Proud West Sider. Mom of two. Relentless optimist.

My story

Born in Boston and raised in St. Louis Park, I was taught by my family and my faith to work hard, serve my community, and lead the change I wanted to see in the world. Growing up, my parents modeled those beliefs every day. As doctors serving veterans at the VA Medical Center, they dedicated their careers to public service and spent their evenings helping neighbors, whether it was building a local playground, raising funds for schools, or rolling up their sleeves wherever help was needed. My Jewish tradition reinforced that work ethic: when you see a problem, you take action to solve it.

I’ve carried that lesson with me throughout my career — first as a middle school science teacher in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where I met my husband, Shane. I was inspired every day by my students, but I also saw firsthand the impact of poverty, low expectations, and underfunded schools on my students’ futures. I could offer my very best for 90 minutes a day, but it wasn’t enough. I wanted to take on the systemic challenges holding my students back.

From there we moved to India and Uganda, where we trained new teachers. We returned to Minnesota in 2011 and made our home on the West Side of Saint Paul. I knew right away that I wanted to get involved in my community and served as the board chair for the West Side Community Organization and on the Saint Paul Planning Commission.

When I first ran for City Council I was a new mom to my two young boys. With the support of our family and community, we, like so many Saint Paul families, made it work. Now I have spent over a decade representing my community on the City Council. Today, I am a proud West Sider, community leader, mom of two, devoted Saints fan, policy nerd, early riser, avid biker, and relentless optimist.

— Rebecca