Jake Loesch joined the Citizens League as Executive Director in September 2023. Jake’s professional experience closely mirrors the League’s work: leaning into complex conversations, encouraging healthy debate among differing viewpoints, and working toward achievable solutions. He has worked at nearly all levels of government and built broad coalitions to engage diverse audiences and find common ground, most recently leading communications and public engagement at the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Having been engaged with the League’s work for several years, including serving on our board since 2019, Jake has a deep appreciation of the League’s history, as well as an innovative vision for its future.

On a wide range of topics from education and transportation to elections and economic development, Jake is a well-known strategist and advocate. His career has included time with the Republican Party of Minnesota and the Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus, as well as serving as communications director for Minnesotans United, the historic grassroots campaign that defeated a constitutional amendment and won marriage for same-sex couples in Minnesota in 2013. Prior to joining MnDOT, Jake was an account manager with Goff Public, a Saint Paul-based public relations and government relations firm. 

Jake graduated from the University of Minnesota-Duluth in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and was a 2017-2018 Policy Fellow at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. He was named to the Twin Cities Business 100 list in 2024, currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Family Housing Fund and Upstream Minnesota, and is a member of Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity’s Leadership Council. Jake lives in Arden Hills with his wife and children.