Commissioner, Steele Coounty, Minnesota

Candidate, Minnesota State House of Representatives, District 24A, 2020

Member/Chair, Steele County Board of Commissioners, District 5, 1992-2010

Representative, Minnesota State House of Representatives, District 32A, 1980-1984

Candidate, Minnesota State House of Representatives, 1974, 1976, 1984

No caucus information on file.

Owner/Publisher/Editor, Owatonna Photo News

Commercial Lender/Marketer, Premier Bank

Small Business Management Instructor, Riverland Community College

General Manager, Shea Distributing Company, Incorporated

Program Officer/Business Development Coordinator, Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation

Program Manager, Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation

Publisher, Owatonna Photo News, 1989-1993

General Manager, Shea Distributing Company, Incorporated, 1974-1988

Member, Charter Commission, City of Owatonna

Member, Minnesota Counties Insurance Trust Board of Directors

Member, Owatonna Charter Commission

Administrator, Steele County, Minnesota, 2012-2015

Reason for Seeking Public Office:

Today, elective public service and politics are polarized and dominated by toxic rhetoric. It doesn't have to be this way. My top priority if elected is the same as my motivation for filing for office in the first place: to help restore confidence and respect for public office and the dignity of developing good public policy.

Today public opinion of elective office is at an all-time low. This condition is corrosive and extremely detrimental to a healthy democracy. When legislative deliberation is dominated by hyper-partisan name calling and voting in lockstep with party leaders whose motivation may be to score political points or retaining power, it's understandable that public confidence erodes.

We should aspire to hold our governmental institutions in high regard, to be supportive of our collective need for the structure and the order they provide. Those who choose to serve should embrace their obligation of being held to high standards and the responsibility to be a positive element of a respectful community. However, it's not just the responsibility of those who choose to run for office. We all need to do our part. To sustain and preserve the democracy we have inherited, we all need to take personal ownership of the conduct of our governmental institutions and the leaders we elect. After all, "the government" is ALL OF US and a reflection of who we are.

Regardless your choice in the coming election, please be guided by the principles of character, competency and policy, in that order. Character: does the candidate have strong core values, are they honest and of good moral standing? Competency: do they possess the human talent to listen, discern, problem solve and the ability to forge a consensus to enact public policy? And finally, policy: does the candidate reflect or share your positions on the issues of the day?

I believe one of the reasons we are in the toxic political environment we find ourselves today is that we have these three considerations backwards. I have heard it over and over again, "I don't approve of (fill in the blank) personal behavior or conduct, but I agree with their policy." But if they aren't of good character and prone to lie, how can you be sure that your values are truly being advocated by the candidate or are they just telling you what you want to hear to get your support? And if they don't have the ability to listen, won't engage with people who don't share the same position and demean those who disagree with them, how will they possibly be able to a forge a consensus to enact sustainable policy? Character and competency are prerequisites for genuine public service.

Living up to the principles and responsibilities of self-government, that is the American experiment, is not an easy task. That is where true leadership comes into play. My guiding principle in this campaign is, and will be if elected to the next Legislature, to be that of a "courageous truth teller".

My pledge to the voters in District 24a is that I will be true to my core values of honesty, accountability, respect, fairness, compassion and moral courage. I will not patronize you with quick fix, feel good solutions. I will not allow my service to be dictated by blind party loyalty and I will speak truth to power when leaders promote policy designed to retain power rather than what is in the best interests of the broad Minnesota community.