The Crowning Touch
Taking an eighth-grade drafting class (rather than one in cooking) and doing estimates for construction plans brought home by her master-plasterer father moved Sarah (Wojtowicz) Bazey ’88 a step closer to ownership of her own company. Bazey started Simplex Construction Supplies, Inc. while she was still a student at Augsburg, and she continues to serve as president and CEO. The company has worked on projects across North America and with some of the most accomplished contractors in the world.
Beyond her success in the business world, however, is an even richer story about the courage and perseverance of this Scandia, Minnesota native.
On a sunny October afternoon in 1994, after completion of a large highway project, Bazey expressed her gratitude to the work team by chartering a helicopter for several tours. But on the day’s last ride—the only one that Bazey took—disaster struck. The helicopter caught some newly strung power lines, crashed, and skidded into a temporary concrete barrier before it exploded. Bazey, still strapped in, was soaked in jet fuel and in flames.
She somehow freed herself, and the pilot jumped on her back to extinguish the flames; eventually she crawled to a mud puddle and covered her face. But having sustained third-degree burns to her face and 40 percent of her body, she went on to endure 15 surgeries, 18 months of therapy, and countless medical procedures, grateful to have her loving parents and family at her side during recovery.
In time she was able to resume many of her activities, such as figure skating, yoga, downhill skiing, snowshoeing, and mountain hiking. She dedicated herself to helping other burn victims through board leadership and volunteer work for the SOAR (Survivors Offering Assistance in Recovery) program of the Phoenix Society. She also began volunteering her time, sense of hope, and listening skills at Regions Hospital, where she was once helped by an “amazing” burn team.
A 2003 graduate of Harvard Business School, she has served as a keynote speaker for the World Burn Congress, as director and chair of the Community Bank board, and in leadership roles for various construction-related associations. In 2006, her company received the Outstanding Material Supplier national award.
And the crowning touch? In March 2012, Bazey was crowned Mrs. Minnesota International. From there, she went on to Chicago to compete with women from around the world, and on July 21 (the 25th anniversary of Simplex), she was crowned Mrs. International 2012—an honor that will afford her an opportunity to promote burn awareness and education worldwide, as well as the American Heart Association’s “Go Red for Women” initiative. The Mrs. International competition seeks to celebrate the accomplishments of married women, importance of family, and dedication to a charitable cause or nonprofit organization.
A professional figure skater, Bazey felt right at home when she started college because she had skated on Augsburg’s campus since age 12. Also, several in the Wojtowicz family were already Auggies—brothers Guy ’81, Nick ’71, and Len ’75; two sisters-in-law, Pat (Clausen) ’77, and Sally (Tabor) ’76. Her nephew, Zachary Wojtowicz, is slated to graduate in 2014. Bazey lives in Minneapolis with her husband Joe and their special doggie, Tonka.