In addition to his role at Minneapolis law firm Fredrikson & Byron, Warren Mack is a member of several boards of directors—and a man of many dimensions.
“I started flying when I was 50.
Five years ago, on Easter Sunday morning, my wife, Linda, my daughter, Leslie,
and I were flying down to see Grandma in Iowa. We were in a single-engine Piper
Malibu. Right after takeoff, the engine caught on fire and quit. I didn’t have
enough altitude to get back to the airport, so I pulled the landing gear up and
landed in the Mississippi River.
“We weren’t hurt and started to swim to an island. A fisherman showed up and yanked the three of us from the water. From that experience, I learned that you need to stay absolutely focused on what it is you have to do.
“In growing orchids, I’ve learned what it’s like to be addicted to something. At one time, I had 500 different types; I now have about 250.
“I’ve also been playing the cello since I was 26; I’m 62 now. In law school, I would go to Chicago Symphony Orchestra matinees and was taken with the sound of the cello. My family has described me as the worst cellist in the free world. They once locked me in the greenhouse where I was practicing and said it was an accident. Playing the cello helps you understand great music that is so beautifully put together, there are no seams. But when you’re a bad cellist like I am, you notice the seams.”
