Dr. Tony Kinkel began his career as a high school social studies teacher, where he developed a passion for educating and empowering students. Elected six times to the Minnesota House of Representatives and twice to the Minnesota State Senate, Dr. Tony Kinkel became a prominent voice in shaping education policy.
As chair of the Higher Education Finance Division, Dr. Kinkel was responsible for overseeing a $2.1 billion budget and the operations of 59 public colleges and universities. In 1995, he authored the bipartisan Higher Education Reform Act, which revolutionized funding for Minnesota’s higher education system by linking it to stakeholder success.
Tony Kinkel’s influence extended beyond state borders when he was appointed commissioner of the Education Commission of the States, a national organization of governors and legislative leaders focused on advancing education reform. In this role, he contributed to disseminating innovative and effective education policies across the country.
His expertise in education policy led him to executive roles in state-level organizations. As executive director of the Maryland Association of Community Colleges, he coordinated 16 community colleges on statewide policy issues and represented them to the governor, General Assembly, and Higher Education Commission. Later, as executive director of the Minnesota State Board for School Administrators, he was responsible for governing Minnesota’s 3,800 active school administrators, reviewing and approving educational preparation programs, and adjudicating ethics cases.
Throughout his career, Anthony Kinkel has been recognized for his contributions. He was named Legislator of the Year by the Minnesota Community Education Association and received the President’s Citation for Outstanding Achievement from the National Council of State Association Chief Executives for his efforts in Maryland to forge new partnerships to produce more teachers.
What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?
I do 25 mins every morning on the treadmill at a very steep incline. I also do 50 pull ups. For breakfast, I have a smoothie.
How do you bring ideas to life?
I have a network of colleagues with whom I have worked together. As president, I have hired many of them, and we are constantly sharing ideas.
What’s one trend that excites you?
Artificial Intelligence has allowed me to be 20% more productive and I am only scratching the surface.
What is one habit that helps you be productive?
I would say that I question assumptions. I also focus more on how you arrived at your recommendation than the actual recommendation itself.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Be very careful about who you trust.
Tell us something you believe almost nobody agrees with you on?
I believe that moderation is the best route to take in politics.
What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?
I regularly attend church, and I believe that everyone needs a community of faith with which to share one’s burdens.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
I simplify things and focus on a list of steps that I need to follow to focus more.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
I’ve learned to ask a lot of questions in conversations that I have with people. This endeared me to people who felt ownership in my career.
What is one failure in your career, how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?
When I ran my very first campaign, I lost the election. I learned that there is opportunity and lessons learned in failure. I failed in the right way because two years later, I won the election. I also accepted their judgment and avoided blaming them.
What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
I use an AI tool called Perplexity for writing donors.
Do you have a favorite book or podcast you’ve gotten a ton of value from and why?
Scott Galloway has a podcast called Raging Moderates. It is my go-to for a non-liberal and non-conservative bias.
What’s a movie or series you recently enjoyed and why?
Downton Abbey. The reason I enjoyed it was because it showed a period of great change in society. Moving from an aristocratic culture to a democratized culture.
Key learnings
- The choices you make when you are young are far more important than you realize.
- People respect people of faith, no matter what kind of faith.
- There is no way to predict the future. All you can do is learn the skillsets to adapt.
- Develop the humility to understand that you truly know very little in the grand scheme of things.
- Balance in life is very important. Balance among career choices, among lifestyles, and among physical well-being.