{{short description|American politician (born 1952)}} {{Infobox officeholder | image = | name = Ken Kelash | caption = | state = Minnesota | state_senate = Minnesota | district = 63rd | term_start = January 6, 2009 | term_end = January 7, 2013 | preceded = Dan Larson | succeeded = ''district redrawn'' | majority = | party = Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1952|05|08|mf=y}} | birth_place = | alma_mater = Hennepin Technical Center<br>Metropolitan State University<br>John F. Kennedy School of Government | occupation = carpenter, union officer, business agent, legislator | spouse = Elaine | children = 2; Katrina and Martha }}
'''Kenneth Kelash''' (born May 8, 1952) is a Minnesota politician and former member of the Minnesota Senate representing District 63, which included portions of the city of Minneapolis in Hennepin County. A Democrat, he was first elected to the Senate in a special election held on November 4, 2008.<ref name="state1">{{cite web|url=http://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail.asp?ID=15297 |title=Minnesota Legislators Past & Present - Legislator Record - Kelash, Kenneth |publisher=Leg.state.mn.us |date= |accessdate=2010-07-20}}</ref> The seat became vacant when Senator Dan Larson resigned in order to accept a position with his former employer, a law and lobbying firm in Minneapolis.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail.asp?ID=10360 |title=Minnesota Legislators Past & Present - Legislator Record - Larson, Dan |publisher=Leg.state.mn.us |date= |accessdate=2010-07-20}}</ref> He was re-elected in 2010.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/20101102/ElecRslts.asp?M=LG&LD=63 |title=Election Reporting |access-date=2010-11-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120313122643/http://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/20101102/ElecRslts.asp?M=LG&LD=63 |archive-date=2012-03-13 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Kelash was a member of the Senate's Agriculture and Rural Economies, Environment and Natural Resources, and Jobs and Economic Growth committees.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/members/member_bio.php?leg_id=15297 |title=Senator Kenneth S. Kelash DFL District 63 |publisher=Senate.leg.state.mn.us |date= |accessdate=2010-07-20 |archive-date=2011-07-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717030145/http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/members/member_bio.php?leg_id=15297 |url-status=dead }}</ref> His special legislative concerns included jobs, education, and transportation.<ref name="state1"/>
Kelash is a retired carpenter, union officer and regional business agent. He has been a member of the Carpenter's Local Union #1644 since 1976, and has been active in the Minnesota Building Trades Union, the Minneapolis Central Labor Union Council, and the Minnesota AFL-CIO.<ref name="Kelash.org">{{cite web |url=http://kelash.org/information-about-sen-ken-kelash/ken-kelash-biography |title=Ken Kelash for Minnesota State Senate |publisher=Kelash.org |date= |accessdate=2010-07-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726214734/http://kelash.org/information-about-sen-ken-kelash/ken-kelash-biography |archive-date=2011-07-26 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He has served on the Minneapolis Workforce Investment Board (WIB) and the Hennepin County Workforce Investment Board, which direct federal and state money into jobs and training programs. He has also been a member of the Policy Board of the Minneapolis Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP) for more than 10 years.<ref name="state1"/><ref name="Kelash.org"/>
Kelash attended the carpentry program at Hennepin Technical Center, graduating in 1974. He received his B.A. from Metropolitan State University in 1984. In 2003, he earned his M.P.A. from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, made possible by a Bush Leadership Fellowship, which he was awarded in 2002.<ref name="state1"/><ref name="Kelash.org"/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{MN-legdb|15297}} *[http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/members/member_bio.php?leg_id=15297 Senator Kelash Web Page] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717030145/http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/members/member_bio.php?leg_id=15297 |date=2011-07-17 }} *[http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=110559 Project Vote Smart - Senator Ken Kelash Profile] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20090405151427/http://www.kelash.org/ Ken Kelash Campaign Web Site]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kelash, Ken}} Category:1952 births Category:Living people Category:Democratic Party Minnesota state senators Category:People from Hennepin County, Minnesota Category:Politicians from Minneapolis Category:Harvard Kennedy School alumni Category:21st-century members of the Minnesota Legislature