Women’s History Month — The Phenomenal Women of Minnesota’s Fifth District
From Minneapolis to Fridley to Robbinsdale, Minnesota’s Fifth District is full of phenomenal women working to build stronger communities for our future generations. As we wrap up Women’s History Month, I wanted to highlight the hard work of a few barrier-breaking women from our district. From championing progressive policies in Congress, growing a community through a small business, to shaping the minds of our future leaders in classrooms, these changemakers are creating a stronger future for our North Star State.
Senator Tina Smith
Senator Tina Smith represents the great state of Minnesota in the U.S. Senate. Senator Smith first worked at General Mills in Minnesota before starting her own small business and later worked as an executive at Planned Parenthood. She started her journey in public service by getting involved in local campaigns, believing that politics should be about improving people’s lives. Smith became Minnesota’s 48th Lieutenant Governor in 2015 and was appointed to the U.S. Senate in 2017. She won back-to-back election victories, securing her first 6-year term in November 2020. For eight years, Senator Tina Smith has championed legislation for racial justice, women’s reproductive rights and a clean energy future.
What has been your proudest accomplishment?
Most Senators would probably list a legislative or policy victory as their greatest accomplishment, but to be honest, just being a Minnesotan over the last year is what I’m most proud of. Minnesota has shown the world that we are a place where people love their neighbors so fiercely that we will defend them even if it means standing up to masked secret police with giant guns. When we see injustice, we stand up to it. We understand it’s our moral obligation to do something. Representing the people of Minnesota has been my proudest accomplishment.
Who is a Minnesota woman that inspires you?
I could list dozens of Minnesota women who inspire me for a variety of reasons, but last week a high school senior named Samia testified before Congress about the traumatization of Minnesota children at the hands of ICE. Samia is a young Somali woman who stood before the powers that be in Congress and read out the President’s xenophobic comments for the record, and called him out on it. She made good trouble, and that inspires me.
What is your favorite part of Women’s History Month?
The best part of Women’s History Month is meeting the trailblazers and local Minnesota heroines that make our communities strong. I’m thinking of the woman who keeps her daycare in a small town going, not because she’s making a lot of money but because she cares so much about the kids and their families. Or the health care workers in Moorhead who take care of women who need to travel great distances from other states (like North Dakota and South Dakota) to get the reproductive health care they need — including abortion care. These women carry on the legacies of the generations of women who came before us.
Marcia Howard
Marcia Howard serves as the Teacher Chapter President of the Minnesota Federation of Educators. She is an English teacher at Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis, where she has taught since 1998, a community activist, and Marine Corps veteran. As a high school teacher, Ms. Howard has always worked to create opportunities for her students, including a self-funded grant program to help her best students attend an HBCU. After George Floyd was murdered steps from her house in South Minneapolis, she was pulled into organizing to defend her community and secure justice.
What has been your proudest accomplishment?
Since teaching in Minneapolis since 1998, the accomplishment I’m most proud of is being able to use my leadership as a labor leader and community organizer to fight for the liberation of the people. I have always taught “to transgress”, so whether I am on a strike line or at George Floyd Square — this, too, is education.
Who is a Minnesota woman that inspires you?
Nellie Stone Johnson’s portrait has a place of pride on my wall and her legacy has a place in my heart. A labor leader and civil rights activist who, after running for the Library Board in 1945, became the first elected African-American official in Minneapolis. A school is named after her and in 2002, a bronze statue of her was erected at the state capitol.
What is your favorite part of Women’s History Month?
My favorite part of Women’s History Month has always been seeing quotations. I would post a quote from a remarkable woman and students could research that figure and learn something new about women’s contributions to society. Funnily enough, someone just sent me a cross-stitch of a quote of something I said during a speech. The rest is history!
Dr. Teri Staloch
Dr. Teri Staloch is the Superintendent for Robbinsdale Area Schools. Dr. Staloch graduated from Luther College with a bachelor’s degree in English and Education, and the University of Minnesota, where she received her master’s degree and doctorate in Educational Policy and Administration. Dr. Staloch started her career as an English teacher at St. Charles Public Schools. She’s served as a collegiate assistant professor, and elementary school principal.
What has been your proudest accomplishment?
My proudest accomplishment is raising two incredible, caring sons who reflect the values of love and kindness in everything they do. Professionally, I am deeply proud of the work I’ve done alongside high-functioning, dedicated teams throughout my career. Together, we’ve created meaningful opportunities that empower students to succeed, grow, and thrive — work that continues to inspire me every day.
What drove you to pursue a career in education?
Like most ambitious young people at the beginning of their career, I knew I wanted to change the world and make it a better place. I chose to be an English teacher to help students recognize the importance of their own voice and the impact of their words and ideas. Public education represents the very best of community, where we come together with families and partners to open doors and expand opportunities for every student.
Who is a Minnesota woman that inspires you?
I have been fortunate to learn from and work alongside many outstanding women leaders throughout my career. One who continues to inspire me is Dr. Kate Maguire, whom I worked with during my time in Osseo Area Schools. To this day, she continues to be someone who inspires me to be at my best each day.
