Annette Meeks (born April 12, 1960) is a

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the List of U.S. states and territories by population, 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minne ...

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or again ...

politician and a member of the state's

Metropolitan Council The Metropolitan Council, commonly abbreviated Met Council or Metro Council, is the regional governmental agency and metropolitan planning organization in Minnesota serving the Minneapolis – Saint Paul, Twin Cities seven-county metropolitan are ...

. She was the 2010 endorsed Republican candidate for

lieutenant governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

, running with gubernatorial candidate

Tom Emmer Thomas Earl Emmer Jr.Helgeson, Baird, ''Star Tribune'', July 11, 2010. (born March 3, 1961) is an American attorney and politician who has been the U.S. representative for since 2015. The district includes most of the Twin Cities' far northern ...

Biography

Meeks pursued a degree at the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Tw ...

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with list of lakes in Minneapolis, thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. ...

, and also graduated from the American Campaign Academy in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

She served as deputy chief of staff for

House Speaker The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerfo ...

Newt Gingrich during his time in office. She later served as chief executive officer of the

Center of the American Experiment The Center of the American Experiment is a Minnesota-based think tank that advocates for conservative and free-market principles. Overview The Center of the American Experiment was founded in 1990 by Mitch Pearlstein, a former Reagan appointee. A ...

, a

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

think tank A think tank, or policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governmental ...

, and as the vice chair of the

Republican Party of Minnesota The Republican Party of Minnesota is the oldest active political party in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The Minnesota Republican Party’s platform is relatively moderate. The party’s main issues are economic growth, education, healthcare, civ ...

. She is the founder and CEO of the

Freedom Foundation of Minnesota The Freedom Foundation of Minnesota (FFM) is a conservative think tank based in Minnesota. The group states that it "actively advocates the principles of individual freedom, personal responsibility, economic freedom, and limited government." Annet ...

. Meeks was appointed to Minnesota's

in 2003 by Governor

Tim Pawlenty Timothy James Pawlenty (; born November 27, 1960) is an American attorney, businessman, and politician who served as the 39th governor of Minnesota from 2003 to 2011. A member of the Republican Party, Pawlenty served in the Minnesota House o ...

. She was reappointed to a second four-year term in 2007. She served as vice chair of the Council's Community Development and Transportation Committees. She is no longer a member of the Met Council. On April 28, 2010, state representative and gubernatorial candidate

named Meeks as his

running mate A running mate is a person running together with another person on a joint ticket during an election. The term is most often used in reference to the person in the subordinate position (such as the vice presidential candidate running with a pres ...

. It was noted that she had previously argued that the position of

should be abolished.

References

External links

Annette Meeks Metropolitan Council Biography"Annette Meeks, The True Believer" - City Pages 5/28/2008"Jack Meeks, The Lifer" - City Pages 5/28/2008
1960 births Living people University of Minnesota alumni Politicians from Minneapolis Minnesota Republicans Women in Minnesota politics 21st-century American women {{Minnesota-politician-stub