By: secretsquirrel on 12/30/09
I would be very interested in speaking with Mr. Pryor. I wonder how to reach him...?

By: atlascollapsed on 12/30/09
I was hoping for the Limbaugh, Hannity, Levin, Beck, Ingraham, Cheney College of Liberty. Think of all the security jobs it would create for all of the protests that would follow. We could even start manufacturing the tazers and mace locally.

By: centuryfarm on 12/30/09
Considering the economy and unemployment rate, education seems to be the only thing left to do. Kudos for any investor that can make an educational facility work in that location.

By: lgk on 12/30/09
This has the potential to be a highly successful venture - a great town and a great entrepreneur. I'll be watching for progress on this deal!

By: twocents on 12/30/09
At a glance this looks like an exciting opportunity for Owatonna. If there is genuine need for this type of college, we should do what we can to accomodate it's reality.

By: truthbetold on 12/30/09
Perhaps my daughter will be able to stay home (saving money) while going to medical school...interesting possibility :)

By: ezduzzit on 12/30/09
Why buy the ol Gopher building and renovate when there's an empty hospital/clinic sitting there? All said - a hopeful story for Owatonna...

By: papanort on 12/30/09
By: ezduzzit on 12/30/09
Why buy the ol Gopher building and renovate when there's an empty hospital/clinic sitting there? All said - a hopeful story for Owatonna...

The article stated that they explored the possibility of purchasing the old hospital/clinic buildings would it would cost them too much to update and renovate them while the Gopher Sport building was the same size and much easier-more open floor plan to renovate saving them millions of $$ in the process.

By: Thuljunior on 12/30/09
I would think that a medical college being unable to make use of the old hospital/clinic should tell us everything we need to know about the condition of the property.

But before everyone gets too excited, keep in mind that the total cost will be at least 56 million dollars just for the properties and renovations. Tough to raise that kind of money in a recession.

Unless of course he applies for stimuless funding!

By: secretsquirrel on 12/30/09
truthbetold - They neglected to mention what KIND of medical school this is to be. My understanding is that this is to be a medical clinic specializing in the education of professionals tasked with the rehabilitation and treatment of squirrels suffering from walnut induced dementia and journalistic Tourette's.
Stimulus funding defined by Rodents Desktop Reference Dictionary:
Those monies dispensed in payment for a squirrel colonoscopy commonly referred to in the medical community as a squirreloscopy.

By: EAG on 12/30/09
Squirrelectomy would be better.

By: quinn on 12/30/09
EAG's making sense. Then there wouldn't be so many nuts flying at anyones head.

S, "stimulus funding" for a colonoscopy? You nasty little rodent!;)

By: jpryor00 on 12/31/09
Greetings. I told Ms. Kennedy she could provide my contact information to anyone who asked. If they let me post an email address, it's jpryor00@comcast.net

I hope you become as enthusiastic about the school coming to Owatonna as we are. I'm readily available to answer any questions.

By: secretsquirrel on 12/31/09
"squirrelectomy!" LOL Youch!
My oldest son works as an auto insurance fraud investigator out west. Has done very well for himself the past decade by all accounts.
This idea (medical school) could be a good fit for the community. As Mr. Pryor trained as a PA, he can certainly network with the medical community in the region to get support behind this if demonstrated to be a viable project in their eyes. Looking forward to seeing this evolve.

By: jpryor00 on 12/31/09
I absolutely will most any questions in public-the only restriction would be revealing people's names who plan on coming to the project but haven't notified their current employers. I don't know how long the newspaper will keep this posting going, but I'll keep answering as long as it's here.

The name of my company was The Aegis Group. 99% of my work was for federal agencies, so most of the work product is with the Federal Employee Compensation Board; however, the National Insurance Crime Bureau still uses the online training program I developed for them. It's on their National Insurance Crime Training Academy web site. Their VP of training, Tom Welsh would probably be willing to answer questions from you. I closed the company shortly after I completed that work.

All of my immediate and extended family are from the Twin Cities. My parents divorced when I was eight and I went with my father out of the state. I returned to St. Paul when I left the service in 1979, but then got a job at Johns Hopkins in 1980 and haven't been back, except to visit, since.

Technically, I haven't hired Dini Partners yet. They only work with boards of directors, so right now, they've just agreed to conduct the fund raising campaign. They're based in Texas, but their clients are national. They are one of two firms that are top-ranked in raising funds for medical schools. Now that the site for the school has been chosen, I need to seat the board of directors so the campaign can begin.

I sure wish I hadn't said 'stumbled" onto the Pillsbury campus. It makes it seem as though it happened by accident. Over the years I learned that potential properties are listed under different categories, so it takes some diligence to search them out. I found the Pillsbury campus on my second day of searching. Almost from the outset I have had a very positive reaction to the campus. The Realtor sent me a CD of pictures and that's when those seeds of doubt, as in "This is too good to be true" started setting in. But the more I investigated the better I felt about it. Then, the physician I chose to become the Dean came to Owatonna with his wife (they live in Minneapolis)and toured the property and gave a very positive report. I came to Owatonna the first week of December and toured the property with the president of the architecture firm who designed the newest building on the campus. But what really clinched it for me was on that Thursday, the first snow fell and we turned off Main and then onto Rice to approach the campus and I had a flashback to my childhood. The wide street, the snow covered lawns and the bare trees--I felt an immediate pang of homesickness, which I never felt before. So, on top of my passion for starting this medical school I now have an even more personal attachment.

By: jpryor00 on 12/31/09
Well, when I started writing the above post it was in response to questions posted by TheRealTruth. They appear to have been deleted--so sorry if the post seems odd.

By: secretsquirrel on 12/31/09
Very helpful jpryor. These threads run eternal so keep pecking away.
I love the campus as well and have had an interest in becoming involved with the property for several years now.
Do not be surprised if you get email from this rodent in the coming weeks.
Have a great day.
~SS~

By: therealtruth on 12/31/09
Sorry JPryor - given my line of "work" I tend to ask a lot of questions. So perhaps I will sit back like SS ad just watch how this project "evolves". I deleted my post thinking no one would have read it in the wee hours of the morning. Guess you are an early bird too! And interestingly (or oddly?)enough you just happened upon my very early bird post! Should I assume you will be monitoring this blog?

