OUR OPINION: TOP RESORTER

Chris Ruttger, Minnesota's recently named 2009 Resorter of the Year, characteristically deflected the praise he received to his staff and his family. That's what one would have expected from the genial and very busy vice president of Ruttger's Bay Lake Lodge in Deerwood.

The Ruttger name, there's no doubt, is synonymous with hospitality in the Deerwood area. Few executives can single out their great-grandparents as the founders of their business.

Chris Ruttger, however, has always known that success isn't achieved because of a family name and or by a lackadaisical attitude. The Cornell University graduate knows that education and the honing of business skills is a career-long pursuit. His own informal education has included stints at other businesses, certification as a hotel administrator, participation in the Blandin Foundation's program and involvement in a variety of professional and nonprofit organizations.

Ruttger has also demonstrated adaptability - another precious trait for a business manager. When his boyhood magic act at the resort fell a little short of the mark, he said it soon evolved into a comedy routine.

Now that is an example of initiative and resourcefulness.