Terri Haarstad, Thanks and have a fantastic weekend. Ben Jones

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1 From: To: Subject: Date: Attachments: Ben Jones Terri Haarstad City Commission Application Friday, February 03, :47:59 PM New Brighton Commisision Letter.docx Benjamin Jones Resume.docx New Brighton Commission Application.pdf Terri Haarstad, I am writing to express my interest in serving on New Brighton City Commission. I have attached a letter of interest, resume, and application form. Please do not hesitate to contact me if there is anything else I can provide. Thanks and have a fantastic weekend. Ben Jones bjones5589@gmail.com

2 Terri Haarstad, City Clerk City of New Brighton 803 Old Highway 8 NW New Brighton, MN Benjamin Jones th Ave NW, New Brighton, MN, jone2525@umn.edu Dear New Brighton City Council Members, I am a New Brighton resident writing to express my interest in serving on a City Commission. My wife and have fallen in love with New Brighton since moving here almost four years ago. We have since purchased a home near Hansen Park and are busy putting down roots in the city. I am currently looking opportunities to both give back to the community and would love the opportunity to contribute to the high quality local government here in New Brighton. I would bring useful skills and experience into a position as a volunteer city commissioner. As an attorney who currently works for the Department of Employment and Economic Development I constantly interpret statues and regulations. The bulk of my time is spent on cases that involve overlap between unemployment insurance and workers compensation, and this work has allowed me to become very comfortable with legal proceedings and provided practice in forging consensus among sometimes acrimonious parties. I also provide research and writing support to the department s appellate work and legal reform proposals. Before my current job I gained experience with legislating and policy formation at the state level through my internship with the Minnesota Catholic Conference. In my time there I had many opportunities to see government in action. I assisted in our lobbying of state legislators and others stakeholders in the political process. I was able to frequently

3 Benjamin Jones th Ave NW, New Brighton, MN, attend committee meetings and floor sessions. I provided all kinds of legal and policy research to help formulate our legislative proposals and to explain and sell them to the public. I even had the opportunity to write some draft legislation. My schedule will allow me to devote the time necessary to this role. As may be clear from my resume, I am interested in public policy and would relish the opportunity to learn about local government from the commission s work and its experienced incumbent members. My preference would be to be placed on the Planning Commission, but I am willing to serve wherever commissioners are needed. Thank you for taking the time to review my application to serve on a New Brighton City Commission.

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6 Benjamin P. Jones th Ave NW, New Brighton, MN, Education University of Minnesota Law School, Minneapolis, MN J.D. May 2015, Cum Laude GPA: (Second Quartile: ) Awards: Dean Distinguished Scholarship, Dean s List Activities: Civil Rights Moot Court, St. Thomas Moore Society Bar Admission: December Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO B.A in Economics and History, May 2011 Activities: ADG Membership and Academic Vice President Greek Conduct Board Member Final Papers: Leveraging Filipino Remittances (economics), Vietnam Veteran Homecomings (history) Experience: Department of Employment and Economic Development Workers Compensation Intervention Attorney, September Present Files interventions in Workers Compensation cases where DEED has paid unemployment benefits. Participate in cases to the extent necessary to protect DEED s interests and negotiates settlement with parties. Reviews unemployment insurance appeals for jurisdictional issues. Provide legal and policy research and writing support for our appellate work and legislative proposals. Kroll Ontrack Document Reviewer, January September 2016 Analyzed and redacted documents for relevance and privilege in complex litigation cases. Evaluated and assigned codes to documents to aid case preparation. Provided litigation support and quality control. Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid Bridge Fellow, October 2015-January 2016 Managed caseload of low-income clients with public benefits cases. Helped clients navigate various federal and state government programs. Investigated facts, interviews clients and witnesses, and conducted formal discovery. Argue clients cases in administrative proceedings. Minnesota Catholic Conference, St. Paul, MN Law Clerk, January 2015-May 2015 Assisted staff on a broad array of public policy and lobbying issues. Conducted legal and policy research, wrote memos, draft legislation, and educational materials and columns for the Catholic Spirit newspaper. Communicated with legislators, legislative staff, and interested third parties regarding the organizations policy priorities. Milwaukee Legal Aid Society, Milwaukee, WI Intern in the Guardian ad Litem Office, May 2014-August 2014 Conducted legal research and authored briefs, motions and memos. Interviewed wards, parents, and prospective guardians. Assisted with trial preparation by summarizing case evidence and preparing witness question outlines. Argued motions and represented wards best interests in court hearings. Minnesota District Court, Minneapolis, MN Extern to the Honorable Daniel Moreno, June 2013-August 2013 Conducted legal research on procedural and substantive legal issues. Drafted legal orders and memoranda, subject to revision by Clerk and Judge before issuance. Performed administrative tasks. Whittemore House, Catering St Louis, St Louis, MO Waiter, August 2011-August 2012 Served restaurant guests by explaining menu, taking orders and delivering food. Performed a variety of regular preparatory and clean-up work. Helped decorate and set up for weddings and other catered events.