Molly Schaefer
Name: Molly Schaefer
Public Office Sought: Woodbury City Council
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: 612-669-3365
Campaign Website:
Twitter handle:
Facebook Page:
Candidate Bio
I have extended family who lived in Woodbury for 30+ years so when my first son was born 5 years ago, I knew this is where I wanted to raise my family. As a mother of four (5, 2, & 4 month old twins), I am dedicated to ensuring Woodbury is a safe, welcoming, and thriving community that encourages collaboration, thoughtfulness, sustainability, and economic development. I am running for City Council to ensure that Woodbury continues to be a strong community of care for our youngest citizens to our oldest citizens and all those in between.
I grew up in St Paul and graduated from Central High School. I have a bachelor’s degree in Digital Communications and Criminology and Law Studies from Marquette University, a master’s degree in Multicultural Teaching and Learning from the University of Minnesota, and a doctorate in Educational Leadership from Minnesota State University, Mankato. I’ve worked in the private corporate sector and public educational arenas. I bring a wealth of experience with me from budgeting, collaborating with businesses, working with key stakeholders, and engaging with diverse populations. I bring a fresh perspective for young families and an understanding of the needs of our senior citizens.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
Communication – In order to foster an inclusive and engaged community, clear pathways for communication need to be created for all residents’ voices, and concerns to be heard by elected officials. Additionally, clear communication that reaches all residents from elected officials needs to be addressed and presented in a timely manner.
Safety – Woodbury Public Safety does a great job in consistently delivering services and maintaining a safe community. It will be vital for Woodbury to continue to be proactive in addressing concerning trends, and support services for the dedicated group of individuals serving Woodbury.
Environment and Sustainable Infrastructure – Clean water, clean air, clean energy, and land use will ensure that Woodbury remains a safe, healthy, sustainable, and thriving community for all its residents and businesses.
How would you characterize the business climate in Woodbury and what is the role of businesses supporting quality of life issues in the community?
The business climate in Woodbury is good but there is always room for improvement. We need to do a better job of engaging the community to find out what types of businesses would make it better and improve the quality of life.
What role do you think the city should have in attracting and retaining jobs, and what steps would you take to solicit new businesses to, and retain existing businesses in, Woodbury?
The city should make available resources more widely known and publicized to solicit new businesses that are sustainable in our city, particularly for residents. Furthermore, providing an ecosystem for start-ups and entrepreneurs that fosters the growth and development of technology, specifically in response to Industry 4.0 will help attract new businesses, as well as address the labor shortage in Woodbury.
What policies, if any, would you support to help employers address the labor shortage?
Collaboration between industry and education.
Do you support any specific employment-related proposals in Woodbury (such as minimum wage, sick time, or mandatory scheduling notice)? If so, what steps would you take to understand the impact of an ordinance on the many types of businesses in Woodbury and how would you define any exceptions to those policies?
Residents need to maintain a work life balance and some employment related proposals will achieve this goal. However, Woodbury needs to maintain a competitive place in the marketplace for businesses and level the playing field between large business and small business. Therefore, input and collaboration from all parties would be needed to determine the positive and negative impact such ordinances would have prior to enacting.
Public safety and rising crime rates are of serious concern to the business community and residents. What strategies or policies would you propose to address public safety issues facing your community?
The phrase often used when raising children is that “it takes a village”. This also applies to our Woodbury community and how we can help support public safety. Allowing communities to come together and be engaged in providing input and assistance to public safety officials and law enforcement is integral in maintaining a safe and healthy community.
What strategies or policies would you propose to address housing issues facing your community?
We need to continue to make a variety of housing options available for our community that meet the needs of single individuals, young families, single parent households, and the aging community. We also need to direct people to existing available housing resources that help them find the right fit for a home in Woodbury and to help maintain the upkeep of the home/property. Diverse housing options and housing sustainability are key components to the housing issues facing the community.
What strategies or policies would you propose to address transportation issues facing your community? Have your strategies or views changed on transportation since we’ve seen shifts in road use, public transportation use, work from home models, etc. due to the pandemic?
While it is important to ensure transportation options are available for our community, we must develop strategies that support a clean and safe environment. We do not want to adopt policies that increase pollution, traffic noise, compromise our roads, or cause traffic congestion. While the pandemic did change the transportation needs somewhat, we need to re-evaluate where the discrepancies are at this current point in time and what the future needs will be in order to develop a strategy that addresses the needs.
What are your priorities for the City’s budget?
