them long after graduation.

“I want to continue to work hard and be there and be present and give our kids the best opportunities,” Otte said.

That has become a defining part of Otte’s tenure in Chisago Lakes. The district is not one of the state’s largest. It does not have endless resources. It does not have the advantages some suburban districts enjoy. But Otte believes Chisago Lakes can still offer something special because of the people involved and the care put into it.

“We do extremely well with what we have,” Otte said.

For all the praise that comes with a statewide award, Otte still sounds a little uncomfortable being the center of attention. That probably says as much as anything about why she earned it.

She is not interested in building a resume or collecting attention. She is interested in uniforms getting replaced, kids getting opportunities, coaches getting support and programs getting what they need.

In other words, she is interested in doing her job.

And this year, the rest of the state noticed.

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