Mark J. Westpfahl is a husband, father, SSPMS teacher, and engaged community member.
Mark teaches social studies at South Saint Paul Middle School. This is his fifth year in the district and his 16th as a middle school teacher. Mark co-leads the Where Everyone Belongs student leadership program at SSPMS and serves on school leadership committees. He has earned many state and national teaching fellowships and awards.
Mark weaves lessons about the civic process, current events, and local history into his courses when it fits the curriculum. Under his guidance, his students have presented to the school board and city council; taken weeklong trips to Washington, D.C., Boston, and New York; and joined the press corps covering 10 visits by three U.S. presidents.
Over a decade of political and organizational experience has given Mark a strong understanding of the political process, procedures, and policies. He has served on his local school board as Vice Chair Treasurer and helped oversee an annual budget that was twice as large as the annual South St. Paul city budget, is on the Minnesota State Capitol Preservation Commission, appointed to two terms by the Governor of Minnesota, has served on various political committees, and nonprofit boards.