Thank you for the prompt response. Always like the transparency when it comes to money projects - especially when it involves using other people's money!

Just curious - are you related to the JPRYOR from the Panama Medical Institute?
Read that "attempt" you made in Panama (from the article) and it made me wonder. But that is just me - I wonder a lot. And ask a whole lotta questions!

I await the business plan submission!

By: jpryor00 on 12/31/09
No need to apologize for asking questions. I think the 'sniff test' is an essential element of the process.

Yes, I do have strange hours. It keeps me off the streets at night and I find the wee hours of the morning to be the most productive.

Yes, I am that JPryor of the Panama Medical Institute. That goes back four years. Other iterations have been the Tennessee Medical Institute (Sweetwater, TN), the Acadian College of Medicine (Baton Rouge, LA) and the Red Oak School of Medicine (Red Oak, TX). I finally wised up and stopped forming companies!

We're very close to finishing this revision of the business plan. We'll probably have it in peoples' hands a week earlier than promised.

I'll keep checking this out as long as people are asking questions.

By: rosie-lady on 12/31/09
How wonderful to see posts from jpryor here. Welcome to Owatonna! We (well, most of us) are thrilled to have someone taking a good honest look at the campus for a productive use.

By: jpryor00 on 12/31/09
Thank you very much, Rosie. It's a beautiful campus. We're going to maintain the exteriors of the buildings (with the exception of the gym--that gets an entire make-over). We're still debating about what to do about the stain glass window in Old Main. The new dean wants to keep it, I do not. I have a medically related alternative for the window that I think will be far more impressive and stand out as a work of art.

By: therealtruth on 12/31/09
jpryor00 - just curious - when you say Johns Hopkins - is that in reference to the Johns Hopkins program in Panama in the old Canal Zone?
Are you familiar with St Christopher's College of Medicine and ValueMD programs?

What happened to all the companies you formed? What sort of financing was involved to get them "formed"?

Just doing a little "sniffing" - just part of my "job" when I "stumble" onto things that "sound too good to be true"! LOL!

By: jpryor00 on 12/31/09
No, I worked at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. I am familiar with the program in Panama, as well as FSU's program down there.

I am very familiar with St Chris in England. In fact, I was "behind the scenes" in their law suit against the owner. I am also very familiar with ValueMD. It and StudentDoctor.net are excellent sources of information for anybody considering attending a Caribbean medical school.

I let the companies go dormant...as in didn't renew the licenses. No financing was used in forming the companies. This has all been my money.

I have to smile at the too good to be true comment. I've had the same feeling for a while now.

By: therealtruth on 12/31/09
jpryor00 - sorry - guess I got a little confused on the Johns Hopkins item - thought I read somewhere you attended some classes in your senior year of high school at the Johns Hopkins program in the old Canal Zone. I assume that was you as well?

Already debating on the remodel before any paper work! That certainly shows a commitment
to the project! Should be some pretty interesting challenging financing in this economy.

"Nevertheless, Pryor was confident.
“I have a nice deck of cards here,” he said."

Can't wait to see your hand!

By: jpryor00 on 12/31/09
Now I did graduate high school in the Canal Zone, but Hopkins didn't have its program there then. My first connect to Hopkins didn't come until 1980.

I wish I could share all of the good things that have happened just in the past 2 weeks. Once we can lay it all out, I think you're going to be impressed. Admittedly, I've been able to replicate a lot of things fairly quickly just because I've done them in each potential location. But it's the new dean that is making things happen so quickly now. He is so highly regarded and well connected in Minnesota that the mention of his name gets me into key people. This next month is going to be fun.

By: therealtruth on 12/31/09
Sounds impressive already Jim!
Just curious (again! LOL!) but you mentioned replicating a lot of things from your previous ventures (potential locations) that apparently are no longer in existence ("I let the companies go dormant...as in didn't renew the licenses"). What is making this "deck of cards" different? The Dean? Will he be the key to making all this happen this time around?
To get the accreditation needed to make this thing fly? To get the right people to invest? To get the financing needed?
I can hardly wait to hear who it is!
This does sound like fun! And little old Owatonna gets to play a big part! Lucky them!
It really does all sound "too good to be true!"


Hey SS - you still watching this thing "evolve"? If it is what I think it is - it will be very interesting indeed! I am counting on you to take a peek at the business plan for me!

By: secretsquirrel on 12/31/09
This is something definitely worth following. Pookah should be here rolling through the research. I have been incredibly busy this past week and feel terrible for not playing my part in all of this.
One thing I am grateful for is the simply fact that we now have something worth delving into rather than the mundane snowplow comments. Well, I don't want to scare jpryor off so I will keep quiet about the giant bird consuming homes in the area... ;)
I am really looking forward to seeing where all of this goes. It sounds like a everyone is viewing this article like a Christmas present about to be unwrapped. Kind of cool. Yet, being the perpetual skeptic, I reserve official Rodent Endorsement until more details arise from discussion.
Talk to you later, going home early to spend an evening with the family!
I wish each of you a terrific, safe and happy new years eve and a healthy and successful 2010!

Let moldy acorns be forgot
Cuz they give you bad heartburn
When moldy acorns start to rot
They will make your stomach turn

By: jpryor00 on 12/31/09
Please, call me J

There was a long list of things that needed to be assessed to see if the school could fit in here. Everything from sewage capacity to student housing.

Honestly, I've written and edited my words several times in trying to respond to your question about what is making this time around so different. It's not just the dean, as he was aboard when we were focused on Texas. It's not his connections in Minnesota, as I had made extensive connections in Texas. In fact, I was further along in Texas than I am right now in Minnesota. But this is better and if I can be so hokie as to say that I think the difference is is that we're bringing the school home. I think we feel better about that and it must be coming across in our dealings with people, as the reception we've been receiving is fantastic.

The accreditation process is very laborious for a new school, but all schools are re-accredited every ten years and it's almost just as bad for them. This dean just completed the re-accreditation process at his current school, so his willingness to do it again is testament to how much he is looking forward to the medical program we're creating.

