Tell us about your work experience and educational background?
I did my undergrad in political science at Macalester College and then got my J.D. from William Mitchell.  I've always been politically active, but initially I went into civil litigation. I did that for a few years, then decided to embrace my inner wonk and move into the public policy sector.  Prior to joining MSCSA, I was on Saint Paul Mayor Chris Coleman's staff working in the areas of government relations/legislative affairs and sustainability policy.

What interested you in working for MSCSA?
Honestly, I'm a big civics nerd–the kind of person who watches CSPAN for fun. I really believe that government can be a force for good, but it only works if people get involved and fight for the things that are important to them.  I'm excited to go down to the Capitol and be an advocate for quality, affordable, accessible public higher education.  I also believe strongly in the power of young people to effect meaningful change, so I'm even more excited about working with students to bring them into the process.

What do you see as the biggest challenges facing higher education in Minnesota?
We've got a major budget problem at the State level, and obviously everyone is concerned about what that's going to do to tuition rates.  But beyond that, my big fear is that as a result of these funding issues, we're going to start treating college more like a business transaction and less like the formative life experience it should be.  College needs to be about more than just getting a piece of paper that helps you get a job–it should be a place where students have a chance to grow, to learn new things, and to get the tools they need to live a meaningful and happy life.

I worry that the budget issues are going to lead to decreased funding for things like student support services, classroom facilities, student/faculty ratios, and extracurricular programming.  Minnesota has been so successful in the past because of our vibrant education system, and I want to make sure we don't compromise quality education to solve what is (hopefully) a short-term budget problem.

What interests do you have outside of work?  
I spend a lot of time playing music–I play tenor sax in a jazz big band and also in a full concert band.  I collect old records, which is great for me because it combines my loves of good music and bargain-hunting.  In the winter I like to downhill ski, and in the summer I like to golf and spend time at my family's cabin the the Brainerd Lakes region.  I also really like bad jokes, and I hereby apologize in advance for all the groaners that I'm going to force the students to endure.