Paul Gazelka
Encyclopedia
Paul E. Gazelka is a Minnesota
politician and a member of the Minnesota Senate
who represents District 12, which includes all or portions of Crow Wing
and Morrison
counties, including the city of Brainerd
, in the north central part of the state. A Republican
, he is the owner of Paul Gazelka Insurance Agency in Brainerd.
and, later, the November general election. He currently serves on the Commerce and Consumer Protection, the Environment and Natural Resources, the State Government Innovation and Veterans, and the Transportation committees.
from 2005–2007, representing House District 12A, which includes portions of Crow Wing County, including the city of Brainerd. During his term, he served on and was vice chair of the House's Commerce and Financial Institutions Committee, and also served on the Jobs and Economic Opportunity Policy Finance Committee, the Transportation Committee, and the Commerce and Financial Institutions Subcommittee for the Tourism Division.
, then went on to Oral Roberts University
in Tulsa, Oklahoma
, earning his B.S.
in Business Management. He worked in various capacities with State Farm Insurance
through the years as an agent, a manager and a field executive. Active in his community, he has served as president of the local Chamber of Commerce
, president of the local Kiwanis Club, a school board chairman, a youth basketball coach, and a volunteer for Teen Challenge
and Habitat for Humanity.
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...
who represents District 12, which includes all or portions of Crow Wing
Crow Wing County, Minnesota
Crow Wing County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 62,500. Its county seat is Brainerd.-Geography:...
and Morrison
Morrison County, Minnesota
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 31,712 people, 11,816 households, and 8,460 families residing in the county. The population density was 28 people per square mile . There were 13,870 housing units at an average density of 12 per square mile...
counties, including the city of Brainerd
Brainerd, Minnesota
Brainerd is a city in Crow Wing County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 13,590 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Crow Wing County and one of the largest cities in Central Minnesota...
, in the north central part of the state. A Republican
Republican Party of Minnesota
The Republican Party of Minnesota is the Minnesota branch of the United States Republican Party. Elected by the party’s state central committee in June 2009, its chairman is Tony Sutton, and its deputy-chairman is Michael Brodkorb.-Early history:...
, he is the owner of Paul Gazelka Insurance Agency in Brainerd.
Service in the Minnesota Senate
Gazelka was elected to the Senate in 2010 after winning an August primary election over incumbent Republican Senator Paul KoeringPaul Koering
Paul Koering is a Minnesota politician and a former member of the Minnesota Senate from Fort Ripley. A Republican, he represented District 12, which includes all or portions of Crow Wing and Morrison counties, including the city of Brainerd. A liquor store owner, funeral car service owner, and...
and, later, the November general election. He currently serves on the Commerce and Consumer Protection, the Environment and Natural Resources, the State Government Innovation and Veterans, and the Transportation committees.
Service in the Minnesota House
Gazelka previously served in the Minnesota House of RepresentativesMinnesota 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...
from 2005–2007, representing House District 12A, which includes portions of Crow Wing County, including the city of Brainerd. During his term, he served on and was vice chair of the House's Commerce and Financial Institutions Committee, and also served on the Jobs and Economic Opportunity Policy Finance Committee, the Transportation Committee, and the Commerce and Financial Institutions Subcommittee for the Tourism Division.
Background, community and professional service
Gazelka attended Roosevelt High School in Virginia, MinnesotaVirginia, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 9,157 people, 4,333 households, and 2,270 families residing in the city. The population density was 486.1 people per square mile . There were 4,692 housing units at an average density of 249.1 per square mile...
, then went on to Oral Roberts University
Oral Roberts University
Oral Roberts University , based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the United States, is an interdenominational, Charismatic Christian, comprehensive university with an enrollment of about 3,790 students from 49 U.S. states along with a significant number of international students from 70 countries...
in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
, earning his 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 Business Management. He worked in various capacities with State Farm Insurance
State Farm Insurance
State Farm Insurance is a group of insurance and financial services companies in the United States. The company also has operations in Canada....
through the years as an agent, a manager and a field executive. Active in his community, he has served as president of the local Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
, president of the local Kiwanis Club, a school board chairman, a youth basketball coach, and a volunteer for Teen Challenge
Teen Challenge
Teen Challenge is a Pentecostal Christian recovery program and a network of Christian social and evangelizing work centers. It is a 12-18 month program that serves drug addicts, alcoholics, gang members, prostitutes and people with other characteristics that the program considers to be...
and Habitat for Humanity.
External links
- Senator Paul Gazelka Web Page
- Project Votesmart - Senator Paul Gazelka Profile
- Paul Gazelka Campaign Web Site