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Name: Brian Berent
Age: 42
Employed with: City of Baxter
Number of years employed with current organization: 2 years
Past employment: City of Mound (2002-2014), City of Excelsior (2014-2017), City of Minnetonka Beach (2017-2020)
Years active in APWA/MN Chapter: 1
Originally from: Mound, MN
Family: Wife, Amber, daughters Samantha (17) and Sidney (9)
Most challenging Public Works project you have been involved with: Updating the City of Minnetonka Beach's lift stations and water system. The lift station panels were 40 plus years old at the time and had no dial-out alarms, just the horn and light that only worked if you had power. While at Minnetonka Beach, I also was able to get a new alarm system installed on the water plant, update aging equipment, and show the need to replace the nearly 100-year-old, undersized water tower. It was great to work with such a great council and utilities commission there.
Most enjoyable Public Works project you have been involved with: I guess just being able to look at things from different points of view. I have been a firefighter for almost 23 years with Mound and Pillager Fire Departments. While at Excelsior, I was part of a utility reconstruction project. They were putting watermain on a road and I brought up moving 2 hydrants across the street from the watermain. This would give the fire department better access and water to the rear of the building in the event of a fire. Sometime later the Excelsior Fire Chief made a comment about wanting to find whoever changed this hydrant location because he had been asking to do that for years. I told him I wasn't sure who it was, but I would let them know.
Favorite Movie: Red Dawn
Favorite Musical Artist/Group: George Strait
Favorite Restaurant: Any good local diner we can find
Favorite Vacation you’ve been on: Keystone, Colorado
Hobbies/Extra-curricular activities: I enjoy the outdoors as much of us do.  Hunting, golfing, riding four wheelers, etc.  
At some point in my life, I would most like to: Have a nice vacation home where it does not snow.
Is there something about you that we would find surprising (e.g., are you a pilot, do you volunteer as a clown, are you a master gardener, etc.)? I have been a paid on-call Firefighter since 2000. I retired as an Assistant Fire Chief with Mound when I moved to my new home in Sylvan Township. I currently serve with the Pillager Fire Department as a Firefighter.
Words of wisdom to share with the membership: When you start out you need to learn as much as you can. Don't ever stop learning. You will learn things from everyone, it might be what to do, it might be what not to do. You may learn how to be a good leader, or learn how not to lead. You will learn how to treat people, and how not to treat people.