Paul Mooty joined the Rotary Club of Edina in 1999. He’s served on the board of directors for the Edina Community Foundation (2011-2019), Fairview Southdale Hospital and the Edina Chamber of Commerce. He’s served on the City of Edina Transportation Commission, was former representative Ron Erhardt’s campaign treasurer and has volunteered as a youth soccer coach for his kids’ teams.
Through Rotary, Mooty participated in the club’s service to Moses, a young boy from Nairobi, who Rotarians flew to the U.S. to fix his strabismus (crossed eyes). Rotarians and other Edina residents chipped in funds or donated services to cover airfare, hospital costs, dental work and translators. Six months later, Mooty spearheaded a fundraising effort to fund Moses’ education through high school.
Closer to home, Mooty’s dedication to community extends all the way to Faribault, Minn. where he purchased the Faribault Woolen Mill about 10 years ago. Founded in 1865, the best-known business in town had closed. Mooty saw value in the brand, but more so, felt compelled to be a steward of a business that employed generations of local families. And, when the White House phoned in 2017 to ask Mooty to take part in a Made in America Showcase, his recollections aren’t focused on the honor of getting that call or the excitement over seeing the White House. His favorite moment was asking a 63-year employee Mary Boudreau to accompany him on the trip. (It was only her second time on an airplane.)
Of note, on Mooty’s way into the White House, a secret service staffer, and Wayzata High School graduate, grinned at Mooty’s driver’s license, and said, “I see you’re a cake eater,” of whom we in Edina couldn’t be prouder.
Contributed by the Edina Community Foundation; edinacommunityfoundation.org
