My name is Polly Peterson Bowles.  While my career path has not been a traditional one, it has been one rich in experiences that have honed a valuable talent set.  That talent set is particularly suited to advocacy, public policy development, community outreach and stakeholder engagement.   I am currently searching for an opportunity that would allow me to use my experiences and abilities to significantly contribute to the endeavors of a business, organization, nonprofit or foundation. 

I graduated with honors from the University of Minnesota with dual majors in Economics and International Relations/Cross-Cultural Communications. I then went on to graduate with honors from the University of Minnesota Law School.  I started my law practice in Los Angeles with Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher dealing with white collar crime and entertainment law.  I returned to Minnesota to join Faegre & Benson, where I handled business litigation and corporate finance matters.

I left my legal practice to raise my four sons.  During my time as a “stay-at-home” mother and engaged community volunteer, I also fulfilled the duties of several public policy positions in state government.  I received repeated appointments from three different Minnesota governors.  These included two separate stints serving as a member of the Metropolitan Council, the agency that plans and operates regional systems for the seven-county Twin Cities metropolitan area.  While I was the youngest member and had the least experience when I first came onto the council, within one year, my colleagues on the council elected me as vice chair to assist the gubernatorial-appointed chair.  I also became a frequent spokesperson for the council before legislative committees, other governmental bodies, community organizations, schools and the media.

For over 20 years, I have also been actively engaged as a disability and special education, and gifted education, advocate.  I have worked with schools, organizations, government, medical providers, parents, teens and children in identifying and securing resources and services to best meet the personal and educational needs of young people.  I served two terms on the board of directors of TreeHouse, a nonprofit that combats teen hopelessness by serving hurting and at-risk youth and their families.

I am experienced and adept at bringing parties together to develop and implement a vision, cause, policy or project, with the goal of creating the best overall outcome for all impacted parties.  I am skilled at gathering and synthesizing input and information, and then communicating it effectively to various stakeholder audiences.  Over the years, I have served as a spokesperson/ambassador for a variety of organizations.  Some of my specific strengths include public speaking, writing, and an ability to personally interact well with people from a myriad of backgrounds and experiences.  I was able to use all these skills to develop plans and secure necessary government approvals for a controversial church building project, that not only resulted in the successful construction of the building, but also resulted in a significantly improved relationship between the church and its residential neighbors.

If you are looking for someone to represent your organization before a variety of audiences, to build strategic relationships, and to effectively communicate its messages and advocate for its positions, I would welcome an opportunity to discuss with you what I have to offer to your organization. 

Polly Peterson Bowles