Zena Stenvik
Zena Stenvik is the Superintendent for Columbia Heights Public Schools. After the detention of Liam Conejo Ramos, a 5-year-old student at Columbia Heights schools, Superintendent Zena Stenvik joined School Board Chair Mary Granlund in gathering a group of Columbia Heights principals, teachers, interpreters, social workers, and community members to protect their community.
What has been your proudest accomplishment?
My proudest moment as Superintendent emerged during the crisis our school community faced this year amid Operation Metro Surge. While our community was deeply impacted by the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, it also revealed the extraordinary strength, compassion, and resilience of those within it. In the face of uncertainty, teachers, administrators, and staff stepped up in remarkable ways. They made countless calls to families to understand and respond to their academic, social, and economic needs. Schools operationalized systems to pack and deliver meals, provide online instruction, and ensure students were safely escorted to and from school. Parent Teacher Organizations mobilized to collect donations to support families with food and rent. Parents, community members, and staff stood on every corner of every school in bitter cold each morning and afternoon, keeping watch over our children to ensure their safe passage to and from school. Others volunteered their time to transport students when families could not. School Board, Mayor, City Council, local faith-based organizations, and community groups including the Lions, Boosters, Rotary, and Kiwanis, came together to stand with Columbia Heights Public Schools during this challenging time. This collective response was a powerful testament to who we are as a community. In the midst of crisis, we showed up for one another and stood in solidarity. I am deeply proud to be part of the Columbia Heights Public Schools community.
What drove you to pursue a career in education?
I was inspired to pursue a career in education by individuals in my social network. Shortly after graduating from the University of Minnesota, a friend encouraged me to apply for a bilingual liaison position with St. Paul Public Schools. I was hired in 1997, and it quickly became clear that working alongside students, families, and educators was the path I wanted to follow. After two years, I returned to the University of Minnesota to earn two teaching licenses and a master’s degree. Since then, I have served in a variety of roles, including teacher, coach, program coordinator, and curriculum director, among others. Each experience deepened my commitment to educational leadership and student success.
Who is a Minnesota woman that inspires you?
A Minnesota woman who inspires me is Valerie Larsen (1949–2025). Val was an enrolled tribal member of Leech Lake and dedicated her life to the well-being of Native American children across Minnesota. She earned a B.A. in Public Policy and Community Studies, with a minor in Indian Child Welfare. In the 1980s, she helped found the Ain Dah Yung Center, meaning “our home” in Ojibwe, which provides culturally relevant support, services, and shelter for Native youth. I had the great fortune of working alongside Val in Columbia Heights Public Schools, where she coordinated our Native American Education Program. She took me under her wing, sharing both traditional and contemporary Indigenous teachings and ways of being. She trusted me enough to invite me into meaningful cultural experiences, including Sugar Bush ceremonies where we collected maple sap, and visits to the Prairie Island Buffalo Restoration Program, where we encountered the majestic animals up close. Through her, I learned about “asema”, pipestone, powwows and even how to make fry bread. I carry those lessons with me each day, striving, as Val would say, to do my work “in a good way.”
Dr. Brenda Lewis
Dr. Brenda Lewis is the Superintendent for Fridley Public Schools. Dr. Lewis graduated from St. Catherine University with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, completed a master’s degree in Education at St. Mary’s University of Minnesota, and earned a doctorate in Leadership in Education Administration from Capella University. During Operation Metro Surge, Dr. Lewis spent two hours each morning and two in the afternoon patrolling streets and parking lots surrounding her school buildings looking for signs of agents disrupting her district’s work.
What has been your proudest accomplishment?
My proudest accomplishment is championing dignity, belonging, and equity for every child — with an unrelenting commitment to those who have been historically and presently marginalized and excluded by public education systems.
What drove you to pursue a career in education?
From a very young age, my parents instilled in me a deep commitment to social justice and advocacy on behalf of those who cannot advocate for themselves — a calling that has drawn me to education and kept me rooted there throughout my career.
Who is a Minnesota woman that inspires you?
Senator Tina Smith
Amina Deble
Amina Deble is the owner of Oasis Mediterranean Grill in Cedar-Riverside. Amina came to the United States over 25 years ago after fleeing war in Somalia. She has raised six kids in Minneapolis. Amina joins Mariam Mohamed, the owner of Hoyo Sambusa, as a vendor at the Minnesota State Fair. They sell sambusas and Somali street fries!
What has been your proudest accomplishment?
My proudest accomplishment has been helping build and grow a business that brings people together through food and community. Creating a space that reflects culture, connection, and opportunity has been incredibly meaningful to me.
Who is a Minnesota woman that inspires you?
A Minnesota woman who inspires me is Ilhan Omar. Her resilience, leadership, and dedication to representing her community continue to motivate me to pursue my goals with purpose and confidence.
What is your favorite part of Women’s History Month?
My favorite part of Women’s History Month is the opportunity to celebrate and reflect on the achievements of women from all backgrounds, especially those whose stories are often overlooked. It’s a reminder of the strength and impact of women across generations.
