Amy Koch

Amy Koch
Member of the Minnesota Senate
from the 19th district
In office
January 5, 2006 – January 7, 2013
Preceded by Mark Ourada
Succeeded by Kathleen Sheran
10th Minnesota Senate Majority Leader
In office
January 4, 2011 – December 15, 2011
Preceded by Lawrence Pogemiller
Succeeded by David Senjem
Personal details
Born (1971-10-08) October 8, 1971
Buffalo, Minnesota
Political party Republican
Spouse(s) Christopher
Children 1
Residence Buffalo, Minnesota
Alma mater Concordia College
Defense Language Institute
St. Cloud State University
Occupation business owner, legislator, veteran
Religion Roman Catholic
Awards Joint Service Achievement Medal
Military service
Service/branch United States Air Force
Years of service 1992-1996
Rank Senior Airman[1]
Unit National Security Agency

Amy T. Koch (born October 8, 1971) was a member of the Minnesota Senate and its former Majority Leader.[2] Koch represented District 19, which includes portions of Hennepin and Wright counties in the northwestern Twin Cities metropolitan area. She is also a regular commentator for Minnesota local media.

Education

Koch graduated Buffalo High School in 1990 and attended Concordia College in Moorhead, MN. Amy attended North Hennepin Community College for a year before deciding to join the Air Force. She studied Russian at the Defense Language Institute in California.

Life and Career

A Republican, Koch was first elected to the Senate in a special election held on November 22, 2005, after Senator Mark Ourada announced his resignation effective December 31, 2005. She was re-elected in the 2006 and 2010 general elections. She previously served as an assistant minority leader,[4] and was the first woman to serve as Majority Leader, and the first Republican to do so since the end of the non-partisan era.

In 2011, Minnesota faced a $6.2 billion deficit. Majority Leader Koch helped integrate twenty new members of her caucus, while negotiating a challenging budget deficit that was turned into a surplus.

Scandal

On December 15, 2011, Koch resigned from the Senate leadership, and announced that she would not seek re-election. Later in the day local news media reported that four Republican state senators indicated Koch had an "inappropriate" relationship with a male staffer. On December 21, Koch apologized for "engaging in a relationship with a Senate staffer," admitted to making "mistakes and errors in judgment," and stated, "It is important that I spend time now focusing on the challenging days ahead as I work through some very personal issues."

Because of the timing of her resignation, she became the shortest-tenured majority leader in Minnesota Senate history.

Military service

In 1993, Amy was stationed in Fort Mead, Maryland to serve in the National Security Agency (NSA). While serving in the NSA she was awarded the Joint Service Commendation Medal for the contributions to the intelligence community. Her daughter Rachel was born during her time serving in the NSA.

In 1996, she received an honorable discharge from the Air Force and went back to Wright County to attend St. Cloud University. She rejoined the family business and paid her way through college, graduating in 1999. She loved school and earned her MBA from Capella in 2009.

Business owner

Koch is a part owner of HBK Properties LLC in Buffalo.[3][4]

References

External links

Minnesota Senate
Preceded by
Lawrence Pogemiller		 Minnesota Senate Majority Leader
2011 		Succeeded by
David Senjem
Preceded by
Mark Ourada		 Member of the Minnesota Senate for the 19th District
2006 – 2013 		Succeeded by
Kathleen Sheran
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