Who is Heather Bakke?

Heather Bakke was born in Mankato, Minnesota the granddaughter of a butter maker and a farmer. Heather grew up in Buffalo, Minnesota where her father Gerald was social studies teacher and wrestling coach while her mother Linda was the supervisor of a group home for adults with developmental disabilities. Heather and her five siblings attended public schools and were raised in the Lutheran Faith. These influences instilled in her a love of dairy, farming, social justice, equality for all people (including those with disabilities,) and a love for high school wrestling.

Heather graduated from Buffalo High School. Heather earned an A.A. from Bethany Lutheran College, a B.A. from Gustavus Adolphus College in teaching secondary social studies, and a special education certificate in Specific learning disabilities from St. Cloud State University.

Heather started teaching in the fall of 1995 and has worked in several Minnesota districts including Buffalo, Mankato, St. Francis, and Howard Lake- Waverly- Winsted. Heather also taught for five years in Selawik, Alaska an Inupiaq village located three miles north of the Arctic Circle. Heather just finished her eleventh year as a high school special education teacher at Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop Jr./Senior High School in Winthrop.

Heather is committed to the power of collective bargaining and unionism. Heather is the president of the G.F.W. Education Association and a member of the Education Minnesota Governing Board, and on the Board of Directors of the National Education Association.

Heather does not have children of her own but loves being an aunt and godmother. Heather knows that any fight to make life better for kids is a valuable use of her time. In her spare time, Heather loves to read, participate in community theater, and collect squirrel knickknacks.