As Commissioner, I have focused my efforts on helping people move from the pandemic to thriving in a post-COVID time. 

 

Whether it has been supporting businesses through our work at Elevate Hennepin, co-investing with communities in roads and bike paths, planning a better future for the environment, or leading the county's efforts to tackle our public safety challenges, my efforts have been to elevate community over government. 

 

I am serving my 4th year as Chair of the Hennepin County Public Safety Committee where we try to support all of our first responders, tackling the root cause of crime and making sure victims remain at the forefront of our efforts. 

 

I have been fortunate to be trusted by my fellow Commissioners to be Co-Chair of the Inter Governmental Relations Committee for Hennepin County, where it is my responsibility to work with all governmental partners and be a tireless advocate for the interests of Hennepin County and its residents.  

 

Starting last fall, I served as a Co-Chair of the Working Group for Youth Intervention, for the Minnesota State Legislature, where we developed and delivered a report back to them, advocating for changes in how the system serves youth with mental health needs post-adjudication.  This working group was focused on how our state licensure system needs to be revamped along with funding, so we can deliver better results. 

 

Also, this year, I was elected Chair of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee for Hennepin County, working across law enforcement and the courts to see how we can continue to evolve our response to the changing justice challenges including juvenile justice.  

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Prior to my role as Hennepin County Commissioner, I served as Mayor of my hometown of Brooklyn Park for 10 years.

 

As Mayor, I led efforts to connect to an increasingly diverse community, add over $1B of development and transportation investments within the city, and lower crimes to the lowest levels in 30 years.

 

I spoke nationally on the value of After School Initiatives, including measuring the results of these investments. I was one of the original mayors of Cities United, a national effort to reduce violence in the lives of young men of diverse backgrounds.

 

Along with Cities United, he was part of President Obama's initial launch of the My Brothers Keepers Initiative, which is a national effort to positively affect the lives of youth and eliminate barriers to success.

 

In 2013, I was honored with the Minnesota After School Champion award from the Minnesota Statewide Afterschool Alliance, and in 2018, I was honored for my work supporting veterans by the Minnesota VFW.

 

As Mayor, I founded the Blue Line Now Coalition, a group of cities leading efforts to support the construction of the METRO Blue Line Extension Light Rail (BLRT).

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I hold a Master’s Degree from Minnesota State University – Mankato, and a bachelor's degree in History, Political Science and Russian from North Dakota State University.

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My wife, Jodi, and I have two sons, Joshua and Jedrik, who attend school in the Anoka-Hennepin School District.