Jenifer Loon
Encyclopedia
Jenifer W. Loon is a Minnesota
politician and a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
representing District 42B, which primarily includes portions of the city of Eden Prairie
in southwestern Hennepin County
in the Twin Cities
metropolitan area. A Republican
, she is also a legislative policy consultant.
Loon was first elected in 2008, running after seven-term Rep. Erik Paulsen
opted not to seek re-election in order to run for the U.S. House of Representatives. She was re-elected in 2010. She is currently a member of the House's Environment Policy and Oversight Committee, the K-12 Education Policy and Oversight Committee, and the Taxes Committee. She also serves on the Public Safety Policy and Oversight Subcommittee for the Crime Victims/Criminal Records Division.
Loon grew up on a dairy farm in rural South Dakota
. While in high school, she was a page in the South Dakota House of Representatives
, where her uncle was a member. She graduated from Augustana College
in Sioux Falls
in 1985, earning her B.A.
in Government and International Affairs.
After graduating from college, Loon became active in government at the national level. She was a legislative assistant to U.S. Senator Larry Pressler from 1986–1988, and a lobbyist and legislative representative for Associated Builders and Contractors, a national trade association
representing merit shop
construction companies, from 1988-1990. She worked in several staff positions for the U.S. House of Representatives, from 1990–1997, including legislative director, minority policy director, minority staff director, and staff director for the House Committee on Small Business (1995–1997), where she worked directly with the committee chair, Congresswoman Jan Meyers
of Kansas
. From 2003-2007, she was director of government affairs, lead federal lobbyist and legislative strategist for ACA International
, a national trade association representing the credit and collection industry.
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
politician and a 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...
representing District 42B, which primarily includes portions of the city of Eden Prairie
Eden Prairie, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 54,901 people, 20,457 households, and 14,579 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 21,026 housing units at an average density of 649.2 per square mile...
in southwestern Hennepin County
Hennepin County, Minnesota
Hennepin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota, named in honor of the 17th-century explorer Father Louis Hennepin. As of 2010 the population was 1,152,425. Its county seat is Minneapolis. It is by far the most populous county in Minnesota; more than one in five Minnesotans live...
in the Twin Cities
Twin cities
Twin cities are a special case of two cities or urban centres which are founded in close geographic proximity and then grow into each other over time...
metropolitan area. A Republican
Republican Party of Minnesota
The Republican Party of Minnesota is the Minnesota branch of the United States Republican Party. Elected by the party’s state central committee in June 2009, its chairman is Tony Sutton, and its deputy-chairman is Michael Brodkorb.-Early history:...
, she is also a legislative policy consultant.
Loon was first elected in 2008, running after seven-term Rep. Erik Paulsen
Erik Paulsen
Erik Paulsen is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009. He is a member of the Republican Party. He previously served in the Minnesota House of Representatives...
opted not to seek re-election in order to run for the U.S. House of Representatives. She was re-elected in 2010. She is currently a member of the House's Environment Policy and Oversight Committee, the K-12 Education Policy and Oversight Committee, and the Taxes Committee. She also serves on the Public Safety Policy and Oversight Subcommittee for the Crime Victims/Criminal Records Division.
Loon grew up on a dairy farm in rural South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
. While in high school, she was a page in the South Dakota House of Representatives
South Dakota House of Representatives
The South Dakota House of Representatives is the lower house of the South Dakota State Legislature. It is made up of 70 members, two from each legislative district...
, where her uncle was a member. She graduated from Augustana College
Augustana College (South Dakota)
Augustana College is a private, liberal arts college affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States. The campus makes the school the largest private university in South Dakota...
in Sioux Falls
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Sioux Falls is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Dakota. Sioux Falls is the county seat of Minnehaha County, and also extends into Lincoln County to the south...
in 1985, earning her B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Government and International Affairs.
After graduating from college, Loon became active in government at the national level. She was a legislative assistant to U.S. Senator Larry Pressler from 1986–1988, and a lobbyist and legislative representative for Associated Builders and Contractors, a national trade association
Trade association
A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association or sector association, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry...
representing merit shop
Merit Shop
A merit shop is a firm or organization whose employees have chosen to perform hiring, promotion, salary adjustments, bonuses and termination based on the laws of the state and federal government, along with the individual's ability to accomplish the tasks assigned to them by their employer...
construction companies, from 1988-1990. She worked in several staff positions for the U.S. House of Representatives, from 1990–1997, including legislative director, minority policy director, minority staff director, and staff director for the House Committee on Small Business (1995–1997), where she worked directly with the committee chair, Congresswoman Jan Meyers
Jan Meyers
Jan Meyers is an American politician and a former member of the United States House of Representatives from Kansas....
of Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
. From 2003-2007, she was director of government affairs, lead federal lobbyist and legislative strategist for ACA International
ACA International
ACA International is the largest trade group representing collection agencies, creditors, debt buyers, collection attorneys and debt collection industry service providers. The organization was founded in 1939 as the American Collectors Association and changed its name to ACA International in 2001...
, a national trade association representing the credit and collection industry.