Kathleen Sheran
Encyclopedia
Kathleen J. "Kathy" Sheran (born May 18, 1947) is a Minnesota
politician and a member of the Minnesota Senate
representing District 23, which includes portions of Blue Earth
, Nicollet
and Sibley
counties in the south central part of the state. A Democrat
, she was first elected to the Senate in 2006, and was re-elected in 2010.
Sheran is currently a member of the Senate's Health and Human Services, Higher Education, Local Government and Elections, and Transportation committees, and also serves on the Rules and Administration Subcommittee on Ethical Conduct. She served as a majority whip during the 2007-2008 and 2009-2010 bienniums. Her special legislative concerns include health care, education, tax policy, agriculture, transportation, and the environment.
Sheran is a registered nurse
by profession, and an Assistant Professor of Nursing at Minnesota State University
in Mankato
. She is the daughter of Robert Sheran
, who is a former chief justice
and associate justice
of the Minnesota Supreme Court
, and a former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
. She graduated from Convent of the Visitation School in Mendota Heights
in 1965, then attended the College of Saint Teresa
in Winona
, receiving her B.S.
in Nursing. She later earned her M.S.
degree at Mankato State University (now called Minnesota State University).
Sheran has been active in Mankato city government for many years. She served briefly as mayor, and was a member of the city council for 16 years, during which time she was council president and Mayor Pro Tem. She is a former member of the city's Civil Service Commission, the Economic Development Authority, the Housing Redevelopment Authority, and the Human Rights Commission.
Sheran has also served on various state and local boards and committees. She was a member of the Minnesota Governor's Judicial Selection Commission and the Minnesota Lawyers Professional Responsibility Board. She is a member of the Board of Directors of Immanuel-St. Joseph's Hospital in Rochester
, which is an owned affiliate of the Mayo Clinic
. She is also co-chair of Generations of Care, a community partnership in support of Immanuel-St. Joseph's Heart and Cancer Centers. She also hosts "Community Conversations," a Public-access television
cable TV show in the Mankato area.
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
politician and a member of the Minnesota Senate
Minnesota Senate
The Minnesota Senate is the upper house in the Minnesota Legislature. There are 67 members, half as many as are in the Minnesota House of Representatives. In terms of membership, it is the largest upper house of any state legislature. Each Senate district in the state includes an A and B House...
representing District 23, which includes portions of Blue Earth
Blue Earth County, Minnesota
Blue Earth County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 64,013. Its county seat is Mankato.Blue Earth County is part of the Mankato–North Mankato Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, Nicollet
Nicollet County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 29,771 people, 10,642 households, and 7,311 families residing in the county. The population density was 66 people per square mile . There were 11,240 housing units at an average density of 25 per square mile...
and Sibley
Sibley County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 15,356 people, 5,772 households, and 4,086 families residing in the county. The population density was 26 people per square mile . There were 6,024 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile...
counties in the south central part of the state. A Democrat
Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party is a major political party in the state of Minnesota and the state affiliate of the Democratic Party. It was created on April 15, 1944, with the merger of the Minnesota Democratic Party and the Farmer–Labor Party...
, she was first elected to the Senate in 2006, and was re-elected in 2010.
Sheran is currently a member of the Senate's Health and Human Services, Higher Education, Local Government and Elections, and Transportation committees, and also serves on the Rules and Administration Subcommittee on Ethical Conduct. She served as a majority whip during the 2007-2008 and 2009-2010 bienniums. Her special legislative concerns include health care, education, tax policy, agriculture, transportation, and the environment.
