Joe Perske

Joe Perske (born February 14, 1956) has been the mayor of Sartell, Minnesota since 2011, and he is the 2014 Democratic-Farmer-Labor endorsed candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in 6th Congressional District.
Early life
Joe Perske was born and raised in central Minnesota; he has taught and coached in the area for over 30 years. Growing up in St. Cloud, Perske was one of seven children; his father was a railroad worker and his mother was a homemaker. A graduate of St. Cloud Apollo High School, Perske earned a B.A. in elementary education and psychology at St. John’s University, and a M.A. in physical education from St. Cloud State University.
Perske and his wife, Jan taught school at the U.S. Department of Defense schools in Augsburg, Germany, for seven years. In 1988, they returned to St. Cloud. For the past 25 years, Perske has taught and coached in the Sartell School District. Perske and his wife have three daughters. Perske and his family are active members of Celebration Lutheran Church in Sartell. Perske has been a competitive runner since high school. At St. John’s, he developed into a lifelong marathon runner. Perske has run in more than 100 marathons, winning more than 20; he competed in the 1980 and 1988 Olympic Marathon Trials. Perske has also been a member of two U.S. National Teams in World Cup Ultra Marathons and has run the Ultra Marathon around Mille Lacs Lake. He is an avid bow hunter, longtime member of the Rice Area Sportsmen’s Club, a state high school league official, and an Eagle Scout.
Political career
Perske served six years on the Sartell City Council before being elected mayor three years ago. As mayor, he oversaw the tragic explosion and fire that led to the closing of the community’s iconic paper mill. Mayor Perske currently serves on the Area Planning Organization, the Greater St. Cloud Development Corporation, and the St. Cloud Area Human Rights Board.

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