John M. Berns
Minnesota Director
John is the Director of DMGS' Minnesota office. He assists clients with state and federal government affairs. John has worked with a broad range of clients, including Fortune 500 companies, medical device and technology start-ups, statewide associations, and social service non-profits. He assists clients with state and federal government affairs. John has worked with a broad range of clients, including Fortune 500 companies, medical device and technology start-ups, statewide associations, and social service non-profits.
Experience
John joined GSP, a predecessor to DMGS, IN 2009. John was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2006 and served from January 2007 to January 2009. He represented the people of 11 cities in the western suburbs of Minneapolis (the Lake Minnetonka area). He served on three House committees: Biosciences & Emerging Technology, Capital Investment Finance, and Commerce & Labor. As a legislator, John was recognized by the State Council on Disability, the Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities, the University of Minnesota Alumni Association (for support of the Biomedical Research Program), and the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), as a "Guardian of Small Business." John was part of a 2007 delegation to Vietnam sponsored by the American Council of Young Political Leaders. In 2007, he was named to the Republican National Committee's "40 and Under" list.
John did not run for re-election in 2008, but worked on Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign. John served as State Director for McCain-Palin 2008, where he led the statewide political/grassroots effort in Minnesota. From January 2003 to January 2007, he served on Governor Tim Pawlenty's staff in two positions, first as Director of Board and Commission Appointments, and later as Associate General Counsel to the Governor. He also previously served as executive director of a state health regulatory board, as an attorney in private practice, and as an Assistant District Attorney in La Crosse County, Wisconsin. As a prosecutor, he received a certificate of appreciation from the U.S. Secret Service.
John previously served on the Wayzata City Council and the board of directors of the Lake Minnetonka Conservation District. His prior public service also includes an appointment by the Speaker of the House to the Council on Asian-Pacific Minnesotans, and an appointment by Gov. Pawlenty as a commissioner to the Education Commission of the States. John was a 2007-08 Policy Fellow at the University of Minnesota's Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs. He is a former Assistant Scoutmaster and an Eagle Scout. John has served as a paid-on-call firefighter for the Wayzata Fire Department since 2003.
Education/Affiliations/Awards
John attended George Washington University and is a graduate of Loras College and the Drake University Law School. He is admitted to practice law in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and U.S. District Court in Minnesota.