Sheran is a registered nurse
Registered nurse
A registered nurse is a nurse who has graduated from a nursing program at a university or college and has passed a national licensing exam. A registered nurse helps individuals, families, and groups to achieve health and prevent disease...
by profession, and an Assistant Professor of Nursing at Minnesota State University
Minnesota State University, Mankato
Minnesota State University, Mankato is a public four-year university located in Mankato, Minnesota, a community of 53,000 located southwest of Minneapolis-St. Paul. As of Fall 2011, the student body is the third-largest in the state of Minnesota with over 15,000 students...
in Mankato
Mankato, Minnesota
Mankato is a city in Blue Earth, Nicollet, and Le Sueur counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 39,309 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth largest city in Minnesota outside of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. The county seat of Blue Earth County, it is located...
. She is the daughter of Robert Sheran
Robert Sheran
Robert J. Sheran was an American lawyer, politician and judge from Minnesota. He was appointed Chief Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court by Governor Wendell Anderson, serving from December 1973 to December 1981. He previously served as an associate justice on the court from January 1963 to July...
, who is a former chief justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
and associate justice
Associate Justice
Associate Justice or Associate Judge is the title for a member of a judicial panel who is not the Chief Justice in some jurisdictions. The title "Associate Justice" is used for members of the United States Supreme Court and some state supreme courts, and for some other courts in Commonwealth...
of the Minnesota Supreme Court
Minnesota Supreme Court
The Minnesota Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Minnesota and consists of seven members. The court was first assembled as a three-judge panel in 1849 when Minnesota was still a territory. The first members were lawyers from outside of the region who were appointed by...
, and a former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
Minnesota House of Representatives
The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower house in the Minnesota State Legislature. There are 134 members elected to two-year terms, twice the number of members in the Minnesota Senate. Each senate district is divided in half and given the suffix A or B...
. She graduated from Convent of the Visitation School in Mendota Heights
Mendota Heights, Minnesota
At the 2000 census, there were 11,434 people, 4,178 households and 3,237 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,222.2 per square mile . There were 4,252 housing units at an average density of 454.5 per square mile...
in 1965, then attended the College of Saint Teresa
College of Saint Teresa
The College of Saint Teresa was a Catholic women's college in Winona, Minnesota. Previously a seminary, it became a college in 1907 and was operated by the Sisters of Saint Francis of Rochester, Minnesota until its closing in 1989.-History:...
in Winona
Winona, Minnesota
Winona is a city in and the county seat of Winona County, in the U.S. State of Minnesota. Located in picturesque bluff country on the Mississippi River, its most noticeable physical landmark is Sugar Loaf....
, receiving her B.S.
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in Nursing. She later earned her M.S.
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
degree at Mankato State University (now called Minnesota State University).
Sheran has been active in Mankato city government for many years. She served briefly as mayor, and was a member of the city council for 16 years, during which time she was council president and Mayor Pro Tem. She is a former member of the city's Civil Service Commission, the Economic Development Authority, the Housing Redevelopment Authority, and the Human Rights Commission.
Sheran has also served on various state and local boards and committees. She was a member of the Minnesota Governor's Judicial Selection Commission and the Minnesota Lawyers Professional Responsibility Board. She is a member of the Board of Directors of Immanuel-St. Joseph's Hospital in Rochester
Rochester, Minnesota
Rochester is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Olmsted County. Located on both banks of the Zumbro River, The city has a population of 106,769 according to the 2010 United States Census, making it Minnesota's third-largest city and the largest outside of the...
, which is an owned affiliate of the Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit medical practice and medical research group specializing in treating difficult patients . Patients are referred to Mayo Clinic from across the U.S. and the world, and it is known for innovative and effective treatments. Mayo Clinic is known for being at the top of...
. She is also co-chair of Generations of Care, a community partnership in support of Immanuel-St. Joseph's Heart and Cancer Centers. She also hosts "Community Conversations," a Public-access television
Public-access television
Public-access television is a form of non-commercial mass media where ordinary people can create content television programming which is cablecast through cable TV specialty channels...
cable TV show in the Mankato area.
External links
- Senator Sheran Web Page
- Minnesota Public Radio Votetracker: Senator Kathy Sheran
- Project Vote Smart - Senator Kathy Sheran Profile
- Kathy Sheran Campaign Web Site