The Honorable
Kathleen Ann Blatz
Chief Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court
In office
1998–2006
Appointed byArne Carlson
Preceded byAlexander M. Keith
Succeeded byRussell A. Anderson
Personal details
Born (1954-07-22) July 22, 1954
Bloomington, Minnesota
NationalityAmerican
SpouseWheelock Whitney, Jr.
Parent(s)Jerome Blatz
Kay Blatz

Kathleen Ann Blatz (born July 22, 1954) is a former Minnesota judge and legislator. She served as the interim chair of the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, which governs the U.S. Bank Stadium.[1]

Early life and education

Blatz was born in Minneapolis to Kay and Jerome Blatz. She attended high school at the Academy of Holy Angels in Richfield, Minnesota, and received her B.A. summa cum laude from the University of Notre Dame. Blatz received degrees from the University of Minnesota Law School and the University of Minnesota School of Social Work.[2]

Career

Blatz served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1979 to 1994.[3] She was appointed a Hennepin County district court judge in 1994, an associate justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court on November 1, 1996, and Chief Justice on January 29, 1998. She retired from the court on January 10, 2006, and was succeeded as Chief Justice by Russell A. Anderson.[4]

Personal life

Blatz is the daughter of the late Mary Kathleen "Kaye" McMahon Blatz (1926-1996) and Jerome Blatz (1923-2009).[5] She was the second of nine children.

On June 2, 1984, in Hennepin County, she married Thomas Roger Berkelman (b. 1949), a Minnesota State Legislator from 1977 to 1983. He was previously divorced with one daughter, Lindsey Ann Berkelman. Together, Kathleen and Tom have three sons: Hunter Blatz Berkelman (b. 1986), Carter Blatz Berkelman (b. 1988), and Maxwell Blatz "Max" Berkelman (b. 1992). They divorced around 2000.

She married Wheelock Whitney Jr., a businessman and politician, in 2005.[6] He died in 2016.[7]

References

  1. ↑ Nelson, Tim (February 23, 2017). "Dayton taps Blatz as interim stadium authority chief". Minnesota Public Radio. St. Paul, Minnesota. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  2. ↑ "Kathleen A. Blatz: U Awards & Honors". University of Minnesota. Archived from the original on 2012-03-02. Retrieved 2012-12-30.
  3. ↑ Minnesota Legislators Past and Present-Kathleen Ann Blatz
  4. ↑ "Biographies of Judges and Justices of the Minnesota Appellate Courts". Minnesota State Law Library. Archived from the original on 2012-02-06. Retrieved 2012-12-30.
  5. ↑ Hoppin, Jason (2009-08-24). "Obituary Jerome Blatz, 85". St. Paul Pioneer Press. St. Paul, Minnesota. Retrieved 2015-07-06.
  6. ↑ "Biographical Note", Wheelock Whitney, Minnesota Historical Society
  7. ↑ Peter Cox and MPR News staff, "Wheelock Whitney dies at 89", MPR News, May 20, 2016
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