Ann Wynia is a former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives

Minnesota House of Representatives

The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower house in the Minnesota State Legislature. There are 134 members elected to two-year terms, twice the number of members in the Minnesota Senate. Each senate district is divided in half and given the suffix A or B...

 and former president of North Hennepin Community College

North Hennepin Community College

North Hennepin Community College is a two-year college located in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, primarily serving the communities of the northwestern portion of the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area. Established in 1966 as North Hennepin State Junior College with 414 students , the college...

.

Early life and education

Wynia was born in Fort Worth, Texas

Fort Worth, Texas

Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...

, and later attended Arlington High School

Arlington High School (Arlington, Texas)

Arlington High School, located in Arlington, Texas, is a secondary school serving grades 9-12. It is one of the six high schools comprising the Arlington Independent School District. The current principal is Jennifer Young; the mascot is the Colt and the schools’ colors are Kelly Green and White...

. She earned her B.A. degree in government from the University of Texas at Arlington

University of Texas at Arlington

The University of Texas at Arlington is a public research university located in Arlington, Texas, United States. The campus is situated southwest of downtown Arlington, and is located in the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. The university was founded in 1895 and served primarily a military...

, and her M.A. degree in political science from the University of Wisconsin in 1968.

Political career

Wynia represented Minnesota's 62A House district from 1977–1982, and the 63B House district from 1983–1989. She was the majority leader from 1987 to 1989. She subsequently became commissioner of Minnesota's Department of Human Services, and was the Democratic Party's nominee for the 1994 U.S. Senate election

United States Senate election in Minnesota, 1994

The 1994 United States Senate election in Minnesota was held in 1994. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator David Durenberger decided to retire instead of seeking a third full term. Republican Rod Grams won the open seat.-Results:- References :...

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Career outside of politics

Wynia has been a faculty member at North Hennepin Community College since 1970. Wynia was a regent of the University of Minnesota

University of Minnesota

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...

, and was a founder of the Block Nurse Program, which provides in-home care for senior citizens (now merged with the Elderberry Institute). She was president of North Hennepin Community College until July 2010. John O'Brien, a former administrator at Century College

Century College

Century College is a two-year community college located in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. As a part of the MnSCU system, it is the largest two-year community and technical college in Minnesota...

, is the current president.