About
Tim Walz is Minnesota’s 41st Governor. His career has been defined by public service, from serving our country in the military to serving our students as a high-school teacher and football coach to serving our state in Congress. Soon after his high school graduation, Governor Walz enlisted in the Army National Guard. Governor Walz attended Chadron State College, where he graduated with a social science degree in 1989. Harvard University offered Governor Walz an opportunity to gain a new perspective on global education by teaching in the People’s Republic of China from 1989-90, where he joined of one of the first government-approved groups of American teachers to work in Chinese high schools. Upon his return from China to Nebraska, Governor Walz served full time in the Army National Guard, and accepted a teaching and coaching position. More importantly, he met his wife, Gwen Whipple, who was teaching at the same school. Tim and Gwen Walz moved to Mankato in 1996, where they began working at Mankato West High School.
Governor Walz won his first election to the United States House of Representatives in 2006, and was re-elected for another 5 terms serving Minnesota’s First Congressional District. After years of living in Mankato, Governor Walz and Gwen moved to St. Paul with their two children, Hope and Gus, and their rescue pets, Scout and Afton.