Dear Neighbor,

My name is Gwenia Fiskevold Gould and I am running for re-election to be your Ward 1 City Councilor representative on the Bemidji City Council. Election day this year is Tuesday, November 5 and early voting starts September 20. I would be honored to earn your vote. I am a leader with heart, a collaborator, and a voice for the future of our city. 

I am the director of annual giving at the Bemidji State University Alumni & Foundation and I teach yoga sculpt at Core Health Nutrition & Yoga. As a council member, I serve on the Bemidji Parks & Recreation Commission, the Bemidji Community & Police Advisory Board, and the Beltrami County Historical Society. My husband, Joe, is a social studies teacher and together we live with our spaniel mix, Coya, on Birch Lane.

In my first year serving our neighborhood on the city council, I voted on and passed a comprehensive plan for our city parks and trails that focuses on safety and accessibility, updated our rental ordinances, increased funding to build retention in our police department, and started the work to address negligent landlords. We have begun addressing our housing shortage by approving workforce housing and a senior living cooperative. We still have a lot more to do, but I am energized by the work. I am still focused on priorities such as accountable & engaged leadership, quality & affordable housing, increased civic participation, and public safety. 

As a child, I would often accompany my father as he door-knocked for candidates like Senator Paul Wellstone. I saw firsthand the power that individual conversations with our neighbors can have on our community and state. 

In the first half of my professional life, I organized my neighbors, discussing local issues and the impact of voting. As a legislative assistant in the Minnesota Senate, I connected hundreds of Minnesotans to resources, answered questions, and gathered feedback on legislation. This work made me an active listener and informs today how I work to build stronger relationships between Bemidji residents and their leaders and community resources. 

I believe that having conversations and listening to people of different backgrounds, opinions, and experiences is the most effective way to make change and build community. I look forward to talking with you, hearing about your concerns, and taking action for a brighter, stronger Bemidji. 

I’d love to hear from you, please reach out anytime!

Sincerely,

Gwenia Fiskevold Gould