Spire Credit Union CEO Dan Stoltz remembers how the pageantry of the St. Paul Winter Carnival stood out to him as a child — the battle between the Royal Family and the Vulcan Krewe, the parades, the bouncing girl.

Stoltz, 54, said he never imagined he would be King Boreas Rex LXXIX for the 2015 Winter Carnival. He was crowned Friday night at the Winter Carnival Royal Coronation, held at the St. Paul RiverCentre.

Looking back, what strikes him most is how the community came together during the Winter Carnival, he said.

“It’s a great tradition for families, and it breaks up a very long winter,” Stoltz said.

The Winter Carnival brings people together the Minnesota way, he said.

“It shows that we as Minnesotans are hardy people. We don’t fight winter; we embrace it,” he said.

The words positivity, focus and competition are suspended in a word cloud hanging on Stoltz’s office wall as he talks about what being king means to him.

The attributes are among Stoltz’s top strengths, according to the leadership method StrengthsFinder that he uses at Falcon Heights-based Spire, where he has been president and CEO for five years.

He said these virtues were instilled in him at a young age as he delivered papers for the Pioneer Press on St. Paul’s East Side.

Stoltz’s mantra as this year’s King Boreas is “chase your dreams.”

“We all have dreams — whether you’re 5 or 105,” he said. “I want to encourage people and give them hope.”

Stoltz has lived in Lino Lakes for the past 14 years but grew up on the East Side, attending Johnson High School. He went on to study business and finance at Northwestern College, now University of Northwestern-St. Paul. He has an MBA from the University of St. Thomas.

One of the royal activities that Stoltz said he looks forward to most is knighting special subjects throughout the year.

“The fun part is recognizing people in the community who are doing great stuff … teachers, business leaders, public servants. It’s everyday folks who are really giving back,” he said.

The role of King Boreas extends beyond the 12-day Winter Carnival to the whole year, he said. That’s why it was so important to him to make sure his wife, Robin, was on board before he said yes to the crown.

The couple has been married for 30 years. They have three adult children and a 6-month-old grandson. Stoltz said he is excited to share the Winter Carnival experience with the boy.

He remembers packing his own children into the family car when they were young and driving from Circle Pines to St. Paul to see the King Boreas Grande Day Parade.

Stoltz always was struck by the tremendous commitment and leadership of past kings, he said.

“I remember seeing the kings of the past. I never thought it would be a possibility for me. It caught me by surprise. That’s why I’m so honored,” he said.

Katie Kather can be reached at 651-228-5006.

Follow her at twitter.com/ktkather.

Copyright 2015 Pioneer Press.