Ann Wynia (née Jobe, born September 29, 1943) is an American politician who served in the
Minnesota House of Representatives
The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower house of the Legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota. There are 134 members, twice as many as the Minnesota Senate. Floor sessions are held in the north wing of the State Capitol in Saint ...
from 1977 to 1989. A member of the
Democratic Farmer-Labor Party, Wynia represented portions of the city of
St. Paul
Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...
and served as
Majority Leader
In U.S. politics (as well as in some other countries utilizing the presidential system), the majority floor leader is a partisan position in a legislative body. from 1987 to 1989. In 1989 Governor
Rudy Perpich
Rudolph George Perpich Sr. (June 27, 1928 September 21, 1995) was an American politician and the longest-serving governor of Minnesota, serving a total of just over 10 years. A member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, he served as the 34t ...
appointed her Commissioner o
Minnesota's Department of Human Servicesuntil 1990.
She was the Democratic Party's nominee for
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
in the
1994 election. After a defeat by U.S. Congressman
Rod Grams
Rodney Dwight Grams (February 4, 1948 – October 8, 2013) was an American politician and television news anchor who served in both the United States House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. A local news anchor, Grams became well-known ...
, Wynia served as the President of
North Hennepin Community College in
Brooklyn Park, Minnesota from 1997 until her retirement in 2010.
Biography
Early life and education
Wynia was born in
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. Accord ...
, and attended
Arlington High School. She earned her
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...
degree in
Government
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is ...
from the
University of Texas at Arlington
The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA or UT Arlington) is a public research university in Arlington, Texas. The university was founded in 1895 and was in the Texas A&M University System for several decades until joining the University of ...
, and her
Master of Arts
A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Th ...
degree in
political science
Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...
from the
University of Wisconsin
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, ...
in 1968.
Career outside politics
Prior to entering public office, Wynia was a full-time lecturer at North Hennepin Community College from 1970 to 1977.
She served as a
regent
A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...
of the
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public land-grant research university in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. ...
and founded the Block Nurse Program,
which provides in-home care for senior citizens (now merged with the Elderberry Institute).
She also served on the board of the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, the
Bush Foundation and Health Partners. She was president of North Hennepin Community College until July 2010.
John O'Brien, a former administrator at
Century College, is the current president.
In 1996, Wynia was elected to the
Common Cause National Governing Board.
Political career
Wynia represented Minnesota's 62A House district from 1977 to 1982 and the redistricted 63B House district from 1983 to 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.
Awards and distinctions
* 1995 – Distinguished Alumna, University of Texas at Arlington
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wynia, Ann
1943 births
Heads of universities and colleges in the United States
Living people
Members of the Minnesota House of Representatives
University of Texas at Arlington alumni
University of Wisconsin–Madison College of Letters and Science alumni
Women state legislators in Minnesota
21st-century American women
Women heads of universities and colleges
20th-century American politicians
20th-century American women politicians
20th-century American academics
21st-century American academics