The priority for the City’s budget is to invest in the area of most concern for the majority of our citizens while ensuring we are not overspending and maintaining a financially sound balanced budget. Again, my top three priorities are communication, safety, and the environment and sustainable infrastructure of Woodbury.
What will you do to expand Woodbury’s tax base?
Maintaining a sustainable infrastructure as well as Woodbury’s growth in new residents and businesses will expand the tax base.
How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
Building partnerships between education and businesses is the key for developing and retaining educated workers and a highly adaptable, skilled workforce. Partnerships between academia and industry can range from mentorship to guest speaking, projects, internships, and so much more. Each partnership can create a strong and interconnected network that promotes inclusivity, and responsive and adaptable skill and knowledge development. I strongly encourage partnerships between educational institutions and businesses to try experiential learning, also known as the hands-on/project-based learning model, because it supports local economic development by developing relationships and developing the skills necessary for the professional careers. Deeper collaborations among education and business would allow our community to expand our social and economic well-being and apply essential knowledge and skills to address local challenges, creating deeper community connections.
Are there any services currently provided by the city that you believe should be cut back or eliminated? Are there new opportunities to share services with other entities?
The City Council should regularly review the services provided by the city and re-evaluate what is needed based on the environment and what is not needed. For example, the pandemic changed the services needed for our community but as we reemerge from the pandemic those needs will change. The City Council should also reach out and partner with other local entities, such as non-profits, mentorship programs, churches, local businesses, etc., on the services they offer and/or would like to offer to elevate our current local services, reduce costs, and minimize the duplication of services.
What is the role of the City Council in fostering increased minority- and women-owned businesses in Woodbury?
I am a strong proponent of actively supporting women owned businesses and businesses owned by underserved populations in Woodbury. I would support providing better communication on resources available, opportunities, and the pathway to business ownership, beginning in middle school.
What further policies can Woodbury adopt to help the business community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?
The City Council already modified some ordinances making restrictions on businesses a bit more lenient. I support this action as well as review other ordinances and policies that could be amended to assist in the recovery for local businesses. I would also recommend making sure businesses in our community are aware of relief funds available from other governmental agencies.
Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
Woodbury is a wonderful community. To keep Woodbury strong, community engagement is a must. We need to make it easy and welcoming for ALL our residents to engage by improving our communication and creating more opportunities for residents.
Public Office Sought: Woodbury City Council
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: 612-669-3365
Campaign Website:
Twitter handle:
Facebook Page:
Candidate Bio
I have extended family who lived in Woodbury for 30+ years so when my first son was born 5 years ago, I knew this is where I wanted to raise my family. As a mother of four (5, 2, & 4 month old twins), I am dedicated to ensuring Woodbury is a safe, welcoming, and thriving community that encourages collaboration, thoughtfulness, sustainability, and economic development. I am running for City Council to ensure that Woodbury continues to be a strong community of care for our youngest citizens to our oldest citizens and all those in between.
I grew up in St Paul and graduated from Central High School. I have a bachelor’s degree in Digital Communications and Criminology and Law Studies from Marquette University, a master’s degree in Multicultural Teaching and Learning from the University of Minnesota, and a doctorate in Educational Leadership from Minnesota State University, Mankato. I’ve worked in the private corporate sector and public educational arenas. I bring a wealth of experience with me from budgeting, collaborating with businesses, working with key stakeholders, and engaging with diverse populations. I bring a fresh perspective for young families and an understanding of the needs of our senior citizens.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
Communication – In order to foster an inclusive and engaged community, clear pathways for communication need to be created for all residents’ voices, and concerns to be heard by elected officials. Additionally, clear communication that reaches all residents from elected officials needs to be addressed and presented in a timely manner.
Safety – Woodbury Public Safety does a great job in consistently delivering services and maintaining a safe community. It will be vital for Woodbury to continue to be proactive in addressing concerning trends, and support services for the dedicated group of individuals serving Woodbury.
Environment and Sustainable Infrastructure – Clean water, clean air, clean energy, and land use will ensure that Woodbury remains a safe, healthy, sustainable, and thriving community for all its residents and businesses.
How would you characterize the business climate in Woodbury and what is the role of businesses supporting quality of life issues in the community?
The business climate in Woodbury is good but there is always room for improvement. We need to do a better job of engaging the community to find out what types of businesses would make it better and improve the quality of life.
What role do you think the city should have in attracting and retaining jobs, and what steps would you take to solicit new businesses to, and retain existing businesses in, Woodbury?