Normally, the selection process for a new dead is a highly political process and it's the staff that gets to pick the new boss. This being a new school, I got to choose who the dean would be, which sets the whole tone for the school--not just at the beginning, but for its existence. I went to the Mecca of medical education and got referrals for five of the best candidates and I researched each one. I chose the best one for this school...and he accepted. And people in the industry know it. He's the right man at the right time at the right school. That is rare in medical education and it is powerful.

And because of this, we're attracting similar caliber people. Now, I'm not usually one to be in awe, as I've worked with some giants in medicine. But when somebody you approach for a referral comes back and says they're interested in participating, too...you know you're onto something good.

I'm running out of time and I haven't addressed the financial issue yet. It's New Year's Eve, my girlfriend just called and she's on her way home. I promise I'll come back tomorrow.

By: therealtruth on 12/31/09
SS - "It sounds like a everyone is viewing this article like a Christmas present about to be unwrapped..."
Perhaps MY perpetual skepticism is not showing through yet! That would be a first for me ;)


Happy New Year!

By: secretsquirrel on 12/31/09
J's candor is selling. He has posted here and not only answered questions but encouraged them.
The trick here for J is that he has to somehow get his enthusiasm across in a credible manner without sounding like a salesman (even though that is a large part of courting philanthropists and philanthropic organizations). I think the answers provided with the level of candor he has shown is a positive indicator of his sincerity.
His credentials are easily checked out and the rest will fall into place over time. I like the idea of what he plans to do not just with the school but with the community.
I know of at least one organization that would be interested in discussing possibilities with him with regard to alignments, cooperative ventures within the community. I see a lot of possibilities should this reach fruition.
With a new hospital, a new medical school and a new use for a campus that deserves to function as an institution of academic excellence... there is so much to be excited about.
I think your comfort level is fine therealtruth. Nothing is etched in stone and even if this were not to work out the important thing is that it gets possibilities on people's radar again. Hope gets the ball rolling. Many swift kicks down field keep it rolling. Productive scrutiny only serves to make a concept more than a reality, it serves to make it a stronger reality.
I have some thing to ponder and I suppose that I should advise J to take me with a grain of.... no.... with a BLOCK of salt as he will have to cull through my numerous and off thread quips to get to the serious side of me. LOL
By the way, welcome to town J, looking forward to the new year and to your success in this venture.
I think you will find that the rest of the folks who regularly post here are sincere in their concern for this town's success, loyal to a fault, politically educated and by all means much more intelligent than I, the only squirrel (but not the only rodent) on the site.
They are interested in the town, the people and reality. All in all, a great bunch that honor me by permitting me to participate in their discussions.

By: therealtruth on 12/31/09
SS - "His credentials are easily checked out"
and so are a couple years worth of postings on the ValueMD messageboards. With a little reading doesn't take much to come up with what this guy "J" is all about. Gotta love Google!

By: secretsquirrel on 12/31/09
Yup.
I am not posting on that site though. If they knew what I had for supper the past few nights they would use me for a science experiment!

By: quinn on 12/31/09
SS, I've gotta disagree with you about this. "Please call me J"? This guy reeks of disingenuosness.

By: therealtruth on 1/1/10
Quinn, I believe SS's reference to "sounding like a saleman" suggested just that!

along with:
"“I have a nice deck of cards here,” he said."
and the previous article:
"I am the spark plug..."
and a rather lame analogy about firemen.


"Honesty" is pretty easy when you have someone and somewhere to go for the TRUTH - the REAL TRUTH!

The "sniff test" works both ways. Who's sniffing whom?

By: secretsquirrel on 1/1/10
I don't blame you one bit quinn.
I am pretty skeptical about life generally but this is merely the 'toe in the water' part of the process so I am not bothering with my usual skepticism.
He's done a good job of dealing with the public and the paper so far.
I like the idea of a medical school in Owatonna.
Conceptually, the whole thing seems filled with positives.
I have seen no requests for tax money.
Yet, as nothing has really moved, been purchased or even funded, it's way too early for me to start picking things apart.
Even when funding is in place to get started, the real work will begin when:
This project starts going through the city council, the banks, the accreditation process.
The mechanical punch list for the physical plant (which, without a thorough inspection by an experienced plant operator/inspector could lead to enormous costs down the road which could derail the entire works).
Funding of projected capital expenditures for the physical plant as well as furnishings and equipment needs.
Some of what I've read did conjure an image of Mr. Haney. Yet, I have worked with people whose enthusiasm for one cause or other was enough to turn me away from it.
Good cause/over-the-top enthusiasm. I am not saying that is the case here. I am saying that is one of the things he needs to avoid if he is going to get people behind this and my comment was directed at his deft handling of the questions while not allowing his enthusiasm to come off as anything more than that: Enthusiasm.
We will have plenty of time to look this over, verify statements and claims, background on affiliated organizations and so forth.
Just looking at the network a guy like this must have makes it all seem plausible.
Besides, I remember a time when a group of Caribbean medical students hosted some jarheads for lunch on the beach. Pretty nice group of people. LOL
Finally, I mentioned earlier that I am reserving Rodent Endorsement until more information is available.
As this is the first day of the new year, I am going to work on some home projects to assuage my guilt over having a day off from work. Happy new year to all of you.

By: jpryor00 on 1/1/10
G'morning. I apologize for coming off as a salesman. I'll try to refrain. My intent has been to convey the quality, but it appears I've only succeeded it making some suspect. Clearly, sales is not a career I should ever attempt.

Therealtruth has been able to read "a couple years" worth of posts because I have always used my name when posting anything online. I don't hide behind behind a screen name. I have no reason to mask who I am or what I stand for.

Nobody calls me Jim, Quinn. Not that I'm offended by it, it's just that you might as well be calling me Steve. If you want to address me informally, call me J

I would have rather been quoted on my initial description of what community based medical education was about, but the reporter wasn't grasping what I was saying. Then, my description of common problems presenting in unusual ways and unusual problems appearing as common symptoms didn't resonate with her. She did understand the firemen analogy. I agree that it wasn't very sophisticated, but it was a third attempt to explain something that I normally don't have to explain.

