Dear Neighbors,
I’m Mary Kunesh-Podein and I am so proud to be your State Representative from Minnesota House District 41B.
Columbia Heights, Hilltop, Saint Anthony and New Brighton are great cities for Minnesotans to raise a family – we have excellent public schools, wonderful parks, vibrant neighborhoods, and a growing local economy. I continue to work to ensure that Minnesota continues to invest in our children and families so that our region remains a place where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
As your State Representative, I will continue to be a champion in Saint Paul for our communities. I will continue to fight for policies that build on what we know works by investing in our public schools, strengthening family economic security, and advancing environmental sustainability.
As always, I look forward to hearing from you. Let me know how you think we should be investing in our community and how I can carry those ideas forward as your State Representative.
Thank you for your support!
For official matters please contact Mary at:
303 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Saint Paul, Minnesota 55155
651-296-4331
About Me
As a middle child of a tight knit family of 13, I learned early on the valuable lessons of collaboration, commitment, and the common good. I supported myself through high school and college, earning a degree in Elementary Education from the College of St. Catherine as a single mother, and then a Master’s Degree in Information Media from St. Cloud State University.
My husband Tim, an avid sports fan and outdoorsman, works in the transportation field. Elianne, my eldest, works at Take Action Minnesota focusing on racial and economic equity across Minnesota. Louisa is the Chef de cuisine at Stewart’s in St. Paul and my son Elie, a graduate of St. Anthony High School, works as an assistant to Hennepin County Commissioner Marion Greene.
Through my family and work, I know that when we worked together, everyone benefits. I have wholeheartedly applied these life lessons to civic leadership and community engagement. I am an educator and have a passion for learning. I have worked in the public education system for over 20 years, first in inner city schools in Minneapolis as Library Media Specialist and currently at Robbinsdale Middle School. I was a finalist for Teacher of the Year in 2014, having been nominated by my peers for my leadership, dedication, and ability to build trustworthy relationships with staff and students. I am a proud member of Education Minnesota and the Robbinsdale Federation of Teachers, I have served as a building union steward and participated in the process of teachers negotiations. I was also chosen to participate in leadership training through the University of Minnesota’s Union Leadership Program, and have served on the Education Advisory Committee with the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation.
In New Brighton, I sat as the Chair of the New Brighton Parks, Recreation and Environment Commission after serving as a commissioner for six years. Always pining for a local farmers market, I teamed up with a handful of like-minded New Brightonians and we began a very successful New Brighton Farmers Market that serves a broad reach of communities. These community connections have helped me to have a deep understanding of local issues surrounding transportation, connectivity, and the environment. Through the New Brighton League of Women Voters, I collaborated on the research and drafting of the impressive policy paper entitled The Impact of Neonicotinoid on Honey Bees, which makes a cogent case for environmental protections to prevent further colony collapse disorder and agricultural losses.
I care deeply about the state of our education system and diversity in our communities. I am ready to find practical alternatives to the current barriers that interfere with the best education we can give our students. I believe it is time that our children experience a more holistic education program that better prepares students to enter the modern workplace. I am also committed to policies that address the insurmountable burden of student loans for our college graduates. I understand the vital need to make higher education more affordable and accessible. I am passionate about finding the right solutions to supporting our communities of color and encouraging a dynamic and diverse culture of inclusion. My own family is of American Indian heritage and my children are proud of their Lebanese heritage.
My unique life experiences coupled with leadership positions in our community provide me with a strong understanding of local and regional challenges and the experience to work with diverse stakeholders to find practical solutions to issues.
I’m excited to serve, this is an exciting time for our communities and our State. Let’s do this together!
This content was originally published at http://www.kunesh-podein.com/