Back to Excellence
Joint meeting with the Rotary Club of St. Louis Park, hosted at Brookview by the Rotary Club of Golden Valley.
The cost of the event is $25 per person. ALL ATTENDEES MUST RESERVE A TICKET. The link will be made public after members of the Golden Valley and St. Louis Park clubs have registered. Tickets include a buffet-style lunch. Members from the St. Louis Park Rotary Club will be billed through their Club. All other guests will pay at the door with cash or credit card.
Former Minnesota Governor Arne Carlson will share his perspective on leadership, public service, and the challenges facing Minnesota and our nation in “Getting Back to Excellence”.
Carlson served as Minnesota’s 37th governor from 1991 to 1999, following 12 years as Minnesota state auditor and earlier service in the Minnesota House of Representatives and Minneapolis City Council. A moderate Republican, he was elected to two terms as governor and became known for working across party lines during a period when Democrats controlled both houses of the Minnesota Legislature.
During his time as governor, Carlson made fiscal management, education, health care, and environmental protection priorities. His administration's efforts to control spending and improve long-term financial management helped restore Minnesota’s AAA bond rating. He also played a key role in the 1992 health care reforms that created MinnesotaCare and championed stronger wetlands protections and environmental stewardship.
More than 25 years after leaving the governor’s office, Carlson remains an active voice in Minnesota public life. He continues to write and speak about government accountability, fiscal responsibility, leadership, and the challenges facing Minnesota. In recent years, he has continued to offer his perspective on the state’s political and civic landscape, including through commentaries published in 2024, 2025, and 2026 and a recent interview discussing current issues facing Minnesota and the nation.
Now nearly 92, Carlson brings nearly seven decades of experience in Minnesota public life to a conversation about what it takes to lead effectively, work across differences, and pursue excellence in public service.