by Dennis Dalman
editor@thenewsleaders.com
Ryan Fitzthum announced today, May 6, that he will seek a seat of the Sartell City Council in the Nov. 8 general election.
Fitzthum currently serves the city of Sartell through his positions on the Sartell Planning Commission and the Sartell Fire Department.
There are two seats that will be open next year on the council, the ones now served by Amy Braig-Lindstrom and by Steve Hennes. The filing period opens May 17.
“My wife and I were both born and raised in this great city,” he said. “After college we returned back to Sartell, built our first home, and we are committed to giving back to this great city through both time and generosity,” Fitzthum wrote in his candidacy press release.
Fitzthum said he’s dedicated to the success and future sustainability of Sartell as a Sartell graduate, resident, parent and employer.
“With my history of community service and my unique qualifications, I believe I am well positioned to represent Sartell interests,” he wrote. “The future council will be faced with making significant decisions, which will affect current and future residents for decades to come. I believe we need to actively engage our residents in this process, and I am committed to doing so.”
Fitzthum is a manager at CH Robinson, Sartell, which is a Fortune 250 company that provides third-party logistics services worldwide. The Sartell CH Robinson office employs 80 people.
Fitzthum is now serving his fourth year on the Sartell Planning Commission, his third year on the Sartell/LeSauk Joint Planning Commission and his eighth year on the Sartell Fire Department, where he serves as its safety officer.
Previously, Fitzthum served on the committees of the United Way Campaign and the Sartell Schools Facilities Committee.
Fitzthum’s wife, Cindy (nee Herold), is a 2003 graduate of Sartell High School, as is Ryan, where they were high-school sweethearts. Cindy is director of economics education at St. Cloud State University and taught economics for a time at Princeton High School and is the author of a young-adult novel, How Do You Choose the One?, that was published in 2013.
The Fitzthums have two children, Carly, 3; and infant Rory.
Soon-to-be Sartell City Council candidate Ryan Fitzthum and his wife, Cindy, were high-school sweethearts who both graduated from Sartell High School in 2003. Their children are Rory, an infant, and Carly, 3. Fitzthum currently serves the City of Sartell as a safety officer for the Sartell-LeSauk Fire Department and as a member of the Sartell Planning Commission.
