Steven Solie Email & Phone Number

I am a Urban Studies student at University of Minnesota. I am passionate about progressive city planning and sustainable development. I have been in insurance, banking and now planning. It has been easy for me to adapt to each industry but even easier now that I'm doing what I'm passionate about. My interest was sparked in city planning when I gave a speech to the Shakopee Rotary Club about severe weather safety and storm chasing. I left the speech curious about how cities economically develop. Another key moment was when the pandemic hit and I switched to work from home. I began to wonder how we could make our cities more sustainable now that we don't necessarily have to drive to work anymore and how to make our cities better for everybody. These two events snowballed my interest into going back to school for Urban Studies at the University of Minnesota, which I transferred to in 2023. My experience in the insurance industry gave me problem solving skills as I had to determine issues with claims. The past 7 years of office experience also taught me the importance of teamwork. Without strong teamwork, projects can be slowed down or fall apart. My internship at the city of Jordan has improved my analytical skills and has taught me how to effectively communicate with the public from a governmental perspective.