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MEET THE STEERING COMMITTEE
Barb Olsen, President
Barb Olsen was born and raised in Duluth, where she attended Central High School and UMD. She worked as News Director for KUMD-FM radio and as a news reporter and anchor at WDIO-TV, before moving to the Seattle area for a number of years. In Washington state, Barb worked as a technical writer for Boeing and Weyerhaeuser Corporations, as a book editor for Microsoft Press, and as a technical editing instructor at the University of Washington. Back again in Duluth, in 1999 Barb launched her political column in the Reader newspaper, “Out of Order! A Voter’s Chronicle of Duluth City Council Proceedings.” Barb has managed a number of city and state political campaigns and helped to found Progressive Action, for which she was the organization’s first President. She has also been a foster parent and a swimming teacher specialist for infant, young, and blind swimmers. She has two children and two stepchildren, and lives on Park Point.
Iver Bogen, Progressive Action Secretary
Iver Bogen is one of the founding members of Progressive Action. He taught Psychology at the University of Minnesota, Duluth, and on the Morris Campus from 1961 to 1997. In his own words, Mr. Bogen describes his interest in progressive politics: “I have always been active in political concerns It is evident that public policy often works a hardship on people—for example, lack of universal health care, current drug laws, lack of affordable housing, GLBT issues, women’s health issues (re abortion and emergency contraception), and ad infinitum. Progressive Action is active in creating supportive government and backing political candidates who are progressive. It has been very positive being involved with people who care about people.”
Iver has also served as a board and committee member for CHUM (Churches United in Ministry), Treasurer and board member for the First Unitarian Church, Chair of the local ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) chapter, and Co-Chair of UMD Faculty Against the War in Iraq.
Hal Moore, Progressive Action Treasurer
Hal Moore handles the responsibilities of Progressive Action’s Treasurer and is an ex-officio member of the Steering Committee. Hal was once an ordained minister and now teaches classes at the University for Seniors related to humanism religious questions. He also contracts with the Federal Prison to teach reading and language skills to prisoners and in his past days in Chicago managed a progressive book store for a political collective. He is married to Beth Tamminen, and they have two daughters who have traveled internationally on Fulbright and other scholarships.
Charles Gessert, Progressive Action Steering Committee Member
Charles Gessert is a physician and researcher at St. Mary’s/Duluth Clinic Health System. He is a Director of Minnesota’s 7th Senate District DFL, serves on the City of Duluth’s Environmental Advisory Council, and is part of the Greater Duluth End-of-Life Coalition. Charles was raised in Wisconsin and California and attended both the University of California at Berkeley (1963-67) and the Medical College of Wisconsin (1967-71). From 1979 to 1995, Charles worked in Area Health Education Center (AHEC) programs, which are federally funded projects designed to improve access to health care in rural and urban underserved communities. He first worked with the federal AHEC offices in Washington, DC and then with the University of California’s AHEC System, after which he went on to develop and lead the Wisconsin AHEC Program. In the years before moving to Duluth in 2000, Charles headed a research institute in Kansas and completed a research fellowship and Masters in Public Heath degree at the University of Kansas Medical Center.
Charles is married and lives with his wife and son in the Chester Park neighborhood. He is a regular contributor to the letters-to-the-editor pages of the Duluth News Tribune, Budgeteer News, and Reader Weekly newspapers.
Marlene Hart
(Bio to come)
Pete Johnson
(Bio to come)
Patrick Boyle
(Bio to come)
Tim Musick
(Bio to come)
Dave Conley
(Bio to come)
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