Happy New Year!

Hi Folks!

I'd like to start by wishing everyone a happy new year! I realize I’ve been a bit delayed in updating everyone who doesn’t follow us on social media about what’s been happening. 

A couple of months ago I accepted a position on the board of directors with the Aurora Resource Center, formally known as the Thief River Falls Pregnancy Center. The Aurora Resource Center, and other centers like it, are a valuable resource for expectant mothers. Aurora, and other centers like it, lost most of their operating funds last year when the DFL trifecta eliminated the Positive Abortion Alternatives program from the state budget. I hope to collaborate with state legislators, and I’ve already spoken with some who are willing to reintroduce the program in the upcoming legislative session. I’ll include the center’s website at the end of this email.

This past week, I officially closed our state campaign finance account. I plan to file the paperwork to close the file with the state campaign finance board within the next couple of days. If we do end up running for public office again in the future, we’ll simply start from scratch! Another reason we’ve decided to move forward with this is to have a clean slate as I prepare for the next challenge ahead. 

Last month, I submitted an application to compete to be a Regent of the University of Minnesota. This process is a long and somewhat complex one. The board of regents for the U of M consists of 12 people serving 6-year terms with 4 openings every two years. The board serves as the governing body of the U of M, setting policies, determining goals, and overseeing the budget. They are responsible for the hiring of the President of the University and other important decisions.

If you tend to get bored with details you may wish to skip to the end.

The first step in the process is to submit an application to the Regent Candidate Advisory Council (RCAC). The RCAC is a council appointed by the state legislature to screen potential candidates. I am running for one of two at large positions. It appears there were about 30 applicants, and the RCAC picked 12 to advance to in-person interviews  After the first round of voting, I was tied for 5th and invited to the next round. The committee then picks up to 8 candidates to be sent to the legislature for a joint legislative session to select the regents.

So why am I doing this? A few reasons...

As a graduate of the University of Minnesota Crookston, I felt that the college administration and the board of regents didn’t truly represent or understand the culture of our campus. Requiring COVID vaccines for students to take online classes, while not imposing the same requirements on professors or other university staff felt wrong, as did their reactions to the riots in the cities. But it is much more than that. As you may or may not be aware, the U is a “Land Grant University.” So, what exactly is that? 

A land grant university is a college or university in the United States that was designated by its state to receive benefits from the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890, meaning they were funded by federal land grants and committed to providing practical, accessible education focused on agriculture, mechanics, and military training, aimed at the working class, while also including classical studies.

Do you think the University is succeeding in this mission? I do not. Of the 12 regents currently serving, there isn’t one with an agriculture background, and they have no veteran representation. The past two years marked the first time since the board of regents was established that there has been no veteran representation.

In addition, we have 5 campuses in the University of Minnesota system yet we have no representation on the regents from the counties or immediate areas of the Crookston or Morris Campuses, rural agricultural areas. To maintain a strong system statewide, we need to have strong individual campuses, including those in greater Minnesota. Each campus should have its own focus area, and that campus should be the primary campus for that area within the greater U of M system. 

All too often, when we talk about diversity, people are more interested in diversity of appearance over diversity of thought. An article from the university newspaper a couple years ago highlighted the lack of diversity of thought on the board of regents, emphasizing that. From June 2021 to July 2022, the board took 109 votes, 81 of those were unanimous and 28 were split among regents. The majority of those 28 split votes were because 2 regents did not “go with the flow.” One of those regents happened to be the last Veteran to serve as a regent. His name is Darrin Rocha. 

While running for office has not gone my way the last few elections, I still want to serve and I still want to make a difference. So, for now, I am taking a different tack to see if we can make progress from this angle. Thank all of you for your support. We will keep fighting the good fight!

My regent interview is scheduled for January 6th. They will announce the final candidates who will be recommended to the legislature on January 10th. I appreciate your well wishes!

Have a Happy and Joyous New Year, from my family to yours.