Steve Erickson announces as candidate for Cass County District 4 Commissioner

   Steve Erickson announces his candidacy for the District 4 County Commissioner position. Erickson is a life-long mediator and is co-owner of Erickson Mediation Institute. He stresses his ability to promote cooperation and resolve conflicts as a strength that he brings to the position.

   Steve and his wife Marilyn of 54 years have owned a home in Shingobee Township since 1996 and they became permanent residents in 2020. Steve has early ties to the Leech Lake area, beginning when he was 12 years old, working as a bait boy and fish cleaner at a launch service in Federal Dam during the two summers his father supervised the re-building of the 1880’s dam. He is an avid bicycle rider of the regional trails and being pro-business, he sees tourism and recreation as one of the areas that should be more promoted. 

   Steve will be an active Commissioner who will listen to all sides to learn their interests and views. He says, “I am running for District 4 Commissioner to serve all people of Cass County. Good government is about serving people and building strong communities through finding solutions together.”

   “If elected, I will work to bring additional housing to support employers in District 4. I will be active in seeking solutions around transportation issues and the support of local business. I will continue the strong fiscal oversight that Cass County has maintained in these difficult times of economic uncertainty.   I want to build upon our assets and constructively address the concerns people currently have. I have learned in my 45-year career as a mediator that change can create differences, but common ground can be found” he says.  “Local government,” he continues, “is where we can best demonstrate constructive solutions to meet important family and community needs. When we work together to apply new approaches to difficult issues, we can get more done and enhance the quality of life in this beautiful place we call home.” 

   Erickson is a member of Union Congregational Church in Hackensack and serves as its Co-Moderator.  He is a licensed attorney but says that: “Three years after law school, I decided to leave the practice of adversarial law and work as a full-time mediator because every problem seemed to get turned into a contest over who is right and who is wrong, and I found that having everyone “lawyer up” was not the way to go about solving complex problems.”   He is recognized as one of the leading pioneers in developing the field of mediation and is the co-author of six books on the subject.  In the late 1980’s, at the request of Governor Perpich, he created the Minnesota Farmer-Lender mediation program and trained over 700 volunteer mediators for that program.  “This model program to preserve the family farm,” he says, “taught me there is always a creative solution that goes beyond the legal remedies that create one winner and one loser.  Common sense, fair treatment and cooperative solutions that benefit our entire community are vital to the success of good government.”

   Steve can be reached at (218) 513-8139 and he encourages calls from anyone who has concerns or wishes to talk further about his candidacy.