I am not a career politician. I am a mom, a wife, a community volunteer and a former business executive. I am the State Senator for Minnesota District 43 (Minnetonka, Plymouth and Medicine Lake) and a lifelong Minnesotan.

I grew up in the Third Congressional District. I was born and raised in Edina and graduated from Edina West High School. My family owned Jackson Graves, a chain of women's clothing stores and one of the original stores at Southdale. I was proud of the way my Dad ran his business. He treated his employees like family and made sure he provided the kind of benefits that every employee deserves.

I graduated from Clark University in Massachusetts with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and sociology. My business career spanned twenty years. From my early years in marketing promotions at Tonka Toys to my executive role as Vice President/General Manager for the computer software division of Navarre Corporation and later Vice President of Marketing for all three Navarre divisions, my business experience has given me a unique perspective to see both the power of business and its responsibility.

I am the mother of four children. My sons are 19 and 23 and my stepson and stepdaughter are 17 and 20. Eight years ago I made a decision that has led me to this point. I left my job as an executive because I wanted to be at home with my teenage children. Having done that, I threw myself into community work, working to improve the organizations that were important to my children and the children of my community. I became President of Hopkins Minnetonka Babe Ruth Baseball, where my skills in conflict resolution were truly tested! I joined the Hopkins Legislative Action Coalition and later helped lead that group in its fight for education funding and reform at the State Capitol.

I knew that once my teenagers were off to college, I would be faced with a decision to either return to the business community or take the next step in my passion for public service. I chose to run for public office and became the first Democrat to win the Senate seat in my District in 20 years. My "Uniting the Middle" campaign marked the beginning of a tidal wave of victories by moderate Democrats throughout Minnesota and the United States.