Susan Klosterman-Finke
Name: Susan Klosterman-Finke
Public Office Sought: Woodbury City Council
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 651-447-3248
Website:
Twitter handle:
Facebook page:
Candidate Bio
I am married and have two grown sons who both have careers in business. I have been a resident of Woodbury for the past ten years. I retired from my profession as an Advanced Practice Nurse in Anesthesia in 2017. In 2018, I earned a Master of Arts in Theological Studies and have been employed by a local church since 2019 as their Local Mission Coordinator. My current role has afforded me the opportunity to establish connections and partnerships with many non-profit organizations in the Woodbury vicinity. I actively volunteer with several of those organizations including the American Red Cross and the Christian Cupboard Emergency Food Shelf.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
How would you characterize the business climate in Woodbury and what is the role of businesses supporting quality of life issues in the community?
Woodbury has attracted many new businesses in the past few years, especially those that are related to the health care industry. Woodbury has been referred to as a medical destination which has been a boost to our community in many ways. There are a multitude of businesses in Woodbury that play a major role in promoting and supporting the health and well-being of the residents of the community.
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 play a prominent role in both soliciting new businesses and retaining existing businesses. These are some steps that could be taken to achieve those goals:
Do you support any other 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?
Any type of employment-related proposals must be carefully scrutinized to ensure that such measures would not be detrimental to the business community of Woodbury. When considering any type of ordinance that affects local businesses, the welfare of both the employers and the employees must be considered.
What are your strategies to address public safety, housing, and transportation issues facing your community?
These strategies could be useful in generally addressing all three of these issues, however, problem-solving each issue separately would require another set of specific strategies:
What are your priorities for the City’s budget?
My priorities for the City's budget would be public health and safety, environmental stewardship, and youth development.
What will you do to expand Woodbury’s tax base?
The tax base could be expanded across the board, through new businesses and jobs, through the growth and maintenance of existing businesses, and through new and maintained housing. I think that it's important to instill in the community the philosophy that shopping and conducting business locally will give Woodbury the resources it needs to maintain and improve the quality of life amongst its residents. When shoppers spend their money locally, the taxes they pay benefit the local economy. I would advocate for bolstering local small businesses because they tend to create strong community bonds and keep money in the community.
How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
Because having an educated, skilled workforce is more important than any other factor in creating economic prosperity, quality education should be prioritized in the community. I would endorse a collaborative relationship between the educational system in Woodbury and the city leaders. I would also advocate improving alignment between education, workforce development, and the needs of employers in the region.
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?
In light of the current downturn in our local and national economy, I think that government leaders should carefully analyze the city budget and collaboratively search for cost-saving strategies and incentives to maximize Woodbury's resources. Although I'm uncertain about specific services that should be eliminated, I would advocate for trimming the budget across the board so that not any one service would be unduly affected. I believe the budget should be evaluated routinely and the City should be ready and willing to adjust spending as needed. It's the City's responsibility to be fiscally responsible and a good steward of the resources it has.
What is the role of the City Council in fostering increased minority- and women-owned businesses in Woodbury?
Minority and women-owned small businesses would provide character and individuality to the community. Therefore, the City Council should assume a supportive role in fostering such businesses. In general, the City should utilize untapped diverse talent to drive higher economic returns as well as greater equity.
What further policies can Woodbury adopt to help the business community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?
Ensuring worker protection should continue to be a priority for the City. Perhaps policies could be adopted that would defer small business taxes or provide establishment of a fund to support local small businesses through low interest loans.
Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
Representing the City of Woodbury on the city council would be an extreme honor for me and I would fulfill the role to the best of my ability.
