Mayor - Mark Windschitl

Mark Windschitl was elected to the position of Mayor by Special Election on January 19, 2010.  His term will run through December 31, 2010. 

Mark currently is a full-time Assistant Chief of Operations for the St. Louis Park Fire Department.  He was one of two Chiefs sent to an area southwest of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.  The area covered was about 80 miles long and 40 miles of that was devastated.  They provided fire services, handed out food and water, and rendered assistance to the only fire department operable after the hurricane. 

Last spring Mark was sent to Moorhead on two separate occasions during the floods, where he worked along side of the Moorhead Operations Chief in charge of sandbagging and monitoring operations. 

Mark is Chairperson of the SW Mutual Aid Association, which is a group of cites that work together regularly in major incidents.  This committee coordinates training, equipment purchases, and reviews ways in which their cites can work better together.   During the 35W bridge collapse, Mark was the Logistics Chief, and he was also in charge of the Strike Team that assisted with forest fires in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area known as Ham Lake.

Mark is very active in the Chaska community as well, having co-chaired two State Amateur Baseball Tournaments at Chaska Athletic Park, been a co-owner of a small local business, past employee of the Chaska Public Works Department, and retired from the Chaska Fire Department after 21 years of service.  He lives on Mallary Lane in Chaska and is the father of three children and a proud Grandpa.  He can be contacted at Mwindschitl@chaskamn.com or at 952-448-9200.

Council Member Gino Businaro - Ward 1

Gino Businaro is a first term councilman representing the 1^st Ward, but Gino is no stranger to the workings of city, school, and state government. After graduating from the University of St. Thomas, Gino began working for the State of Minnesota, auditing city and county books throughout the state.  Following a brief stint working for the State Department of Finance and the Minneapolis Public Schools, he was hired as the Chief Accountant for Carver County and retired as the Finance Director for the City of Mound, where he had been for the last 15 years.

In 1991, he was appointed to fill a vacancy on the District 112 School Board, and was elected three times to fill that position, serving on it for 11 years.  Gino felt the call to serve the community again and decided to run for the Chaska City Council in 2006. He was elected to that seat by the residents of the 1^st Ward.  He looks forward to serving his constituents as the City continues to be faced by a period of rapid growth and change. 

Gino and his family moved to Chaska in 1986 from south Minneapolis. Along with his wife, Karla, and two children, Evelina and Dominic (grown now and out on their own) he enjoys living in this community with its friendly neighbors and progressive city government. 

He has served on a nonprofit board established to raise money for the CART busses, which offers transportation to area citizens needing to get to doctor appointments and shopping.  He currently serves on the Carver County Personnel Board of Appeals, designed to hear appeals from County employees.  Gino enjoys time with his family and friends and counts computer time as his number one hobby.

Gino's home phone number is 952-448-7363. He can also be reached through his email address gbusinaro@chaskamn.com

Council Member Greg Boe - Ward 2

I love Chaska and I am honored to represent the residents of Ward 2 on the Chaska City Council.  My wife Debbie and I, along with our son, have resided in Chaska since 1996.  Our daughter was born a few years later.  Over the years, I have enjoyed getting to know my neighbors and many friends from around town.  I have had the opportunity to experience many different facets of Chaska: living both as a renter and a homeowner, near downtown and on top of the hill, and both inside and outside of Jonathan. 

I am currently a Program Manager within the Community Development Division of Scott County.  This division works with issues related to planning and land use, parks and open spaces, environmental health, and building inspections.  I have been employed by Scott County since 1996.  I hold a Bachelor of Science degree in Toxicology/Environmental Science and Chemistry from MSU - Mankato.  I am also a Registered Sanitarian and serve on the Registered Sanitarian and Registered Environmental Health Specialist Advisory Council for the State of Minnesota.  I was elected to a position on the Board of Directors of the North American Hazardous Materials Management Association in 2008. 

Over the years, I have had the opportunity to serve on the Chaska City Planning Commission, the Carver County Planning Commission, the SouthWest Transit Commission, and the Jonathan Association Board of Directors.  I continue to serve on the Carver County Planning Commission and the SouthWest Transit Commission.  Along with these, I am currently a member of the Chaska Lions Club, the Sons of the American Legion, and the Knights of Columbus.  As a hobby, I enjoy operating the official reporting station for the National Weather Service within the City of Chaska and I also maintain a discussion forum on the Chaska Herald web site called "The Backyard Rain Gauge." 

My family and I currently reside at 2287 Clover Field Drive in the Clover Ridge neighborhood.  My wife is a paralegal in a law firm.  Our son is a Biomedical Engineering student at the University of Minnesota.  Our daughter is a student in the Chaska school system.  We are members of Guardian Angels Parish in downtown Chaska. 

Please feel free to contact me to share any questions or concerns that you may have about our city.  I can be reached by phone (952-361-4251) or email (gboe@chaskamn.com).

Christopher Schulz - Ward 3

My wife Nancy and I were married in October of 1991.  We moved to Chaska in October 1996 and reside at 1290 Wildflower Lane.  I am currently employed at Stratasys, Inc. in Eden Prairie as a Sr. Technical Training Specialist, while Nancy is employed with Bluestem Brands, Inc. as a Merchandise Analyst.
 
I am currently in the 4th year of my first term as a member of the Council and served as Mayor (Pro Tem) from August 2009 until January 2010. I am currently a member of the Chaska Lions Club, Chaska American Legion Post #57 and a committee member for the Carver County Chapter of Ducks Unlimited. I am also an active member in both the District 112 Community Education Advisory Council and the Southwest Corridor Transportation Coalition. I have also served as a member of the 2010 Commitment to Community Task Force, as a member of the Sexual Violence Centers Advisory Committee and I continue to serve as a volunteer for Christmas in May.
 
My wife and I have truly enjoyed living in Chaska over the past 14 years and look forward to many more. The Chaska community has been very good to us, providing a wonderful place to live and play. It has also provided employment at times as well as some great friends and neighbors.
 
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at 612.790.0546 or cschulz@chaskamn.com.

Council Member Rick Ford - Ward 4

After receiving my Masters in Business Administration from the University of St. Thomas (1989) and my law degree from the William Mitchell College of Law (1992), my wife, Margaret, and I moved to Chaska in 1993 where I chose to start my business. I am the founder and owner of Richard R. Ford and Associates, DBA Community Insurance Advisors in downtown Chaska. I broker health insurance and employee benefits to small businesses and individuals. In 2008 and 2009, my company was rated in the top 3% of the industry.

Since 1995, I have served on many local and regional non-profit boards including Miracles of Mitch, Carver Scott Educational Foundation; Community Education Advisory Council; the Beacon Council; the Youth Commission; the League of Women Voters; Ridgeview Foundation; the Chaska Downtown Business Council; and the Carver County Library Foundation.

In addition, I have been the President of the Chaska Chamber of Commerce, the Chaska Rotary Club, Christmas in May-Chaska, the Carver County Personnel Board of Appeals, the District 112 Legislative Action Committee and the District 112 Foundation.   Currently I am Chair of the Community Asset Foundation, Chair of Rick’s 4F Foundation and Vice-Chair of Aeon.

I have created and continue to host a weekly Chaska Cable television show on Channel 15. Since 1997, nearly 300 episodes have been taped. Each program communicates to the viewers and residents of Chaska those current events that continue to be relevant to us and have an impact on our lives. The show can also be found on the internet at www.Chaska.TV
 
This is my first 4-year term as a member of the Chaska City Council. I look forward to representing Ward IV during these uncertain times when Chaska is faced with many opportunities and many challenges that affect us all.