Kari Howe to run for District 3 on Beltrami County Board
May 24—BEMIDJI — Kari Howe, a resident of Bemidji Township, has announced her intent to run for District 3 on the
Beltrami County Board of Commissioners.
During her professional career, Howe worked in government for over 27 years, with experience in workforce, community and business development. She and her husband also owned Dunn Brothers Coffee in Bemidji prior to their retirement.
"I think I am uniquely qualified (to serve on the county board) because I've been in government, and worked with all levels of government from local up to federal," Howe said.
Public safety will be one of Howe's top priorities, looking at the issue from all angles with a particular focus on mental health programming. Road maintenance and infrastructure will also be top issues for Howe, alongside keeping politics out of a nonpartisan office.
Howe also has extensive experience in nonprofit and community organizations, working with the Bemidji Area Chamber of Commerce and the American Cancer Society, among others.
She hopes that she can continue her community service by representing District 3 on the county board.
"I've served the community for so long, and I was looking for something to come my way where I could continue to serve the area where I live and that I love," Howe said. "This feels like the right opportunity."
As election season begins, Howe looks forward to having conversations with her neighbors in District 3 to find out what issues are most important to them and how she can bring those forward at the county level.
Howe is a Bemidji State University graduate and moved to Beltrami County in 1978 and Bemidji Township in 1995, where she lives with her husband and their two dogs.
