Alicia Kozlowski facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alicia Kozlowski
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| Ozaawaa Anakwad (Ojibwe) | |
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| Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from the 8B district |
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| Assumed office January 3, 2023 |
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| Preceded by | Jennifer Schultz |
| Constituency | 8B (2023-present) |
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| Born | January 12, 1988 Duluth, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Children | 1 |
| Residences | Duluth, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Education | University of Minnesota Duluth (BA) College of St. Scholastica (MBA) |
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Alicia Kozlowski (born January 12, 1988) is a politician who serves in the Minnesota House of Representatives. She has been a representative since 2023. As a member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL), Kozlowski represents District 8B. This area is in northeastern Minnesota and includes the city of Duluth.
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Early Life and Education
Alicia Kozlowski was born in Duluth, Minnesota. Her father was a Mexican union electrician, and her mother was from the Fond du Lac Band of Ojibwe people. She was raised by her grandmother. Later, as an adult, she was adopted by a Native family. Her adoptive father, Ray "Skip" Sandman, was an Anishinaabe spiritual leader.
Kozlowski was the first in her family to go to college. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from the University of Minnesota Duluth in 2009. In 2017, she earned a Master of Business Administration from the College of St. Scholastica.
Helping the Community
From 2019 to 2021, Kozlowski worked for the City of Duluth. She was a community relations officer for Mayor Emily Larson. In this role, she helped make changes to city job titles. She also helped create a special fund to help find missing Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit people. This was the first fund of its kind in Minnesota.
Working in Government
Alicia Kozlowski was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in November 2022. She decided to run when the previous representative, Jennifer Schultz, chose not to seek reelection. Kozlowski won against Arik Forsman in the DFL primary election.
When she took office, Kozlowski made history. She became the first nonbinary member of the Minnesota Legislature. She was also the second Two-Spirit member, after Susan Allen. Additionally, she was the first person of Mexican and Ojibwe heritage to represent Duluth in the legislature.
Kozlowski works on several important committees. These include committees for Capital Investment, Economic Development, Housing, and Labor. She is also the vice chair of the House People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) Caucus. She is a member of the legislature's first Queer Caucus, which includes LGBTQ+ members.
In 2023, Minnesota Public Radio featured Kozlowski in their "Changemakers" series. This series highlights Minnesotans from different backgrounds who are making a positive impact in the state.
What She Cares About
Kozlowski has worked on many important issues. She wants to help working families by supporting universal childcare. She also believes in fully funding education for all students. Protecting the environment is another key goal for her. She supports laws that make sure new mining projects are safe before they begin. She also works to make healthcare affordable for everyone.
She has supported laws that help people seeking certain types of healthcare. She also works to create schools where everyone feels included and safe. Increasing access to housing for communities that need it most is also important to her. In 2023, Kozlowski wrote a law to add gender-neutral bathrooms in Minnesota schools.
Kozlowski has also supported efforts to increase funding for the state's Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Office. This office helps find missing Native American people. This is a very important issue because Native American women and girls are a small part of Minnesota's population. However, they make up a much larger percentage of murdered women and girls in the state.
Personal Life
Alicia Kozlowski lives in Duluth, Minnesota. Her Ojibwe name is Ozaawaa Anakwad, which means "Yellow Cloud." She identifies as both nonbinary and two-spirit. These terms describe different ways people understand their gender identity and spiritual roles.
