JONATHAN YAHN

After finishing law school, I started my career as a Crow Wing County prosecutor. I moved to the Brainerd lakes area sight unseen, but quickly fell for the beauty of the area and the more relaxed pace. After a brief stint in private practice, I spend nearly 20 years as a legal adviser and retirement plan consultant for a national 401(k) plan company. For the past two years I have enjoyed a new gig at the National Joint Powers Alliance in Staples, MN. We create procurement contracts with nationally recognized vendors that states, cities, counties, and schools can use without going through their own bidding process. The revenue that our 50,000+ members generate through using NJPA's contracts funds numerous public projects in the central Minnesota region. With a special emphasis on improving public education in the area, we are making a positive impact in our community.

My family and I have lived just north of Nisswa since 1998. Please feel free to connect if you are up my way--or just call to say "hey!" (218.232.2742)

Ten years ago, I was driving to our 30th high school reunion. My daughter had just been born a few days before the event. As I drove through St. Cloud, I phoned my wife, just to see how everything was going. Allyson (my daughter, not my wife) was squalling in the background, inconsolable. I decided to turn around at the point (at "Opportunity Drive" ironically) and head home. As much as I missed seeing my Sibley classmates at the reunion, it turned out to be the right choice, I am sure.

So I am looking forward to connecting with many of you that I haven't seen for years. I'm pretty sure that I won't have to turn around midway this time.