Kelby G. Woodard (born April 1970) is a Minnesota politician and former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, he represented District 20A, which includes Le Sueur and Scott counties in the southeastern part of the state. He is also a small business owner of Trade Innovations, TRG Direct, and the Trusted Trade Alliance.[1][2]

Kelby Woodard
Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
from the 20A district
25B (2011–2013)
In office
January 4, 2011 – January 5, 2015
Preceded byDavid Bly
Succeeded byBob Vogel
Personal details
BornApril 1970 (age 54)
Political partyRepublican Party of Minnesota
SpouseDonna
Children5
ResidenceBelle Plaine, Minnesota
Alma materUniversity of Dallas
University of North Texas
Georgetown University
OccupationSmall business owner, legislator

Early life, education, and career

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Woodard graduated from the University of North Texas in Denton, receiving his B.S. in Criminal Justice. He went on to earn a Certificate of Global Security Management from Georgetown University and a M.B.A. in International Business from the University of Dallas. He worked for the U.S. Customs Service, was the Director of Supply Chain Assets Protection for Target Corporation, and was also a member of the Minnesota Civil Air Patrol and the Scott County Criminal Justice Advisory Board.[3][4]

Minnesota House of Representatives

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Woodard was first elected to the House in 2010, unseating incumbent David Bly by just 37 votes after a recount.[5] He was re-elected in 2012.

He announced on April 14, 2014 that he would not seek re-election.[6]

Same-sex marriage

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On May 21, 2011, he joined the House Republican Majority in voting for a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage.[7] On May 9, 2013, before the passage of a bill allowing same-sex civil marriages in Minnesota, Woodard pleaded with House members to reject the measure, citing a "deeply held belief" that marriage is between a man and a woman.[8]

Cristo Rey Dallas

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Kelby served as the president of Cristo Rey Dallas College Prep, located in Dallas, Texas. The School is the 30th school in the Cristo Rey Network, which focuses on empowering students from underserved, low income communities to develop themselves as leaders and contributors of society.[9] Kelby accepted the position of president in 2014, making him the founding president of the school.[10]

Saint Thomas Academy

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On February 21, 2020, it was announced that beginning July 1, Woodard would become the headmaster of Saint Thomas Academy, returning to Minnesota after several years in Texas.[11]

References

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  1. ^ "Woodard, Kelby G. - Legislator Record - Minnesota Legislators Past & Present".
  2. ^ "Background".
  3. ^ "Background".
  4. ^ "Woodard, Kelby G. - Legislator Record - Minnesota Legislators Past & Present".
  5. ^ "Election Reporting". Archived from the original on 2012-03-28. Retrieved 2011-01-14.
  6. ^ Rook, Suzy (April 14, 2014). "Rep. Woodard says he won't seek re-election". Le Sueur News-Herald. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  7. ^ "Roll Call on S.F. NO. 1308 FISCAL CALENDAR Passage - Minnesota House of Representatives". Archived from the original on 2012-01-19. Retrieved 2011-06-05.
  8. ^ "Same sex marriage debate / House floor session". May 9, 2013. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023.
  9. ^ "About - Cristo Rey Network".
  10. ^ https://www.cristoreydallas.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=478255&type=u&pREC_ID=1147481 [dead link]
  11. ^ Harlow, Tim (21 February 2020). "Former state legislator to head St. Thomas Academy". Star Tribune. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
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