Legacy and Wisdom of Joanne Disch PhD RN FAAN

Abstract

Albert Linderman, Ph.D., cultural anthropologist, and CEO of Sagis Corporation has for more than 10 years, been eliciting, surfacing, and representing, with his Sagis team, the “deep smarts and wisdom” of leaders and experts. This surfacing and representation allows for the transference to others. Effective also with groups, this Sense‐Making approach, adapted from the work of Paulo Freire and Brenda Dervin, has been used with great results in many businesses and organizations in Minnesota. Albert also is the author of Why the world around you is and as it appears (2012, Steiner Books) and lead author of "Surfacing and transferring expert knowledge: the sense making interview," Human Resource Development International (07/2011: 14(3): 353‐362). This document summarizes the wisdom and legacy of Dr. Disch who developed her mastery through the many leadership positions she has undertaken during her career. She came to Minnesota in 1991 as Senior Associate Director/Director of Nursing of the University of Minnesota Hospital and Clinic. She oversaw a mammoth re‐organization and, in 1997, became the VP of Patient/Family Services of the merged Fairview Riverside Hospital and the University of Minnesota Hospital. In 2000, she became the Director for the Katharine J. Densford International Center for Nursing Leadership, a position she held until 2012. Along the way she served numerous significant positions of leadership, most notably as Interim Dean of the University of Minnesota School of Nursing (UMN SoN) (2004), President of the AAN (2011‐2013) and Chair of the Board of AARP (2006‐ 2008).