“As CIO preparing for that exercise, I recognized along with my staff recognized that if we could tap into Japanese intelligence that would be fantastic.” In 2013, Hein and a group of 11 others began the work for the now published book, “Taconite: New Life for Minnesota’s Iron Range”. The book summarizes the history of the Erie Mining Company and has won an international award from the Mining History Association. A year later, Rein took a role on the Veterans Memorial Hall Advisory Committee, a joint project of the St. Louis County Historical Society. His years of dedication and commitment to the Historical Society earned him the 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Depot Foundation.