Let me introduce myself as your new Education Minnesota Field Staff. My name is John Borgen. Your former Field Staff person, Sue Vento, and I mutually requested and were allowed to transfer into each other’s assignment effective September 1, 2005. I assumed all of Sue’s former responsibilities and she took over mine. This provides Sue and me opportunities to expand and develop our professional skills in new environments and will hopefully provide our Locals new and unique insights.

            I have most recently worked with seven Education Minnesota Locals in the East Metro area, including Roseville and North St. Paul. I have also worked with members in the White Bear Lake and Mounds View Locals. Prior to that, I worked for the Minnesota Education Association out of our Rochester office serving Locals in the Austin and Albert Lea area. Before that, I was a music teacher in Wisconsin for four years. I graduated from Saint Olaf College and have a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

            My particular interests in union work fall in the broad areas of member advocacy, organizational capacity building and leadership development. I look forward to working with your Minnetonka Teachers Association in the months and years ahead.