I've invited questions and I have answered all that have been asked and tried to go beyond. If I'm being perceived as disingenuous, I do apologize. I must be overselling.

By: O.Tool on 1/1/10
If nothing else this is certainly the most interesting use of this little thread. No matter the perceptions I certainly appreciate the effort Mr. Pryor has put into at least attempting to answer readers' questions.

Not that I don't enjoy the usual snarling, backbiting, mud-slinging, arguing and verbal b***h-slapping that usually goes on here.....

By: jpryor00 on 1/1/10
I forgot that I promised to address the financial issues.

Right now, we are planning on probably raising some of the start up funds through tax-exempt bonds. But it is unknown whether we will actually make the request for the bonds. I'll explain more on that in a minute. But, we may also go through with the bonds even if we don't need to, as it does help the city.

When I was focused on Texas I contacted a professional fund raising firm that has agreed to a fund raising campaign for the school. In our discussions they told me they could raise enough money in a few weeks to meet the school's needs for the purchase and renovation of the property and operating capital for the first year. At the time of that discussion, the purchase and renovation costs we were discussing were more than twice what we're going to need for the Pillsbury campus. In a year's time, they said they would be able to raise five year's worth of operating capital. As proof of their ability, they told me about two campaigns they were doing for two different schools in Texas and the amounts that were raised were comparable to what I would have needed. This firm is one of two that are known for working with medical schools and they have an excellent reputation, so I feel comfortable with them.

Before any skeptics think, "Yes, but that was for a school in Texas," the majority of this firm's philanthropic sources are not in Texas. Actually, several of them are in Minnesota

I can also tell you this--guaranteed that there will be new names on the buildings on the Pillsbury campus.

Since there are some healthy skeptics here, I'm sure some are questioning why this didn't happen in other places. Neither the bond process nor the fund raising campaign will begin until there is a board of directors. You want local people on the board (local meaning the state or within a reasonable proximity). I was at the point of trying to seat the board in Texas. I have one person on the board who happens to be the senior VP of the investment bank I was dealing with in Texas. He still wants to be on the board, but we'll see about that. But his advice was to select a founding dean before trying to complete the board of directors, which I thought was excellent advice. Little did I know I'd find the dean that I did and he'd convince me to come to Minnesota.

But I am actively looking for candidates to sit on the board now. I have spoken to an Owatonna businessman who has expressed interest (this was a couple of months ago now--I probably should contact him again now that we're further along). I've been getting recommendations from politicians, business people and educators. I've made a few phone calls, but everybody's been off for the holidays. I hate to sound like a Grinch, but you can imagine how happy I am now that the holidays are over.

Once the board of directors is seated, it will no longer be me calling the shots, although I will be on the board. Once the board is seated we will contract with the fund raising firm and the board will decide whether we proceed with the bond process or we if we go strictly with the campaign. I am going to be advocating that we proceed with the bond process, as the city benefits over the term of the bond.

I won't go into detail, but there are other sources of funds for the school, too. Not at the level needed to begin this, but not insignificant, either.

By: pookah on 1/1/10
I was hoping for a B-school, but this is great nonetheless.

I like the openness and accountability developed by J on this forum. Board development is vital for this idea to move forward.

By: therealtruth on 1/1/10
"J" not "Jim" - in the first article the reporter referred to you as "Jim" - thus my calling you "Jim". Guess that silly reporter got that all wrong as well.
What is pretty "interesting" about this story is it is quite similar to the storylines I have followed for almost 5 years now. I am considered the ultimate skeptic on the messageboards I "visit". I couldn't help myself from feeling curious about this project of yours - whether it tracks the same way a publicly traded company (pennystocks specifically).
You are obviously familiar with how a messageboard "works" from your years on ValueMD. So it does not surprise me one bit that you are chosing to use the comment section to sell your wares. which in this day and age not a dang thing wrong with that!
And as for using your real name - I do NOT see that as proof you are not hiding anything. From my personal experience some of the biggest scammers of the pennystock world used their real names as a way to sucker in many an investor into their scams. And I am talking about the actual CEO's of the companies posting on the investment messageboards.
I am NOT saying you are trying to scam anyone. I am saying there are certain similarities that make your proposal "interesting" and am quite anxious to see if you are the real deal! Perhaps even seeing a real deal will make me less skeptical! Which I doubt - but what the hey.
I'll try to refrain from listing all the red flags that pop up - which will be quite a chore for me given as that is what I basically do in my line of "work".

So - let's see here "J" not Jim - what did you have in mind for financing this little venture of yours. I saw it mentioned the town would not be on the hook if bonds were defaulted on if the project failed - but someone surely would be on the hook.

"Pryor hopes to cull board members from the Steele County community.

He is also hoping that both the City of Owatonna and the State of Minnesota will aid his effort to obtain tax-exempt revenue bonds, which are commonly used to fund educational facilities, churches, and other charitable groups.

In this scenario, the city would be neither a borrower nor a lender.

“It’s a kind of conduit bonding in which the non-profit would use the city’s tax-exempt status to obtain a lower interest rate,” said city finance director Brad Svenby. “But the city is not on the hook if they default. The city is not obligated to make payments on the bonds at all.”

In any case, such talk is strictly preliminary, said Dave Strand, director of community development.

“Such bonds are highly governed and regulated. There are procedures you have to go through and your business plan and idea have to be solid enough that an investor will buy the bonds,” Strand said. “It’s not giveaway money. We need business plans to review to proceed any further.”


---------
BTW - I assume the reporter also got it wrong that you had already "hired" Dini Partners.

"Pryor said it would cost millions of dollars to get the school running. He has hired a professional fundraising firm to help, Dini Partners of Houston, Texas."

and thanks for clarifying that "fact":

"Technically, I haven't hired Dini Partners yet. They only work with boards of directors, so right now, they've just agreed to conduct the fund raising campaign. They're based in Texas, but their clients are national. They are one of two firms that are top-ranked in raising funds for medical schools. Now that the site for the school has been chosen, I need to seat the board of directors so the campaign can begin."

