About
About
Kellie grew up in a Appleton, Wisconsin. She decided to become a doctor before she was 8 years old. Her primary goal with going into healthcare was to help her community. Her first experience in healthcare was as a teenager completing certified nursing assistant training at the Fox Valley Technical College.
She decided to attend St. Mary's University in Winona, Minnesota. It was at this school that she grew to understand what servant leadership was. She was a freshmen when 9/11 happened. She attempted to enlist in the Marines. However, at the time she was 17. The recruiter asked how old she was, and what career path she was planning. When she told him she wanted to be a doctor, the recruiter stated that there were other ways to serve your country then enlisting in the military. She carried that lesson with her and the work she did as a volunteer, resident assistant and hall manager.
Following college she moved back to Wisconsin to attend Medical College of Wisconsin. She was married after her first year of medical school. After medical school she received OBGYN training at her residency GRMEP/Michigan State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Her chief year of training she had her first child. And at that point wanted to move back to Minnesota to be by family.
A little less then 2 years later her daughter was born, and they were able to buy a house. In choosing the location to raise their family, they wanted to be in an area that cared about the community. It was important to raise their kids in an environment that was focused on education, growth, and inclusion. That's how they ended up in district 49 and have been there since. Her children have always attended Eden Prairie Public Schools.
During the pandemic the misinformation was significant. As a physician this was incredibly frustrating and she worked to correct the information. When Ruth Bader Ginsburg died, she also knew that access to healthcare, birth control, and rights may come into question. She applied to Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and received a Master of Science in Law. The goal was to use the legal background to advocate for patients and protect the community. Also during this time, her husband became CEO of a consulting firm. They decided to become small business owners through this process.
She has also worked on several boards and tried to use any time off to protect the rights of everyone in the community. It is because of her healthcare and legal background that she is uniquely qualified to take on some of the challenges facing the community. This is a unique sliver of history and we need people who are unafraid to do what's right for the community. She has dedicated her life to fixing problems, and making sure people are safe. She intends to continue that work for District 49.
-Image by Kelsey Alto