Meet brad
I’m passionate about making Shakopee a great place to live, work, and raise a family.
Brad
a Farm kid
I grew up in the small Iowa community of Moville. Situated down six dusty miles of gravel road, we raised just about everything on our farm—from cattle, hogs, sheep, and chickens to corn, beans, and hay.
Like my family, classmates, and other farming families, I learned the value of putting in the effort and lending a hand.
I also cultivated my fair share of grit.
I was a 4H kid back then, and in many ways, I still am.
I didn’t just show livestock at our county and state fairs. I grew my leadership skills, learned the meaning and value of civic engagement, had deep conversations about service, and contributed to my community.
college—a time of discovery
When I started at the University of Iowa, I intended to pursue a degree in medicine. What I soon came to realize, though: It didn’t light me up.
I felt the pull of an active life spent outdoors, like the one I had as a kid—and plants were a language I understood.
Ultimately, that meant packing up and moving to Ames, where I graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in horticulture.
early career, Early lessons
I started my career in Chicago, heading up the maintenance division of a landscape architecture firm. Two years later, I headed to the Twin Cities looking for a better fit and to be closer to family.
My experiences at these two companies were wildly different, and I took critical lessons with me when I started my landscape business:
The importance of ensuring my team feels respected
An understanding of what employees need out of their jobs
How to create career paths that empower people to learn and grow
Today, I help folks preserve water, support pollinators and healthy soils, and reduce the use of chemicals with native plants.
Not only does my consulting work restore life to backyards—it contributes to the ecological sustainability of Minnesota.
my Family, my home
My wife, Katy, and I married in 2001, and two years later, we bought our home in Shakopee. At the time, it backed up to a cornfield and overlooked a local baseball field. A huge baseball fan and Iowa-farm-kid-Field-of-Dreams-loving guy, I couldn't resist the view.
Our city has grown by leaps and bounds since then. While the baseball field remains, we now overlook a grocery store and fire station.
Today, we have two children, aged 13 and 17; a dog, Scout; and some chickens to feed my farm-life itch.
Shakopee is beautifully diverse, and a community that takes care of its own. We’re proud to call this city our home.
a life of public service
I grew up in a tight-knit community and wanted my kids to experience that same sense of community care.
When Katy and I were expecting our first child, I applied for a position with the Shakopee Parks and Rec Board.
Creating meaningful change for our city proved exciting.
THE NEXT STEP
The mayor was planning to retire while I was serving as the chair of the Shakopee Parks and Rec Board and Chamber & Visitors Bureau.
Our second child had just arrived, and I saw an opportunity to create an even stronger community for her—and all of us.
At the urging of friends, I decided to run. As it turns out, I had the right skill set to excel at it—and developed many more through that campaign.
I loved it.
Creating change as your Shakopee mayor
In the early 2000s, our community experienced some growing pains. New tax revenue wasn’t adequately directed to improving services or building a thriving community. At the time, half of our downtown was vacant.
As mayor, I delivered for Shakopee:
Bringing in new businesses and high-paying jobs
Nurturing community connections
Laying the groundwork for our bustling city center
MY SECOND mayoral TERM
When I ran for re-election, I won with 87% of the vote.
Driven to do right by our community, I had some tough conversations and made hard decisions.
Now, our modern city government can serve our fast-growing community—and, brimming with successful family businesses, brew halls, restaurants, and shops, Shakopee is the place to be.
Getting things done at the Capitol
I stepped into the race when our district unexpectedly needed a candidate in 2018. Thanks to incredible support from the community, I became the first Democrat to win the House seat in 30 years.
Since that time, I’ve drawn on those early 4H lessons in leadership and civic engagement:
Breaking down big challenges into smaller, actionable pieces
Building coalitions across jurisdictions and party lines to get things done
Engaging in open conversations with residents and connecting them to services and resources
Advocating on behalf of our community to ensure our city gets its fair share of investment
The result?
Meaningful change for Shakopee residents:
Incoming city funding to stabilize our river bank and improve our parks, trials, and entertainment district
An education support professionals (ESP) bill of rights to ensure those who care for our children receive the dignity of a family-supporting wage
Funding to boost trooper pay and an end to mandatory retirement for troopers who’d like to stay on the job
A new pedestrian bridge to connect our residential district to jobs and parks
Enacting generational change
I’m proud of the work I did in the 2023 session
In partnership with my fellow legislators, I made generational investments in education, health care, housing, and programs to address racial inequity.
I also helped pass the largest tax cut in Minnesota history.
This work will ensure a brighter future for generations of Minnesotans to come.
And—with your vote—I’ll continue to get things done on behalf of the great people of Shakopee.