Whom did you speak to at Dini Partners? Was it specifically about this project or just a generalized question asked of them?

http://www.dinipartners.com/


Actually I am more than curious about the sort of due diligence the town officials will do in a situation like this. I wonder how thorough they will be?
Dave Strand seems to be keeping it real:
"So far, Pryor has not submitted any paper work to the city, said Director of Community Development Dave Strand.

“We have not discussed anything in depth with him,” Strand said.
“We need to see his business plan. It’s a very interesting proposition but there’s a lot of work to be done.”


Oh and "J", I might think twice about insulting the reporter if you want to further your cause and story in this town - LOL!

"I would have rather been quoted on my initial description of what community based medical education was about, but the reporter wasn't grasping what I was saying. Then, my description of common problems presenting in unusual ways and unusual problems appearing as common symptoms didn't resonate with her. She did understand the firemen analogy. I agree that it wasn't very sophisticated, but it was a third attempt to explain something that I normally don't have to explain".

Feel free to explain it now.


Also - are you referring to setting up one of those Carribean Medical ValueMD type schools here?

"“I thought I could do one of these med schools better than they could,” Pryor said."

"But J Pryor painted a picture of the campus bustling with medical students from countries all over the world — he plans to recruit a substantial number of students from Asia, Europe and Latin America."

By: therealtruth on 1/1/10
Well "J" - looks like we were both typing at the same time!

Actually a quicky question - you mention DINI and their clients and how much they have raised in funds - Do you know if they have EVER raised funds for the same "type" of medical school you are talking about setting up. I see plenty of bigtime establishments they have helped - but nothing like you are proposing.

http://www.dinipartners.com/Category-Clients-Clients-0-4-32-0.aspx



Pookah - something tells me you would totally enjoy investment messageboards where plenty of discussions like this take place all the time. And believe it or not - this is very typical of an investment messageboard where someone is asking for money and support. And someone is checking out the credibility of the proposal.
Kudos to "J" for being so open in this venue!

By: therealtruth on 1/1/10
actually the other OPP article provides a few more details of this venture.

http://www.owatonna.com/news.php?viewStory=113085

By: therealtruth on 1/1/10
Hey "J" - have you read this?

http://www.tampabay.com/news/health/medicine/article1061189.ece#


Why did the mention of you having an investment banker send up a red flag for me? LOL!

By: secretsquirrel on 1/1/10
therealtruth - In all honesty, I love it when you find something that tweaks your inquisitor's gene. It makes even ME appear soft spoken and efficient of word and that's a tough thing to accomplish.

Welcome to the forum pookah!
I like the fact that J's keeping up with all of this. It's gets twisted for some of us regulars and you are doing well holding your won.

Disclaimer: Any perceived angst or definitive vulgarities are colloquial, so don't sweat it.

By: therealtruth on 1/1/10
SS - heck - anyone that REALLY knows me would laugh at the way I am posting right now! This IS soft spoken and mild for me. My tongue is bleeding as we speak given how much I am biting it right now.
I'm saving the best for last. The main clue is here:
"If it is what I think it is - it will be very interesting indeed!"

My first introduction to POOKAH was on the very first article I was commenting on - and pookah said something along the lines of - "Well at least everyone isn't yelling at me for a change!"
Now how could you not immediately love someone like that!

By: secretsquirrel on 1/1/10
"Well at least everyone isn't yelling at me for a change!"
LMAO! What a wonderful quote!
You guys are killing me. =D

By: secretsquirrel on 1/1/10
One thing I find interesting about this forum is the fun a person has forming an opinion about what the other posters do for a living, what they do for fun, what their family lives are like and how they arrived at this place.
truth - I have decided that you were the guy that ran the rack in the dark ages and that's NOT meant as an insult. I have thoroughly enjoyed your work here and appreciate the fact that I can sit back in my recliner and watch you do all the work. LOL All I got to do is follow links, read your line of questioning and it's like a really good dime store novel.
Sound research and intelligent questions always make me smile. Almost as much as a well organized business plan.
Good night all - Family time.

By: therealtruth on 1/1/10
SS - Shall I assume when you said "the guy that ran the rack in the dark ages" you were referring to what I did for fun?
Right again SS!

By: jpryor00 on 1/2/10
The article on Ross University was interesting. Prior to DeVry entering the picture, Ross had an excellent reputation--it used to post the MCAT scores of its matriculates and the USMLE scores of its graduates. If they've stopped doing that I would assume it is because they've lowered their standards.

I think you asked me if I was going to create a medical school like a Caribbean medical school. No. The LCME accrediting standards are rather stringent and I don't think any Caribbean school could meet one of them. That may be an over-generalization, but I have no inclination to do that research.

I must have stated it poorly, as the reporter indicated our campus was going to be bustling with Asian, European and Latin American students. I was explaining that there is a push to bring more "under represented" minorities into medicine. One of the barriers currently is that virtually all medical schools require foreign educated students to attend a year at a US undergraduate college before becoming eligible to apply to medical school. While there are many countries that have substandard education systems, most of the developed countries have excellent schools. A foreign student who has followed a pre-med curriculum, obtains a good MCAT score and can speak fluent English is just as qualified to attend medical school as any US educated student. We do plan on working with specific foreign universities to assure standards and expedite the admission process. I expect that this will result in our campus having a higher than usual number of foreign nationals, but it isn't going to be the case that they are the majority of the students.

As far as Dini Partners clients go, I don't know what's on their web site now. The two campaigns I referred to were for Baylor and the University of Texas. UT is creating another new medical school--if memory serves--in Austin. I don't know what the status of that is, but it hasn't reached the first stage of the accreditation process yet.

You also asked what type of medical school. It will be an allopathic school.

By: jpryor00 on 1/2/10
I forgot something. I don't have an investment banker. The bond issuer in Texas was the investment bank. According to the director of economic development in Owatonna, they, too, use an investment banker.

If this process in Minnesota is anything like the process in Texas, it is the investment banker who does the due diligence and develops the prospectus. I have to present the business plan to the city and state for them to determine if this is an acceptable project for the bond process. I don't know all of the steps of that process, but I was told that the city council would have questions. I assume that is an open forum, open to the public.

