Naomi Reed Rhode '56

Living Her Faith in a Secular World

“God called me to work in the secular world, but my faith is the North Star for all I do.”
-Naomi Reed Rhode ‘56

 

Naomi Reed Rhode approaches everything in her life–faith, family, and career–with infectious passion and energy. Wife, mother of 3 children, grandmother of 12, and great-grandmother of 11, she is a force of nature!

While her parents built a strong religious foundation for their children, Naomi’s years at Minnehaha provided a fertile ground where the lessons she learned at home could be practiced and solidified, strengthening her identity–one centered on faith, service, and leadership. 

Naomi began her studies at MA right after her father died and immediately threw herself into life at the school. From being a member of the Singers under Harry Opel, to playing piano in chapel, and graduating with honors, Naomi thrived at Minnehaha.

“My time at Minnehaha was very precious to me,” says Naomi. “It became a whole new family, and the four years I spent at MA were among the strongest years of my life spiritually.”

“My mother always said, ‘Choose friends that you want to become like,’ and I did that at Minnehaha,” Naomi recalls. “And I also chose the best person to marry because I wanted to be more like Jim. God puts people together on purpose.”

The Start of Her Journey

Naomi initially planned to pursue a career in nursing, but this path changed because of the societal constraints of the 1950s, when many colleges prohibited married women from matriculation. In love and eager to marry Jim, she took her brother’s advice to pursue dental hygiene, a shorter program that would allow her to complete her studies and marry a year earlier.

After graduating and working as a dental hygienist, in 1967, Naomi and Jim began building a thriving dental practice management business. Their company, Smart Health, provided practice management tools and resources for healthcare professionals, with a particular emphasis on the dental industry. Over more than four decades and while raising a family, the couple combined their entrepreneurial spirit with a passion for professional speaking, traveling to all 50 states and 17 foreign countries to lecture to dental groups. 

A Surprise Twist in the Road

Eventually, Naomi’s career evolved beyond dental speaking and seminars and managing a large product company as she became a highly sought-after professional speaker, traveling nationally and Internationally.

But the beginning of this career was seemingly accidental–but God totally ordained.

“My brother, Dr. Omer Reed, graduated from the Dental School at University of Minnesota and became a very famous dentist,” Naomi recalls. “He spoke all over the world, and I remember an engagement where he was addressing 600 dentists in New York.”

“Preventive dentistry was becoming big, and as Omer was speaking, he said, 'I need to make a phone call and will be gone for about 25 minutes. I'm going to turn the microphone over to my hygienist, Naomi, who will share what it is like to be a dental hygienist in a preventive practice.'”

“I had never held a microphone,” says Naomi, “but I knew that I could share how passionate I was about preventive dentistry, and how it had changed dentistry for me and our patients!”

And there began Naomi’s professional speaking career.

In time, both Naomi and Jim both served as presidents of the National Speakers Association (NSA), an impressive feat for any professional speaker.  Naomi also went on to be the President of the Global Speakers Federation. Naomi is a recipient of the prestigious Council of Peers Award of Excellence (CPAE) from the NSA, which recognizes outstanding speaking skills and professionalism, and in 1997 she was awarded the Cavett Award, one of the highest honors in the speaking profession. She has a talent for delivering "deep content wrapped in heart," using humor, imagery, and personal stories to connect with her audiences.

Service to Others and to the Lord

Over the years, Naomi has combined her business acumen with her passion for communication and lay ministry. From serving on the committee that brought Bible Study Fellowship to Phoenix, to starting a Christian-based widow’s support group and publishing inspirational books, her life is testament to the power of communication and an authentic desire to serve others, and her faith. 

“I speak because I love the Lord, and I see God at work in everything,” Naomi explains. “God called me into a secular world, but I care deeply that people go to heaven and spend eternity with Jesus, and that all came from my family–and from Minnehaha Academy.”

Look for Naomi’s books on Amazon.com: 

Naomi and the Widow’s Club

My Father’s Hand

The Gift of Family, A Legacy of  Love