For nearly 12 years I’ve been blessed to represent the area where I was born and raised in the Minnesota state legislature. The southern suburbs of the Twin Cities are a special place and I’m always excited to advocate for our shared interests and values in St. Paul. Below is a little bit about me. Of course, anytime you would like to know more or talk with me about any state issues don’t hesitate to call.

Ancient History

As the youngest of six children to Don and Marlene Gerlach, we were among the first to arrive in Lebanon Township—soon to become the City of Apple Valley. My late father had long ago retired from the civil service with the St. Paul Army Corps of Engineers and my mother is now retired after a 45 year career as a registered nurse. I went to Westview Elementary School, Valley Middle School, and graduated from Apple Valley High School in 1983.

The Middle Ages

I was introduced to public service and the military early on as a Civil Air Patrol Cadet at age 13 ultimately earning top leadership awards and rank within the cadet program. This certainly set me on a course to the College of St. Thomas earning a B.A. in political science and a commission in the United States Air Force through the ROTC program. Before graduation however, I was fortunate to land an internship with then U.S. Senator Rudy Boschwitz. This was a fantastic experience over ten months spent both in St. Paul and Washington D.C. which further developed my interest in public policy and public service.

As a new active duty second lieutenant in the Air Force, my first assignment was as a Minuteman II crew member in our Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) force. At the time, Ellsworth Air Force Base in Rapid City, South Dakota was a key Strategic Air Command base with ICBMs, B-1 bombers and a host of other Cold War military assets.

Always valuing education, I pursued a graduate degree while on active duty earning a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of South Dakota.

By the early 1990s the Cold War was over and the world was changing. I was promoted to the rank of Captain and was working as a crew commander deactivating the weapon systems I had once worked to maintain on constant alert status. It was time to close this chapter and take on other challenges.

The Modern Era

It was 1993 when I made the decision to return to civilian life and move back to Apple Valley. My hope was to work for myself and get back involved in politics. I saw this as a way to really make a difference in people’s lives. After years of volunteer work I had the opportunity to run for public office myself in 1998. It was an open seat for State Representative which I won along with two additional terms in 2000 and 2002. It was the summer of 2004 when Governor Pawlenty appointed our State Senator, Dave Knutson, a District Court Judge initiating a special election to fill the vacant senate seat. It was a swift campaign whereby I was elected to represent not only Apple Valley and Burnsville, but also Rosemount. I was also fortunate to be re-elected again in 2006.

Today, I own and operate my own direct marketing and mail processing business located in Eagan. Previous to that I’ve gained valuable business experience in telecommunications and real estate sales. My wife, Shelli, grew up on their family farm in Canby, Minnesota. We have two children; Erica, age 8, and Garrett, age 6. Both attend Westview Elementary School.

Long active in the local community, I am a member of the Apple Valley American Legion Post 1776, Civil Air Patrol, and three local Chambers of Commerce. In addition, I’ve served on the Dakota County Human Services Advisory Committee and as a board member of the Apple Valley Optimist Club—a service organization dedicated to fostering a wide range of youth programs.

Legislative Service

During my tenure in the legislature I have served on many committees, commissions, task forces and working groups cover a wide range of public policy issues. My current Senate committee assignments include Commerce and Consumer Protection, Capital Investment (bonding), E-12 Education, Business, Jobs & Industry and State and Local Government Operations and Oversight and its Elections subcommittee. I’ve also recently been appointed to the Legislative Coordinating Commission’s Subcommittee on Redistricting to prepare for redrawing electoral boundaries following the 2010 census.

If you would like to see more details about my committee service and bills I have authored, please click here.