By: therealtruth on 1/2/10
Good Golly "J" - thanks for all this information! I have a gazillion more questions but perhaps I should give someone else a chance to ask you something.


Ok - maybe just 2 quick questions.

What were the names of the Dini Partners clients in Minnesota you mentioned:
"Before any skeptics think, "Yes, but that was for a school in Texas," the majority of this firm's philanthropic sources are not in Texas. Actually, several of them are in Minnesota"

--------------
Did that Red Oak School of Medicine in Texas company you set up in Texas have anything to do with the Texas venture you mentioned that involved the investment banker.( BTW were was Red Oak School of Medicine registered? I couldn't find it in Texas - but hey TEXAS is pretty dang big!) Actually I believe you said something about him being on the board in Texas and wanted to be on the board of this new Owatonna venture.
" I was at the point of trying to seat the board in Texas. I have one person on the board who happens to be the senior VP of the investment bank I was dealing with in Texas. He still wants to be on the board, but we'll see about that. But his advice was to select a founding dean before trying to complete the board of directors, which I thought was excellent advice."



I swear that will be it for the questions for now - for today anyway!

oops one more - not a question -
for anyone interested - maybe SS while he sits in that recliner enjoying the show - here's a couple of links worth a read:

http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2008/04/04/what-does-it-cost-to-start-a-medical-school-anyway/

http://newmedicalschool.blogspot.com/

http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/879837/new_medical_school_breaks_ground_in_colorado/index.html




Hey SS = how exactly does a squirrel fit a recliner through that hole in the tree? Bet it's tough finding friends to help you move! Bet it's harder than getting a couch up 3 flights of narrow stairs. Enjoy the links!!!

By: therealtruth on 1/2/10
SS - heehee
http://www.bird-song.com/store/template/product_detail.php?IID=563

oh wait - you said recliner!

By: therealtruth on 1/2/10
here's a couple more links for those that want to research what setting up a medical school is all about:
http://www.kzoomedschool.org/

http://www.lcme.org/newschoolhome.htm

Kudos to J Pryor for wanting to take on this rather ambitious project!

By: jpryor00 on 1/3/10
I don't know if Dini has any clients in Minnesota. I said that some of their philanthropic resources were in Minnesota.

I didn't form a company for the ROSOM for two reasons. First, I wasn't inclined to form yet another company until I had made the commitment. Sometimes it feels like the business I'm in is rewriting business plans and setting up companies. Second, although it may sound insignificant, the name of the school matters and I wasn't real happy with calling it Red Oak. You give it a name so you can refer to it, but I think most would agree that ROSOM really doesn't roll off the tongue well.

I don't know if it's come up before but the name for this school is Midwestern School of Medicine. The new dean named it.

I'm going to have to go read that article about the cost of setting up a new school. It'll be interesting to see the comparison. But there are so many variables--for example, the cost of doing this school in Louisiana was more expensive than Texas, even though Louisiana was going to donate 160 acres of land and Texas was giving me 83 acres. I guess it's comparable to asking how long is a piece of string.

I'm glad to hear you're running out of questions. I hope you'll understand if I close down this exchange for now, as the holidays are over, people are going to be back in their offices and I've got a lot of calls to make. If you really want to know something, you've got my email address.

By: therealtruth on 1/3/10
Running out of questions? MOI? NEVER! I merely thought I shouldn't hog the board with all the gazillion questions I have. It's such an interesting proposal. And it really does sound "too good to be true"! It would mean so much to Owatonna to have something like that in their town. Not to mention I have IDEAS, too ! You need to get the community behind your project - this effects all of them so best to keep it all public rather than go the "you've got my email" route. I would post and share what you said anyhow (which I don't think is a TOS in this arena) so why not keep it public. Look how impressed everyone is with your candor and openess - it brings you much credibility. You are doing GREAT! And I haven't heard one popping sound yet! (that one's for you SS!)

What's in a name? You are right - everything! Here's an idea - perhaps you should call this school the Annexstad School of Medicine! and get him to donate the $45 million bucks. It could be an "investment" of sorts.

JPryor - a good thing I am not the sensitive type otherwise I would think you were giving me the brush off with that last paragraph you wrote.

I was happy to read you had no plans to set up a Carribean Medical School - since they are riddled with problems and would raise even more questions from me!(if that is possible). I know those programs were your "expertise" from reading your contributions on the ValueMD blogsite and you did mention you could do a better job than those programs - so that is all good. Your experience should play a big part in all this. You will know what NOT to do.

Speaking of offshore MD programs - have you read the latest down there?

http://livesite.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/westmoreland/s_660476.html

http://livesite.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/westmoreland/s_660475.html


Well just another example of "if it sounds too good to be true it probably is".


"Midwestern School of Medicine" - nope it didn't come up before. But thanks for the info.

By: therealtruth on 1/3/10
"But there are so many variables--for example, the cost of doing this school in Louisiana was more expensive than Texas, even though Louisiana was going to donate 160 acres of land and Texas was giving me 83 acres."

SWEET! I wonder what the little town of Owatonna will give you "J"!

Are you referring to the ACADIAN COLLEGE OF MEDICINE, LLC that you registered in Jackson, Louisiana on 5/27/2008? Interesting address you used - you must love those historical buildings!




SS ---> CLICK!

By: quinn on 1/3/10
therealtruth, or should I call you "T"? Thanks for all the links you've posted. Quite frankly, I was kind of wallowing in the Aegis Group thing.

J, just in case you post again, are you planning to relocate? Are you a lifelong Vikes fan? Enjoy the weather? Or did your "homesickness" end the day after you cast your eyes on this particular property? You seem to have a short attention span.

By: therealtruth on 1/3/10
THE Aegis Group out of London was not HIS company! Used the same name though.