Public Office Sought: Woodbury City Council
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 651-447-3248
Website:
Twitter handle:
Facebook page:
Candidate Bio
I am married and have two grown sons who both have careers in business. I have been a resident of Woodbury for the past ten years. I retired from my profession as an Advanced Practice Nurse in Anesthesia in 2017. In 2018, I earned a Master of Arts in Theological Studies and have been employed by a local church since 2019 as their Local Mission Coordinator. My current role has afforded me the opportunity to establish connections and partnerships with many non-profit organizations in the Woodbury vicinity. I actively volunteer with several of those organizations including the American Red Cross and the Christian Cupboard Emergency Food Shelf.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
- Foster multi-sector collaboration to create a more vibrant business community that supports entrepreneurs
- Focus on regional infrastructure including mobility and affordable housing
- Strive for environmental sustainability and ensure conservation of natural resources
How would you characterize the business climate in Woodbury and what is the role of businesses supporting quality of life issues in the community?
Woodbury has attracted many new businesses in the past few years, especially those that are related to the health care industry. Woodbury has been referred to as a medical destination which has been a boost to our community in many ways. There are a multitude of businesses in Woodbury that play a major role in promoting and supporting the health and well-being of the residents of the community.
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 play a prominent role in both soliciting new businesses and retaining existing businesses. These are some steps that could be taken to achieve those goals:
- Effectively communicate the strengths and uniqueness of the community through innovative marketing, thereby attracting new people to the community first; businesses tend to come to and stay in communities where potential employees are located
- Provide affordable and flexible housing options for the people that want to move to the community
- Continue to work toward creating a connected community, for example, through activities such as "Woodbury Days"
Do you support any other 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?
Any type of employment-related proposals must be carefully scrutinized to ensure that such measures would not be detrimental to the business community of Woodbury. When considering any type of ordinance that affects local businesses, the welfare of both the employers and the employees must be considered.
What are your strategies to address public safety, housing, and transportation issues facing your community?
These strategies could be useful in generally addressing all three of these issues, however, problem-solving each issue separately would require another set of specific strategies:
- Determine community needs, keeping in mind the demographics and design of the city.
- Problem-solving in each of these areas should be informed by analysis of data on infrastructure, employment, and crime, for example.
- Strong partnerships between government and the city's residents should be forged.
What are your priorities for the City’s budget?
My priorities for the City's budget would be public health and safety, environmental stewardship, and youth development.
What will you do to expand Woodbury’s tax base?
The tax base could be expanded across the board, through new businesses and jobs, through the growth and maintenance of existing businesses, and through new and maintained housing. I think that it's important to instill in the community the philosophy that shopping and conducting business locally will give Woodbury the resources it needs to maintain and improve the quality of life amongst its residents. When shoppers spend their money locally, the taxes they pay benefit the local economy. I would advocate for bolstering local small businesses because they tend to create strong community bonds and keep money in the community.
How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
Because having an educated, skilled workforce is more important than any other factor in creating economic prosperity, quality education should be prioritized in the community. I would endorse a collaborative relationship between the educational system in Woodbury and the city leaders. I would also advocate improving alignment between education, workforce development, and the needs of employers in the region.
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?
In light of the current downturn in our local and national economy, I think that government leaders should carefully analyze the city budget and collaboratively search for cost-saving strategies and incentives to maximize Woodbury's resources. Although I'm uncertain about specific services that should be eliminated, I would advocate for trimming the budget across the board so that not any one service would be unduly affected. I believe the budget should be evaluated routinely and the City should be ready and willing to adjust spending as needed. It's the City's responsibility to be fiscally responsible and a good steward of the resources it has.
What is the role of the City Council in fostering increased minority- and women-owned businesses in Woodbury?
Minority and women-owned small businesses would provide character and individuality to the community. Therefore, the City Council should assume a supportive role in fostering such businesses. In general, the City should utilize untapped diverse talent to drive higher economic returns as well as greater equity.
What further policies can Woodbury adopt to help the business community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?
Ensuring worker protection should continue to be a priority for the City. Perhaps policies could be adopted that would defer small business taxes or provide establishment of a fund to support local small businesses through low interest loans.
Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
Representing the City of Woodbury on the city council would be an extreme honor for me and I would fulfill the role to the best of my ability.