Here’s more than you want to know about the candidate:
The Brausen Family
I’m 60 years old, married to a great lady, Cindy,and the father of three sons ages 31 to 24, Ben, Mike and Austin, and a recent grandfather for the first time (Evan). I grew up in St. Paul, Roseville, Philadelphia, then Minnetonka, graduated from Hopkins High School. I received both my undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Minnesota.
Professionally, I’m a self-employed, general practice attorney, who’s a Certified Real Property Law Specialist as certified by the Minnesota State Bar Association. I’ve been practicing law for over 30 years, first in my own downtown Minneapolis law firm. After 20 years in private practice, I took a job with the Sherburne County Attorney’s Office as a Civil Division attorney. Later I worked at a St. Louis Park title insurance company, then with a private law firm in Stillwater. Now I am again my own boss, working from my home office for seven years. I have experience in the public sector, private practice and corporate settings, and I know what is needed to run a City.
In my spare time I’ve done substantial volunteer work: I read at Aquila School in St. Louis Park Schools, reading with children below grade level, because I missed being in the classrooms after volunteering when my children were in school. I’m a member of the St. Louis Park Environment and Sustainability Commission that was just organized this year. I am an alternate member of the Southwest Corridor Light Rail Transit (SWC LRT) Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC), which is advising the Metropolitan Council regarding decisions on the proposed SWC LRT. Professionally, I’ve worked in the Minnesota State Bar Association with the Real Property Section Legislative Committee. I’ve been on my Church Council, and worked on justice issues with ISAIAH, a non-partisan, ecumenical faith-based social justice organization, where I’ve been an advocate for affordable housing, transit-oriented development, environmental sustainability, and racial equity.
In my “leisure” time, I love to play basketball (badly), bicycle (I’ll be campaigning in your neighborhood on bike, weather permitting), camping, hiking and gardening, most anything outdoors. Cindy and I love to listen to music, rock and roll, soul, blues, reggae, indie, jazz, world and classical, and we go to as many concerts and shows as we can. We travel as much as we can afford to, as it’s a great big world out there and fun to experience. We also love to be with our family and friends, and laugh.