Hi, I'm Josh

My parents instilled the value of serving my community in me at a young age. My dad was a volunteer police reservist for the City of Fridley in Minnesota and my mom has been the president of the board of their local homeowners association for as long as I can remember. After 30 years as a small business owner selling woodworking tools, my mom be gan working at Target where she is always available to lend a hand to families who might need help with their kids. My dad, the hardest working person I know, is a community service officer for two police departments in Minnesota. My younger sister, a registered nurse, led the coordinated COVID response team for the Anoka County Health Department.

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I graduated from St. John's University with a Bachelor’s degree in political science. I also played rugby. I understood the importance of serving the community after completing two terms of service in the AmeriCorps, a federal volunteer program intended to empower local communities to address their unique needs. I was an after-school activity and event coordinator at Boys and Girls Club of St. Cloud and later worked with low-income 9th graders in the Twin Cities, helping them transition to high school. In addition to gaining a better understanding of the education system and nonprofits, I also found my life partner, my wife, Anna.

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A daughter of public school teachers, Anna has her Ph.D. in International Education and worked in higher education for several years. When her younger sister passed two years ago, she became a caregiver for her terminally ill mother. Anna has been an Irish Dancer since she was five and now teaches at her childhood dance school, Heritage Academy. She serves as co-president of Kanonji Appleton Partnership, which supports the connection and exchange program with Appleton’s sister city, Kanonji, Japan.

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As I considered running for public office, I sought ways to gain stronger connections and better understanding of our local community. I served as secretary on the Board of Volunteer Fox Cities. I serve on the Appleton Downtown Incorporated Economic Development Council, Appleton Downtown Rotary Board of Directors, and the Historic Central Neighborhood Core Team (helping coordinate Porchfest). I am a 2024 Alumni of Leadership Fox Cities through the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce.