I had the opportunity to travel to Denmark in October 2024 & Germany in June of 2025. This trip involved my county role in serving Region 9 as a commissioner. It’s important for rural Minnesota to join forces and work collaboratively with other counties. We have a stronger voice as a region than an individual county. I am proud to serve as an elected Region 9 Commissioner. Region 9 serves the counties of Brown, Blue Earth, Faribault, LeSueur, Martin, Nicollet, Sibley, Waseca and Watonwan with challenges and has jurisdiction to cross county lines of government with administering complex initiatives. Additionally, it serves as a vehicle to work in cooperation with state and federal agencies to administer effective programs on a regional basis.
With that important role in mind, I was selected to represent Region 9 and Brown County on two international trips. One in Denmark (2024) and the other in Germany (2025). Both trips focused on opportunities involved foreign economic/business investors, circular economy, emergency management & global collaboration. Both trips were financed through the private grants (McNight Foundation) and didn’t involve any public funds. It was a great learning experience with lessons being applies and will pay dividends for our region / county for years to come.
