My inspiration to run for office – and to seek reelection this year – comes from two powerful leaders: Katie McWatt and Paul Wellstone. Several others have made a profound difference in my understanding and commitment to be an effective leader, a strong advocate, and a trusted ally.
I have vivid childhood memories of door-knocking for Katie’s 1964 City Council 
campaign with my Mom (both were members of the League of Women Voters, as am I), and equally powerful images come to mind of my work on Paul’s campaigns. Of course in between I volunteered for countless candidates, but these two people had the most impact on my deciding to run for School Board.
As a powerful and relentless civil rights leader, Katie stood up against all the prejudices and came within 90 votes of winning that 1964 election. But that was neither the beginning nor the end of her activism. She lived her passion for racial justice, quality education, and everything that was right for community, and for 17 years also worked in the St. Paul Public Schools demanding and supporting students to succeed.
When I decided to run for School Board in 1999, Katie grilled me hard before deciding to support me, and reminded me every time I saw here that she was watching me to make sure I did the right thing for kids.
Paul did the same that year I first ran, challenging me to always stand up for what’s right for kids even when – and in fact especially when – it’s difficult. He also shared his learnings as an elected officials, including that while sometimes you must stand alone and vote your conscience, the rest of the time you must collaborate, negotiate, and tweak what you want in order to advance the larger cause.
Katie and Paul taught me to ask hard questions and demand good answers, work hard, have courage, and maintain a fighting spirit. Neither taught me to be subtle, “political,” or to back away from challenges.
I appreciate every day what I received from them and so many others in this great community. Those mentors get the credit for everything I do that works, and I take full responsibility for all I have yet to learn.
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I had the honor to serve on the Board for a few years with Dr. Neal Thao, one of an early wave of Hmong immigrants to St. Paul. One day after he had announced that he would not seek reelection to the Board, we sat for lunch at Boca Chica on the West Side and talked about leadership. I was so disheartened that he would be leaving the board — I thought we all needed his wisdom and insights to best serve all students and I felt so sad to lose his wise personal counsel. He looked straight at me and said, “This is your job, Anne. You understand the Hmong community, you come from privilege, you know what to do, and you have the power. So do it. Look out for all kids.” I felt a bit like a baby bird being tossed out of the nest but he was right about my being ready and able to be a sincere and outspoken ally of people from many different races, cultures, and backgrounds. I’m not so vain as to think he’s checking upon me, but I try very hard as a School Board member to live up to his expectations and demands of me.
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