My Story
Knut “Pete” Gjovik originally hails from Pekin, ND and grew up on the family farm along the Sheyenne river valley. As a son of immigrants, he learned the value of hard work and commitment. He graduated from Tolna High School in 1973, and completed his higher education within the North Dakota University System, obtaining degrees from Lake Region State College (AA, 1975), Valley City State University (BS, 1977), University of North Dakota (MS, 1989) and North Dakota State University (PhD, 2013).
Pete’s career in education focused on teaching career and technical education. Following his graduation from VCSU he taught industrial arts, junior high mathematics, and coached junior high basketball at Newburg Public School in Newburg, North Dakota from 1977-1980. In 1980 he started working in the printing, graphic design, and newspaper industry, eventually becoming a partner in a commercial printing company in Towner, ND. After selling the business in 1986, he served as the production superintendent of the Dickinson Press during its transition to a new typesetting and graphic design system for advertising.
During these years in the graphics industry, his ultimate goal was to teach at the higher education level. In 1989 after graduating from UND he was hired as an assistant professor at Northwest College (NWC) located in Powell, Wyoming. He taught at NWC and served as program coordinator. When first hired, the program was given one year to be fixed or it would be terminated by the president of the college. During the 20 years that ensued he ushered the graphics program through a time of great transition as the industry changed from traditional analog workflow to a digital graphics production process. Just after Pete left for VCSU, the Graphic Design program at NWC was accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. NWC and one other two year college were the only non-university colleges to receive this prestigious accreditation nationally.
In 1993 he and his wife Gail started KPGraphics, a commercial printing and graphic design company in Powell, Wyoming. Eventually they sold the printing business in the late 1990s and those owners continue to operate the business to this day.
In 2008 Pete had the opportunity to begin teaching online courses for Valley City State University while in Wyoming. He eventually moved back to his roots and taught full-time in the VCSU Technology Education Department along with his mentor Don Mugan. After obtaining his doctorate degree in 2013 he became the Chair of the Department of Technology at VCSU and remained in that capacity until his retirement as an Emeritus Professor in 2020.
By the time he reached retirement, he accumulated 38 years experience in public and higher education and 13 years experience working in the printing and graphics industry. He received several national awards for his work in technical education at VCSU culminating with a Distinguished Technology Educator award from the International Technology and Engineering Education Association (ITEEA), and a National Teacher Educator of the Year award from the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE). During his working career he served on several boards supporting church, youth sports, and homeowner associations across several communities. “I am very proud of our work at VCSU in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics education. During my time at VCSU, we were able to help students in 37 states get degrees or certifications to teach in their chosen technical field of expertise”.
As of May 1, 2024, Pete will be working as a part-time chair of the Technology and STEM Education Department at Valley City State University. He will also serve as Director of the Don Mugan CTE Leadership Center.
My Values
Pete is frustrated with the current state of politics at all levels in the United States. Politicians seem to compete for sound bites on social media, and compromise is somehow objectionable. In his career he has striven to make decisions that are based on research and understanding all sides of an issue. Decision makers must have inherent empathy to know what effects laws have on all constituents. Compromise gets results!
As a son of immigrants, and the first in his family to be born in the United States, Pete experienced the value of hard work and was blessed to live in a family that appreciated the value of service to country, patriotism, and a free and readily available public education. Pete’s family was afforded incredible opportunities by being citizens of the United States of America!
Pete is a listener—early in his career it became apparent it was hard to listen or see things clearly if always talking. He is committed to seeking the opinions of individuals, committees, and boards to find out what issues or current policies or laws are affecting them. As a trained researcher, he will strive to make data-driven decisions.
During his entire career he has been a builder—a builder of programs, processes and consensus required to deliver valuable products to students or consumers. Pete has striven to surround himself with individuals who feel part of a team, and he has valued opinions that were not necessarily ones he favored. Pete believes these experiences and ways of conducting business will benefit the senate and will serve District 24 well.
My Commitment
I will be a supporter of all phases of public education. My entire professional career in education has had a focus on career and technical skills training. I have delivered teacher workshops and curriculum to bring hands-on real-world activities to the kindergarten through collegiate classrooms. Strong education benefits business by supplying a well-trained workforce, and benefits individuals to allow them to support themselves and family and to be productive members of their communities.
I commit to supporting our active duty soldiers and veterans by advancing beneficial policies. We owe them a debt that must be paid by unwavering resource support.
I believe the United States has benefited from being the great melting pot of cultures. We need to have safe borders, but need to improve and enhance our immigration policies to better expedite processes for those seeking citizenship and asylum. I will support any local policies and laws that enhance legal immigration.
I believe all humans have value and deserve respect. We can accomplish this through asserting individual rights of freedom, equality, and justice and will support actions that support fair and equal treatment of all individuals. Inherent in this philosophy is the need for safe communities, affordable healthcare, family support services, and responsive emergency services.
In recent years I have been frustrated by the lack of compromise found in all levels of politics. Our communities, as much as the entire country, are at loggerheads when we should be working together! The divisions between groups are deep and passionate, but I believe there is more that unites than divides us!
Over the next few months, I plan to visit with many of you to learn about your concerns and visions for the future. It is critical that we take the time to listen to each other and find ways to be part of a shared solution. I can’t do that without your input and support.