J Pryor
The Aegis Group
1541 Blockford Court East
Tallahassee, FL 33217
(850)877-7740
"Medical Professionals investigating clinical fraud"
https://www.nicta.org/coursepage.aspx?CourseID=14
---------------------
Phonebook results for (850) 877-7740
Jerry Todd (850) 877-7740 1541 Blockford Ct E, Tallahassee, FL 32317 Map
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&&q=%28850%29+877%2d7740

----------------
Aegis Group The
Detective/armored Car Services
1541 Blockford CT E
Tallahassee, FL 32317 Tel: (850) 877-1536
http://www.citywaboo.com/business/3969587/Aegis_Group_The-in-Tallahassee-FL_32317-8461.html

-----------------

"The name of my company was The Aegis Group. 99% of my work was for federal agencies, so most of the work product is with the Federal Employee Compensation Board; however, the National Insurance Crime Bureau still uses the online training program I developed for them. It's on their National Insurance Crime Training Academy web site. Their VP of training, Tom Welsh would probably be willing to answer questions from you. I closed the company shortly after I completed that work."
----------------

many companies use the name Aegis

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=aegis+group&aq=f&oq=&aqi=g10

==================
This is all public information.

By: secretsquirrel on 1/3/10
therealtruth - (research rockstar) This thread sprang to life because of your posts. Thanks for that. I am trying to get some work done so I can hit the ground running tomorrow but could not resist a few peeks at OPP and FDN hot buttons.
I still have to check a couple of those links out but what you have provided so far has been very helpful. It's a lot of work no matter how much you enjoy it so I wanted to make sure to thank you for that.
Hey guys, we need more fun stories: woodpeckers, golf cart criminals, snowplowing complaints, water shrinkage... LOL Back to work for me. AC said he's a few time zones away but plans to be back eventually. Dirty dog is probably sipping cold beer on a hot beech somewhere.

By: jpryor00 on 1/4/10
This may be my last post for a while. Not that I'm brushing anybody off--if that had been my intention I would have done that a while ago. Contrary to what some might think, I don't mind the scrutiny. I'll certainly be undergoing more of it and it'll be quite more in depth than what public search engines can do and it will be done by professionals. If I was concerned about what might be revealed I wouldn't subject myself to it nor would I have willing offered how to find more about me to the inquirers here.

therealtruth, yes, that's the ACOM I referenced earlier. Jackson is where East Feliciana Economic Development is located and I used their offices/address to establish the company. The property they were donating was located 30 miles north of Baton Rouge. And yes, I love historic buildings, which was part of the attraction to the Pillsbury campus and why we're going to maintain the exteriors as well as mimic the style in new construction.

Quinn--yes, I do plan on relocating. No, I haven't been a lifelong Vikings fan. I'm not into any sport to the point that I've followed it from season to season. As for the weather, I've lived in Minnesota, so I know what to expect. I'm not understanding you short attention span comment.

Like I said, I probably won't be posting here anymore. I've answered your questions, despite their tone, which I have not criticized. I'm a firm believer in being open and I have been. But we've gone back as far as my senior year in high school, so I think it's enough. And before it's asked, I'm not hiding anything from my junior high or elementary school days.

Certainly, if there is something that you want me to respond to, send me an email and I'll come back here to respond--or wherever the discussion is occurring.

By: therealtruth on 1/4/10
No comment.
click click

SS you are right - we need more fun articles on woodpeckers, golf cart criminals, snowplowing complaints, water shrinkage - a place where true humor is appreciated.
Although that comment "J" just made about
" I'm not hiding anything from my junior high or elementary school days" was pretty funny.

"The devil is in the details" as the newest article has mentioned.

I wonder if AC is sitting on a beach chair alongside a bucket of iced coronas with limes with his toes buried in hot sand reading about the New Year runners running in 15 below weather and Woody and his pals diving through a chainsawed ice triangle looking for their rewards? Life just ain't fair!

By: quinn on 1/4/10
I hope A has a nice vacation. I wonder if he took his mother in law and her Jim Neighbors LPs along. That would certainly balance things out a bit.;)

therealtruth, Oh, I figured it out eventually, just didn't know what I was doing. No "research rockstar" here, that's why I appreciated your knowledge. And it was cool to find yet another poster with a slightly twisted sense of humor.

By: secretsquirrel on 1/5/10
Yeah, I liked that 'school' comment too.
therealtruth you described how I pictured AC's time away precisely how I envisioned it..... then quinn came along and filled in the details with Jim Nabors singing... OMG "Gomer" sings Christmas carols on the beach with AC belting out the chorus.
You guys are too much! Thanks for starting my day with an enormous smile. =D

By: therealtruth on 1/5/10
"Yeah, I liked that 'school' comment too"
Too bad facebook wasn't around back in the 60's when "J" was in junior high - because without a doubt I would have dug up that stuff as well! although didn't he himself disclose stuff from when he was 8 years old?
He started it!

One of my kids always says - "well I can forget about running for public office with what's been posted on my facebook!"

Just hanging out until something, anything happens with the Federated v. Boudreau case. Don't they have laws about having a speedy trial? Seems McIntosh was pretty speedy with that murder trial - so speedy he missed significant information that resulted in a mistrial. And here poor Boudreau, an ex Federated marketing rep sits a year and a half later with his life on agonizing hold waiting for yet another hearing on those trumped up charges to be rescheduled. McIntosh is in one tough spot - can you imagine him telling Federated to go "jump in the lake" - they have no case? Not with a bigtime life changing event that would require the political support of Federated behind him!
Poor Boudreau and his family - such injustice.

tsk tsk.

Hey with a bucket of iced Coronas with limes and my feet buried in hot sand I think I would even listen to a few lyrics of Jim Nabors - and love it! Now a Don Ho impersonator singing Tiny Bubbles at a luau where they serve POI at $100 bucks (maybe it's $200 by now) a person is another story.

By: RStew on 1/5/10
It seems to me that this whole Pillsbury thing is moving entirely too quickly for a business deal of this magnitude. Nothing has been filed with the city, state, or anyone else, and Mr. Pryor is already talking about what he's going to do with the stain glass window in Old Main. Um, I see the cart, but it seems someone forgot to bring the horse.

If there has been 3 prior incantations of this medical school idea, what makes this one any different?

And I'm curious as to what type of medical school we are talking about; will it be a training institution, or research, or maybe specialized for a specific area of medicine?

