Chris Gerlach was born in 1964 and raised in Apple Valley as the youngest of six children to Don and Marlene Gerlach. The Gerlach family was among the first to arrive in Lebanon Township—soon to become the City of Apple Valley. Don has since retired from the civil service with the St. Paul Army Corps of Engineers and Marlene is now retired after a 45 year career as a registered nurse. Chris attended Westview Elementary School, Valley Middle School, and graduated from Apple Valley High School in 1983.
He 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. He went on 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. Chris was selected to serve as the ROTC Detachment 410 Cadet Corps Commander during his senior year. His active duty assignment was as a Minuteman II crew commander in our Intercontinental Ballistic Missile force (ICBM) based at Ellsworth Air Force Base in Rapid City, South Dakota where he rose to the rank of Captain. While on active duty he continued his education earning a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of South Dakota.
Chris returned to civilian life in 1993 and moved back to Apple Valley. He is now self-employed as a realtor with Coldwell Banker Burnet. Chris and his wife, Shelli, who grew up on a family farm in Canby, Minnesota, were married in 1997. They have two children; Erica, age five and a kindergartener at Westview Elementary School and Garrett, age three.
Long active in the local community, Chris is a member of the Apple Valley American Legion Post 1776, Civil Air Patrol, and three local Chambers of Commerce. In addition, Chris has 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 youth programs.
Chris has been active in local and state-wide Republican Party politics for many years and was first elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 1998. During the next six years, he served on various committees including the Vice-Chairman of the Commerce Committee, Jobs and Economic Development Finance, Governmental Operations and Veterans Affairs, State Government Finance and Capital Investment as well as the Legislative Audit Commission.
In the summer of 2004, Governor Tim Pawlenty appointed then State Senator David Knutson to the bench as a District Court Judge. This triggered a special election to fill the state senate seat vacancy. Succeeding through a party endorsement contest, a primary election and the general election, Chris was elected as our State Senator. Now, Senator Gerlach serves on the Senate Finance, Capital Investment and Jobs, Energy and Community Development Committees. In addition Senator Gerlach served as an Assistant Minority Leader within the Senate Republican Caucus during the 2005 Legislative session.
Senator Gerlach’s broad legislative agenda includes balancing limited government and lower taxes with gaining greater efficiency and results from our public programs and institutions. As a mainstream Republican, Senator Gerlach believes that in these times of tight budgets we simply must set the right priorities, spend smart and demand results. This is the best way to foster economic prosperity and enhance individual freedoms and liberties for all.