John Waelti was raised on a Wisconsin dairy farm and served three years in the U.S. Marines.
He earned degrees from universities in Wisconsin, Arizona and California and became a professor of economics –at the University of Minnesota for 23 years, New Mexico State University for 11 years, and Sultan Qaboos University in Oman for four years.
His tenure at Minnesota included two years in Kenya and one year as Economic Advisor to the Assistant Secretary of the Army.
John retired in 2005 and returned to Monroe, where he writes a weekly column in the Monroe Times. He also ran for State Assembly in 2008 against a popular incumbent. John says he didn’t win but gave him a good scare.