Is the competition for this school going to be places like DeVry or ITT (or these Caribbean med schools)? Or will this "Midwestern School of Medicine" compete with respectable institutions like Johns Hopkins and Stanford?

It's also interesting to me that in all of this talk about Pillsbury's facilities being a great fit and whatnot, not a mention about it's close proximity to one of the premier medical institutions in the world, the Mayo Clinic.

I think it's important for Mr. Pryor to understand that in the wake of financial frauds like Bernie Madoff (or closer to home, Tom Petters) that it's quite prudent to foster a hearty skepticism when it comes to these "too good to be true" business opportunities. Not to mention that in the wake of the economic downturn and the unemployment upturn, the possibility of an influx of jobs and other positive economic factors might cloud some people's (**cough**City Council**cough**)judgments. I have a feeling that this will foster the same type of jump-in-head-first mentality (without giving proper consideration to the economic realities) and over-the-top sentiment, enthusiasm, and special accommodations that brought us a swimming hole that doesn't make any money had to be subsidized after the fact.

therealtruth, I applaud you for your diligence and unwillingness to drink the kool-aid, at least yet anyways. I agree that this looks like a wonderful possibility for Owatonna, but believe we need not get too excited too soon.

As far as a speedy trial for Mr. Boudreau goes, the speedy trial demand is usually invoked by the defendant, not the prosecutor. Mr. Boudreau can demand one at any time, and, once he makes the speedy trial demand, the prosecution has 60 days to bring him to court, unless there is an established good cause as to why it should be postponed that is presented to and approved by the court(see Rule 11.10 of the Minnesota Rules of Criminal Procedure). More than likely it's his lawyer that is stringing it out. But then, that's pure speculation on my part.

By: therealtruth on 1/5/10
RStew - rather than answer for "J" - although some of the questions you ask are above - I will hope that he will return and respond to you. I think he is finished with ME! I've diluted his Kool Aid!

As for the Speedy Trial - since it has not even been determined by the judge there will be a trial - I guess you really can't ask for one?
To my knowledge (from reading the blog and SI) the last omnibus hearing that took place was the testimony from Chris Boudreau in July 2009. (which can be found on the Silicon Investor messageboard - I'll link it if you need the link)
After that hearing he was additionally charged with perjury ( the charges and hearing date delivered to the Boudreau's on the anniversary date of the death of their daughter Sophia- tsk tsk).
http://www.owatonna.com/news.php?viewStory=112082
That hearing was suppose to happen in September I think but delayed after the prosecution took their sweet time delivering their "evidence".(this was some mention of this in the testimony) A typical legal tactic from what I hear - wait until the very last minute than dump a pile of papers on the defendants attorney a day before the hearing. A contested omnibus hearing was scheduled for December 17. That hearing was cancelled and yet to be rescheduled (that I know of) because McIntosh was busy with that murder trial they just called a mistrial on due to information not available beforehand. So much for a speedy trial - sometimes they are too speedy I guess!
When one reads the Boudreau testimony and the descriptions by Prinna on her blog - you will note McIntosh didn't have all the facts on that case either. As he said "we have gotten a lot of new information today" - guess that happens when you only listen to the Federated version and charge ahead.

So perhaps asking for a speedy trial is premature given the judge hasn't even decided to advance the case to a trial? The judge could say they have no case and dismiss all charges - could he not?

I guess some delays can't be helped - after all both Owatonna judges were recused and excused and you would be at the mercy of the visiting judges schedule as well. But imagine for a moment you were innocent and had your life on hold all this time - couldn't work in the industry you were trained in, spending every cent you have defending yourself, losing your home, not having a home and not knowing what the heck is going to happen. How does one sleep at might? This seems flat out WRONG! and I think Federated knows it and doesn't care. It has gone way beyond "making him sweat". Oh phooey I feel like my blood is starting to boil thinking about this again! Maybe I need a quick dip in that lake!

All armchair lawyering opinions welcome! Is that Kadmas person around - I'd also like to hear what he/she says about this - seems pretty knowledgeable in the legal arena and about a lot of the "players" involved. And of course SS is always welcome to give his two nuts worth.

Comments from JFXJ are not welcome! I've already heard his version and read that stupid alleged charges by Insurance Commission link more than I can stand. But then again if he wants me to add anything to that list of abusive "cheek slaps" against the Boudreau's I've accumulated - he can go for it!

By: RStew on 1/5/10
I'm sorry, I was under the impression that he was currently incarcerated. If he's out then, unfortunately, he's basically at the mercy of the timetable of the court and the prosecution. The speedy trial demand is meant to prevent the government from indefinitely detaining someone in jail without the opportunity to confront the charges in court.

And as far as my questions about the Pillsbury thing, I saw that some of them were asked in one way or another. However, I found the answers to be limited and quite vague. He speaks as if this is a done deal and he's packing up the moving truck and getting ready to move in. But I believe he said he hasn't yet officially hired or has just recently hired a fundraising firm. So, he doesn't even know if he'll have the money. And he hasn't taken any of the real steps necessary to get this started. I guess I can't help but think of the guys that would coming triumphantly into a town in the old west selling the idea that a railroad is coming to town. While everyone was blinded with the excitement, he makes away with their money.

I never trust a person with one name, and I definitely don't trust a person with one letter. Hehe, ok, I'll admit it, I don't actually know anyone with a one letter name, but if I did, I wouldn't trust em!

But I hope I'm off base and am proven wrong. I would love for a medical school or something along those lines to come to Owatonna. I think it'd be a great idea (if it's true).

By: therealtruth on 1/7/10
http://www.keyc.com/node/31934

"Pryor says, "Just about every pigeon holed is plugged up and very careful at setting up and now set to fall into place and we're gonna be moving forward fast."So fast that he hopes to have the financial plans done by January and negotiations with a clinical institute complete"

Maybe he could plug up some of the woodpecker holes when he finishes with this project?

By: therealtruth on 1/29/10
Soooooo...Is the business plan finished yet "J"?
An update might be interesting. Perhaps the reporter could give you a call for a followup article?