Biography

Without a doubt, my parents, Tom and Alicia, have been powerful influences upon me, teaching me the importance of helping others selflessly, of working with people to achieve common goals, about dedicating ourselves to making life safe and wonderful for children, and much more. Some of you also know of my grandfather, Marty, and the ways in which he instilled in me a commitment to helping neighbors. A New York City firefighter, my grandfather used his off-days to do small repair jobs for the folks in his neighborhood. Some of my favorite childhood memories are of going to his workshop, getting the tools, and walking down the street to fix furniture, repair pipes, and much more. Although I moved from New York City when I was 6, I remember those early years with my grandfather fondly.

My grandfather at his FDNY dispatcher’s desk

Martha, my wife, and I moved to St. Peter in 1995. I had practiced law in California. In 1990, a professor at the University of Santa Clara became ill. I was asked to teach his course on the First Amendment. Teaching, I learned, offered fulfillment. I entered Northwestern University and earned my Ph.D in Communication Studies. In my final year at Northwestern, I stayed at home with our daughter Maggie during the day as Martha taught kindergarten. Martha, in turn, was with Maggie in the evening as I worked on my dissertation and taught.

When we prepared to leave Northwestern, Martha and I looked for a place where we could focus upon our family. I became an assistant professor in Communication Studies at Gustavus Adolphus College in the fall 1995. The Gustavus student body generously selected me as the recipient of the Swenson-Bunn teaching award. I am now a tenured, associate professor and serve as the director of the Gustavus Adolphus Pre-Law program.

Our second daughter, Sally, was born in Mankato in 1996. She is a sixth-grader at North Intermediate; Maggie is a tenth-grader at the St. Peter High School. Both are active in local theatre, having performed at Minnesota State University-Mankato, with Merely Players, and in other venues.

We love south-central Minnesota and immersed ourselves in community activities. With two friends, Martha co-led the Treemendous Playground project in St. Peter’s Gorman Park. Martha and I both coached for a number of years for the St. Peter Soccer Association. I joined the St. Peter Public Access Board. Martha and her close friend Mary Spear started the St. Peter Area Children’s Theatre (SPact).

The 1998 tornado was a pivotal moment for our family, as it was for many others. The amazing generosity of countless people and organizations captured the real sense of Minnesota Nice. Following the tornado, I committed to acknowledging the help that others gave us by dedicating myself to public service. First, I joined the St. Peter Heritage Preservation Commission. During my term as chair, over 30 buildings in downtown St. Peter were placed on the National Register of Historic Places. This experience led to an invitation to join the State Historic Preservation Office’s statewide review board for National Register applications.

As it became clear that the state’s system for funding education needed–and continues to demand–reform, I ran for election to the St. Peter Board of Education. I am in my second term and my third year as chair of the St. Peter Board of Education. I also serve as chair of the Minnesota Valley Education District, which provides special education services for seven local school districts.

In 2006, I was honored and humbled to be elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives.