BIO

My name is Dana Schultz and I’m running to be the next State Assembly Representative for the 87th district.

I was born and raised in the 87th Assembly District, Southeast of Medford, and know the challenges of rural life. I grew up as a dairy farm kid, helping run our family farm. I learned by experience how to pinch pennies and work hard. In 1997, my family sold off our entire herd due to plummeting milk prices-as did many of our neighbors. We have since been increasingly involved in local issues that affect the livelihood of family farms, local businesses, our schools, and our rural communities.

My mother, Doreen, is a 4th grade public school teacher in Marathon City. She worries that class sizes will get bigger while rural school programs continue to get cut. My father Ed mills lumber, harvests maple syrup and deer, and works to keep the family farm running. From them, I learned the importance of family and perseverance.

I attended St. Anthony’s grade school in Athens with my older brothers, Tony and Ben. At Newman Catholic High School, I participated in both academic and athletic activities, which earned me a Division I basketball scholarship to UW Milwaukee. While at UWM, my willingness to be held accountable and lead the team earned me a position as captain.

I began graduate school while still playing basketball. After my final season, I was a teacher's assistant while finishing my master’s degree in Political Science. During this time, I also organized for a nonprofit organization called 9to5. As a community organizer, I began to work with local, state, and even federal legislatures on policies for working families. I understand the barriers working families face as well as possible policy solutions.

Tony and Ben - my older brothers - moved back to the Medford/Athens area after college. Tony and his wife Kat converted the family dairy into a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm. The 3rd generation family farm produces grass fed beef, chicken and organic produce on 120 acres. Ben is a local reporter in Abbotsford and enjoys taking photographs during his travels around Wisconsin. The whole family helps on the farm during the growing season, and with Riley - Tony and Kat's two-year-old son. Our family has been committed to where we are from. We all wanted to get a great education and come home to reinvest in our home community.

Although gone while playing basketball and getting a degree, my heart was always on a gravel road. Now I'm back helping on the farm where I grew up, assistant coaching the Medford High School girls basketball team, and mounting our campaign for the fall of 2010. I am ready to go to work for rural communities like my own.

I am a member of the Wisconsin Farmer’s Union, the Ice Age Trail Alliance, Wildlife Restoration Association, Ducks Unlimited, and a former AFT and AFSCME Council 48 member.