Alumni Focus - Nick Krueger ('05)
Over the past few months, Nick Krueger (‘05), an aide to representative Terry Katsma (Sheboygan County, Wisconsin), has had a wild ride in his run for office in the Wisconsin State Assembly. Nick shares about the SCLA teachers that impacted and prepared him, his run for office, and his hobby of restoring his historic home.
What is your favorite St. Croix memory?
Three favorite memories that come to mind right away: 1) attending the baptism into God's family of a classmate who learned about Jesus as a student at St. Croix; 2) growing up in life and in faith alongside other hardworking, independent kids who, like me, were living in the dormitory away from home for the first time; and 3) the dodgeball, tug-of-war and floor hockey grudge matches that were the highlights of Homecoming Week.
Did any specific SCLA teacher make a positive impact on you?
Every single one of them did! I've been grateful for my St. Croix teachers many times over, and not just the ones whom I thought were my favorites at the time. I was the opposite of a natural football player, but Coach Boehm's encouragement helped me achieve much more than I thought I could. I was never brave enough to enroll in an art class, though! Mr. Harley eagerly pushed me to new heights in a subject I enjoyed (math), and Pastors Huebner and Luebchow taught me a subject (Latin) that I did not care for at the time but now appreciate very much. My science teachers Mr. Schacht, Mr. Mielke, Mr. Strehlow, and Mrs. Stob helped me realize that there's a lot about God's creation that I don't know. And, more than anyone else, Mr. Weihing made me think more carefully about my Lutheran faith and deepen my resolve to better know Jesus.
Sitting in Mr. Stueber's senior Econ and Government course in 2005, I had no idea that my career would advance in the direction that it has.
Tell us about your wild last few months running for the special Republican primary for Wisconsin State Assembly District 37.
Not long ago, my state senator got elected to Congress and my state representative won a special election to replace him. That created a vacancy in my community for the State Assembly, the lower house of the state legislature, and I decided to run for that seat. "Wild" is a good word to describe what happened next, as I ended up being one of a total of 10 candidates (eight republicans, one independent, one democrat) vying for the same votes. In six weeks, my volunteers and I visited over 10,000 homes to introduce myself, hear people's concerns, and ask for their support. In the end, I lost the republican primary by only 137 votes. I would be lying if I said I was not disappointed in that outcome, but I'm proud of the work we achieved. I think I helped, in at least a small way, to restore folks' confidence that political candidates are real people who live nearby, care about them, and genuinely want to increase opportunities in our neighborhoods.
What is your job as chief of staff in the State Legislature like, and how did you get there?
My wife and I returned home to Wisconsin in 2014 after a few years living in Washington, DC, and a college classmate introduced me to a newly elected state representative who was looking to hire his first (and, at that time, only) aide. Since then, it has been my great privilege to work alongside Rep. Terry Katsma, a conservative republican from Sheboygan County. I have assisted him with the authoring of ideas that have been enacted into state law -- most often on tax and finance issues, but also natural resources and child welfare/foster care. Since he recently began serving on the legislature's Joint Finance Committee, I have assisted him with writing the Wisconsin state budget and have helped with oversight of state agencies. Every day involves some policy work, some constituent casework, and a lot of teamwork! Sitting in Mr. Stueber's senior Econ and Government course in 2005, I had no idea that my career would advance in the direction that it has.
What do you and your wife Abbie like to do for fun?
Our house in Watertown, Wisconsin was built in the 1880s, and we take a lot of pride in keeping it up, researching the history of the neighborhood, and personally doing the work to restore the house, one bit at a time, to what it used to be. We have learned a lot of new skills along the way and enjoy tackling new challenges as partners.