My wife Nina and I moved our growing family to North Oaks because we wanted access to nature and the freedom to enjoy the outdoors year-round.  We now have 4 children aged 11 to 18, as well as two very good-natured dogs.  We are grateful to live in North Oaks; we feel as if we live in the middle of a nature preserve, we love that as they grew up, our kids could bike to the beach and explore our outdoor spaces independently, and we appreciate the small town, informal, and safe character of our community.

Why I'm running for city council

  • Preserve and Improve Our Unique City: Our family moved to North Oaks for its rich natural environment. As a City Council member, I will work to protect, preserve, and improve our  lakes, forests, trails, and the abundance of wildlife that make North Oaks such a unique place to live.
  • Hold the Line on Spending:  A Background in business and finance have left me with a steady focus on the bottom line.  I am a budget hawk.  I would continue North Oaks’ tradition of maintaining a small government footprint.  This not only keeps costs low, but also minimizes our impact on the environment, promotes volunteerism and community involvement, and supports our informal community feel.
  • Be Transparent, Be Responsive:  Government needs to be open and transparent, and information behind decisions needs to be clear and understandable. As your representative, I will work hard to be responsive and make all Council activities clear and understandable.
  • Focus on Long Term Improvements: Decisions made in the next several years are particularly impactful to our community, as North Oaks grapples with large improvements  in utilities, roads, services, and new development.  We have great opportunities to improve our quality of life while protecting the integrity of our unique environment. 

What I Bring to the Table

My professional skills are in finance, business management, and city planning. I hold both a Master of Urban Planning degree and an MBA. After working as a city planner and subsequently a commercial banker for more than 15 years, Nina and I started an environmentally friendly garment care company, which we grew from humble beginnings to a large, profitable, Metro-wide operation. After 10+ years of operation, we successfully sold to the market leader in 2022. More recently, I have served as an officer and board member of a private company that, among other investments, manages commercial real estate and 10,000 acres of timber land.

My background gives me the technical ability to help assess and plan for North Oak’s future needs, and also to help guide the day-to-day operations of the council with creativity and pragmatism. I’m running for city council because I want to be a part of the development and implementation of the ongoing vision for our community, one that reflects the reasons so many of us are drawn to this beautiful place.

I Want to Talk to You

Email me at andrewfornorthoaks@gmail.com or follow me on Facebook @AndrewforNorthOaks

Prepared and paid for by the Committee for Andrew Gaspard for North Oaks City Council • 18 Buffalo Road, North Oaks, MN 55127.