Real Estate Consultant
2 Children
5 Grandchildren
www.lecarlson.com
Information update: 04/26/2022

I am currently semi-retired, live in Clarkston, Michigan, and am the owner of Carlson & Associates, my own retail/real estate-consulting firm. I have lived in southeast Michigan for the past 15 years, moving from Minnesota in 1996 to join the management team at Kmart Corporation. Since 2001, I have provided consulting support to numerous retailers and shopping center developers from my office in the lower level of my condo/town home; and I expect to continue to do so as long as my intellectual and physical health remains.

I will start "My Life's Story" with my birth at St. Luke's Hospital in Duluth. The reason for this is that I was privileged to be born with my twin sister Mary (my most important classmate); and I still feel privileged to have her in my life. Even though she lives in Roseville, Minnesota with her husband Bob, and I live 700 driving miles away in southeast Michigan, we have maintained a very close relationship.

After graduating from Duluth Central, and after four years at UMD, I earned a Bachelor's of Science degree in 1965 in Geography (Cum Laude) with a Business and Economics minor. I was fortunate having my college expenses covered by a James J. Hunt scholarship. Upon graduation from UMD, I was offered a three year NDEA Fellowship in the University of Minnesota's Geography Department's PhD program.

Just before moving to Minneapolis in 1965 to become a "newbie" graduate student, I married Sandy Pfeiffer, a sister of Corrine Pfeiffer (Cooper) who was and still is a member of our graduating class. Sandy graduated from Duluth Central in 1964. After 10 years of marriage, she and I became the proud parents of our adopted daughter Kristen and our biological son Kevin. Kristen is now living in Columbus, Ohio and has three children (2 boys and 1 girl). Kevin lives in the Washington, DC area and is the father of two (1 girl and 1 boy).

Upon receiving my Master's Degree in Geography in 1968, I was hired as an instructor at UMD in the same department that granted me my BS degree. While teaching at UMD, I was offered a project manager position in the Area Research department at Dayton Hudson (Target); and I joined their three person staff in the summer of 1970. This opportunity totally matched my career aspirations of using my geographic skills in a real life business environment. I was promoted to the position of Vice President in 1984. I managed the department in that capacity for 12 years.

In 1994, Dayton Hudson helped me start my own consulting business through an 18-month retainer agreement. I carried out work for the company for that period; and then the Chairman and CEO of Kmart Corporation (a former president of Target), asked me to join his management team and to put together a research team similar to the one that I managed at Dayton Hudson. So in January 1996, I moved to southeast Michigan to begin my employment with Kmart as Vice President of Real Estate Market Strategy.

In 2001, however, on the cusp of eventual bankruptcy under new management, my function at Kmart was eliminated. So I was out "on the street" looking at employment options. This was a particularly tough period of time for me personally, since I was away from my Minnesota base; plus during that time, my marriage with Sandy ended in a divorce. So with a conviction to move ahead on my own, I decided to stay in Michigan and again go into my own consulting business.

On the personal side, other than working in stimulating corporate environments or working on my own, one of the greatest fulfillments occurring during my career and personal life has been the opportunity to travel. During my Target tenure, I had the chance to visit all 50 states, Mexico, Canada, the Philippines, Hong Kong, and southeast China.

After joining Kmart, I added ten Caribbean countries to my trip list, including numerous trips to Puerto Rico. I also had the chance during my Kmart tenure to visit the UK, France, Germany, Poland, and Italy. Guam, Saipan, and Japan also joined the trip list. Since my Kmart employment, I have taken a five week trip to Australia and New Zealand; have visited Argentina three times, Chile twice, and Ecuador twice.

While in Australia, Argentina, and Chile, I had the good fortune of visiting numerous wineries; and I have become a great fan of quality Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Carmenere wines from those countries. I look forward to enjoying many more of these types of trips, and I fully expect that tripping will become one of my principal hobbies.

Now I need to decide on what kind of life I want in my retirement future, notwithstanding where should I eventually reside. I would hope, for both me and also for my classmates, that our lives from this point in time will be very rewarding indeed, with good health and meaningful relationships being essen