The city should make available resources more widely known and publicized to solicit new businesses that are sustainable in our city, particularly for residents. Furthermore, providing an ecosystem for start-ups and entrepreneurs that fosters the growth and development of technology, specifically in response to Industry 4.0 will help attract new businesses, as well as address the labor shortage in Woodbury.
What policies, if any, would you support to help employers address the labor shortage?
Collaboration between industry and education.
Do you support any specific employment-related proposals in Woodbury (such as minimum wage, sick time, or mandatory scheduling notice)? If so, what steps would you take to understand the impact of an ordinance on the many types of businesses in Woodbury and how would you define any exceptions to those policies?
Residents need to maintain a work life balance and some employment related proposals will achieve this goal. However, Woodbury needs to maintain a competitive place in the marketplace for businesses and level the playing field between large business and small business. Therefore, input and collaboration from all parties would be needed to determine the positive and negative impact such ordinances would have prior to enacting.
Public safety and rising crime rates are of serious concern to the business community and residents. What strategies or policies would you propose to address public safety issues facing your community?
The phrase often used when raising children is that “it takes a village”. This also applies to our Woodbury community and how we can help support public safety. Allowing communities to come together and be engaged in providing input and assistance to public safety officials and law enforcement is integral in maintaining a safe and healthy community.
What strategies or policies would you propose to address housing issues facing your community?
We need to continue to make a variety of housing options available for our community that meet the needs of single individuals, young families, single parent households, and the aging community. We also need to direct people to existing available housing resources that help them find the right fit for a home in Woodbury and to help maintain the upkeep of the home/property. Diverse housing options and housing sustainability are key components to the housing issues facing the community.
What strategies or policies would you propose to address transportation issues facing your community? Have your strategies or views changed on transportation since we’ve seen shifts in road use, public transportation use, work from home models, etc. due to the pandemic?
While it is important to ensure transportation options are available for our community, we must develop strategies that support a clean and safe environment. We do not want to adopt policies that increase pollution, traffic noise, compromise our roads, or cause traffic congestion. While the pandemic did change the transportation needs somewhat, we need to re-evaluate where the discrepancies are at this current point in time and what the future needs will be in order to develop a strategy that addresses the needs.
What are your priorities for the City’s budget?
The priority for the City’s budget is to invest in the area of most concern for the majority of our citizens while ensuring we are not overspending and maintaining a financially sound balanced budget. Again, my top three priorities are communication, safety, and the environment and sustainable infrastructure of Woodbury.
What will you do to expand Woodbury’s tax base?
Maintaining a sustainable infrastructure as well as Woodbury’s growth in new residents and businesses will expand the tax base.
How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
Building partnerships between education and businesses is the key for developing and retaining educated workers and a highly adaptable, skilled workforce. Partnerships between academia and industry can range from mentorship to guest speaking, projects, internships, and so much more. Each partnership can create a strong and interconnected network that promotes inclusivity, and responsive and adaptable skill and knowledge development. I strongly encourage partnerships between educational institutions and businesses to try experiential learning, also known as the hands-on/project-based learning model, because it supports local economic development by developing relationships and developing the skills necessary for the professional careers. Deeper collaborations among education and business would allow our community to expand our social and economic well-being and apply essential knowledge and skills to address local challenges, creating deeper community connections.
Are there any services currently provided by the city that you believe should be cut back or eliminated? Are there new opportunities to share services with other entities?
The City Council should regularly review the services provided by the city and re-evaluate what is needed based on the environment and what is not needed. For example, the pandemic changed the services needed for our community but as we reemerge from the pandemic those needs will change. The City Council should also reach out and partner with other local entities, such as non-profits, mentorship programs, churches, local businesses, etc., on the services they offer and/or would like to offer to elevate our current local services, reduce costs, and minimize the duplication of services.
What is the role of the City Council in fostering increased minority- and women-owned businesses in Woodbury?
I am a strong proponent of actively supporting women owned businesses and businesses owned by underserved populations in Woodbury. I would support providing better communication on resources available, opportunities, and the pathway to business ownership, beginning in middle school.
What further policies can Woodbury adopt to help the business community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?
The City Council already modified some ordinances making restrictions on businesses a bit more lenient. I support this action as well as review other ordinances and policies that could be amended to assist in the recovery for local businesses. I would also recommend making sure businesses in our community are aware of relief funds available from other governmental agencies.
Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
Woodbury is a wonderful community. To keep Woodbury strong, community engagement is a must. We need to make it easy and welcoming for ALL our residents to engage by improving our communication and creating more opportunities for residents.