Commissioner Kathleen Gaylord

Meet Commissioner Kathleen Gaylord

Highlights:

  • Dakota County Board Chair
  • Our County Commissioner since 2003
  • Former Mayor of South St. Paul
  • Attorney and Former Senior Corporate Counsel for Northwest Airlines
  • Former Executive Director – Minnesota Tax Study Commission

 

Commissioner Kathleen Gaylord grew up in South St. Paul. She and her husband Dennis Hosford, a local small business owner, have two children, David and Susan. Commissioner Gaylord is recognized for her expertise in finance, transportation, and tax policy and for her strong advocacy for taxpayers, seniors and families.

Education

Kathleen attended the University of Minnesota, where she earned a BA, Magna Cum Laude, in Economics with a minor in Chinese. She continued post graduate studies in Public Administration and Business Taxation at the U, and furthered her education at William Mitchell College of Law, graduating with a Juris Doctorate in law.

Background

Kathleen Gaylord is an attorney and partner with Weinblatt & Gaylord in Inver Grove Heights. She has taught Election Law to attorneys for the Minnesota Institute of Legal Education (MILE). Kathleen previously worked as Regional Manager of Properties and Facilities for Northwest Airlines, Inc. managing a portfolio of airport properties across the country prior to her promotion to the position of Senior Corporate Counsel. While at Northwest, she was successful in acquiring almost a billion dollars in airline assistance aid from the Minnesota Legislature to preserve 18,000 jobs in Minnesota. As the Chair of the Public Affairs Committee for the Air Transportation Association in Washington, DC, Kathleen also lobbied Congress and state legislatures across the country on behalf of the airline industry and has lectured on transportation issues across the United States. She now uses that experience on our behalf to push county issues forward for Dakota County.

Kathleen worked eight years for the Minnesota Legislature. Her work focused on tax legislation and research. She developed an income-based property tax relief system known as the “Circuit Breaker” for Minnesota and, while Executive Director of the Minnesota Tax Study Commission, designed the first computer simulation of the state’s complex tax and local government aid system. The current Homestead Property Tax Refund evolved from her ground breaking work in property tax relief.  She is the author/editor of “History of Taxation in Minnesota”.

DAKOTA COUNTY COMMISSIONER

In 2002, Kathleen Gaylord was elected Dakota County Commissioner after serving ten years as the Mayor of South St. Paul.  As Commissioner, Kathleen has been elected County Board Chair four times (2006, 2009, 2013 and 2018) by her colleagues on the County Board. She has worked to strengthen the county’s financial position and successfully control county property taxes.  Kathleen pushed the county to leave CTIB, the metro counties transit investment board, enabling millions of dollars to flow directly to Dakota County for local transit and road projects without raising taxes.  She is Chair of the Dakota County Board of Commissioners, chair of the Dakota County Law Library Board of Trustees and President of the Minnesota Inter County Association. At the national level, Kathleen serves on the Transportation Steering Committee of the National Association of Counties (NACo) and has served as Vice Chair of the Finance and Intergovernmental Affairs Steering Committee of NACo as well. Kathleen has also chaired numerous regional boards including the Metropolitan Emergency Services Board, the Metropolitan Mosquito Control Board, and the Metropolitan Area Agency on Aging and has served in many other leadership positions, including: President, Dakota County League of Governments; President, Metropolitan Public Airports Foundation; Co-Chair, Metro East Development Partnership, Association of Minnesota Counties Board of Directors, Dakota County Community Development Agency Board, Dakota County Government and Judicial Center Renovation Project Design Advisory Committee; Dakota County Regional Railroad Authority; East Metro Strong Board of Directors; Chair, Facility Operations Advisory Committee for Thompson Park Center; Greater MSP Economic Development Partnership Board of Directors; Greater Metropolitan Workforce Council; and Robert Street Corridor Alternatives Analysis Steering Committee.

PAST COMMUNITY SERVICE

As Mayor, Kathleen developed a reputation for teamwork, respect, and openness to residents and employees. Initiated major improvements in the budget process and presentation. Successfully initiated and developed major civic projects, including the ice arena expansion, river trail and boat launch, airport terminal, community splash pool, and basic infrastructure improvements including sewer separation, and street and alley reconstruction. Initiated successful citywide programs, including the Rediscover South St. Paul housing initiative and the community action program. These are some of the other positions Kathleen has held in her 30 years of public service:

Elected South St. Paul City Council member 1985, re-elected 1989
South St. Paul Charter Commission 1979-1987
President – Dakota County League of Governments
National League of Cities, Washington, D.C. – Board Member 2002-2004
NLC Policy & Legislative Committee 2002-2003
Chair – National League of Cities Transportation Committee, 2000
Transportation Steering Committee Member – 1997-2001
Steering Committee Small Cities Council
Metro East Economic Development Partnership – Public Sector Co-Chair 2002
Washington State Air Transportation Commission (Olympia, WA)
Governor’s Appointee 1992-1995
County of the Future Executive Conference (Dakota County)
Co-Chair – Steering Committee 1997-1998
Westside Neighborhood Housing Services – Board of Directors
Progress Plus – Board of Directors
American Heritage Rivers Initiative – Upper Mississippi River
Multi-state Executive Committee
Mississippi River Initiative Project (Metropolitan Council) Steering Committee

Dakota County International Trade Committee
League of Minnesota Cities
Federal Legislative Committee
Fiscal Future of Cities Committee
Property Tax Committee of the St. Paul Chamber of Commerce
Legislative Committee of the Northern Dakota County Chamber of Commerce
Minnesota Ice Arena Development – Task Force (Mighty Ducks) of the
Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission
Tax Committee Chair of the Air Transport Association, Washington, D.C.
MSP Airport Planning Task Force
New Major Airport Search Area Advisory Task Force
Conceptual Design Task Force
Education Quality Committee of the Minnesota Business Partnership
NY/NJ Rail Link Task Force of the Air Transport Association
South St. Paul Educational Foundation – Board of Directors
Metropolitan Public Airport Foundation – Travelers Assistance 1993-1998

South St. Paul/ Inver Grove Heights Rotary – President
South St. Paul Futures – President

Transportation Advisory Board/Metropolitan Council