Candidate Biography

I was born in Detroit Lakes, MN.  My parents moved to St. Cloud, MN which is where I grew up and lived for approximately 25 years. I have lived in Minnesota almost my whole life and moved back to Detroit Lakes in 2013 because I love the area.
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As a young child, I joined scouting which taught me a lot of life values. One thing I learned was to always be prepared as there are many times in life when things catch you when you’re least expecting them, and it is how well you prepared for them that determines the outcome you will get out of it. There are a lot of times in my life where I have reflected on the values that scouting taught me and so I still use those tools daily. 
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My father inspired in me a love of nature and the outdoors at a very young age. I have enjoyed numerous adventures in nature with friends and family over the years, especially my late dog Jack. The memories I have are of the bonding and experiences we have together, not necessarily the success of the trip. My love for nature has led me to become a strong supporter of the 2nd Amendment; for our right to hunt as well as the need for self-defense.
 
I currently work for Arvig, a provider of telecommunications and broadband services. I am a Fiber Optic Technician where I work connecting our communities to the rest of the world through fiber optics. My company is very supportive of Minnesota communities as well as all the employees that work there. 

As a long term resident of Detroit Lakes, I take pride in serving my community whenever I can.  I have been a member of the Detroit Lakes Jaycees since 2014 and have held many leadership roles within the organization. Most recently I helped plan and coordinate the 84th Northwest Water Carnival in Detroit Lakes, MN. which has a long history in the area. Throughout the planning and the event itself, you have to coordinate the efforts of many different people and organizations. It takes a strong coordinated effort from everyone involved to put on an event of this size. The cooperation with the city, the police department, and the many other city departments is a tremendous asset to the success of this event.

I am running because I would like to see our districts core values and common sense better represented in St. Paul. I would like to see a reduction in regulations that are suffocating our small business and farmers. We need to give our local farmers a bigger voice so that their needs will be heard. 

We should get our teachers back in school this fall doing what they do best, educating our future. Children learn best in a school environment as there is more to learn from school than just what is taught in a book.