May 22, 2018 Politadick

I'm Edie Grunwald and I want to inspire courage. It's okay to speak up when our government is headed in the wrong direction. Running for public office was not on my "to do" list. My plan was to spend the last two years of my son's high school getting him ready for college, the military, or a trade. Because spending time with my son is no longer an option and Alaska has made some very wrong turns which have not been in the best interest of the people - I'm stepping in and am running for the Lt Governor position. I will work for the people and be accountable to the people.

Some have questioned my credentials because I have not been in public office before. Isn't this the way it is supposed to be! I am confident I will represent Alaskans as a leader should. With 31 years of military experience, I grew from an Airman - an aircraft machinist - to earning my commission and moved into management, leadership, and levels of responsibility that I took seriously. I intended to retire at 20 years with the rank of Major - but the challenges kept coming and I kept serving until I hit 30+ years and retired as a Colonel with confirmation by the Senate for General Officer. I always considered myself to work for the people. I kept others' livelihoods in the forefront. Alaska Lt. Governor is another opportunity to selfless serve.

It's kind of fun seeing people's reaction when I say that I have attended gunsmithing school. It was during this two-year trade school that I was introduced to the machine shop and fell in love with it. This is when I joined the Air Force. After a few years I realized that most of my goals were outside of the machine shop. I earned two Associates degrees in Instructor Technology and in Metal Technology. I went on to earn my Bachelors of Science in Occupational Technology, and two Master’s degrees in Business Organizational Management, and Master’s in Strategy -National Security and Military. During retirement I am pleased to have earned my Senior Human Resources certification and become a USCCA Firearms Instructor. Plus, hunt, fish and camp.

My positions in the military included leadership & management in aircraft maintenance, supply, logistics, project management, and in human resources. I have served as a Commander, Manager and Senior Advisor.

I am a mother and wife. I am married to Ben Grunwald, retired USAF and professional flight engineer. Our beloved son, David would have turned 18 Jan 2018. If you weren't aware, he went missing on Nov 13, 2016 and found murdered on Dec 2, 2016 in Palmer, Alaska. Our hearts are broken. We have wonderful neighbors and community members that have consistently showed caring and stood up for David and us. We would like to return the favor in a real way. We do not want anyone else to go through this.

We can make a difference and address our crime problem - which was exacerbated by SB91. We trusted our legislatures to do the right thing for us - to take action that is in our best interest; instead, just the opposite took place. Now we have to back up and have some crime reform that includes consequences for criminal acts. Address rehabilitation - mandatory and volunteer. Address the issues in smaller pieces for better management.

We must reverse the course that is causing Alaska's economy to dip further and further. The people need their money for the economy to grow. Every dollar spent is exponentially spent over and over. People know what their own needs and goals are. Alaska has a spending problem and needs to budget based on priorities.

One of the responsibilities of Lt Governor is to ensure fair and legal elections. I will work to deliver and renew confidence in our elections. We will not allow double voting and will take action to follow-up to answer questions and address questionable activities - head on.

I will be influential and provide guidance on those resources that are important to Alaskans. I want to work to restore trust in our Alaska government. Let's get back to our Alaska values.

Thank you, Edie Grunwald

I know who I’m voting for.... How about you? Politadick