By TRISTAN GEHRING
Staff Writer
Heather Christensen. Christensen, 34, started as New Richland’s assistant city clerk on April 15, 2024. She is a New Richland native who spent a few years away before coming back to the area. “I’m happier than ever,” she says about her new role. “I’m super excited to be working for my hometown. It’s so cool to see how everybody I graduated with has grown and to get to know the community.”
Of her new position, she says, “I’ve always loved the idea of working for my community. It’s something that’s appealed to me my entire life, helping.” She also explained that she handles big situations very well, with little stress, though she tends to “sweat the small stuff.” Over the next few years, she hopes to excel in her career with the City of New Richland, and do good for the town. “There’s a lot that can be taught and learned here,” she explained.
Christensen’s work history is varied. “I’ve gotten a lot of experience in the last ten years,” she said. She spent some time studying business administration, did several years in the healthcare field, worked in office settings, processed loans for a finance company, and managed a bar.
Christensen says her transition to this new stage is going great. “We had a couple bumps in the road in the beginning, but we worked like a team and we got through it,” she explains. “It’s been wonderful; everyone’s been super welcoming and great with helping with any questions that I may have, which I am very grateful for. We’ve got a good team here.”
“People may know my dad and step-mom,” Christensen says. Previously a Hines, Christensen is the daughter of Steve Hines and has two sisters and a step-brother. She met Kaleb Christensen in 2018. “It’s a funny story,” she said about their meeting, “In high school I was really good friends with his sister, but I never even knew he existed.” Kaleb had already moved out by the time Heather was spending time at his family home, and the topic never came up. Christensen describes meeting her husband as “coming full circle.” Meeting Kaleb was also what brought Heather home to New Richland. When her daughter Brynna, now 10, was born she remembers hoping Brynna would someday attend NRHEG schools. “I had such a good experience there,” Christensen recalls. Meeting Kaleb and returning to New Richland made that wish come true; her daughter started kindergarten at the Ellendale school. “I met him, we came back, and the rest is history,” Christensen says with a smile. She also has a son, Fisher, 3, with Kaleb. The two were married in a small, intimate ceremony on the lakeshore in 2022. “It was the best thing we ever did.”
The Christensens are outdoorsy people. They own a place near Mille Lacs Lake and like to spend time there fishing and enjoying nature. “In the summertime, any open weekend we go up to our land up north,” Christensen explained. She also enjoys attending rock concerts with her husband, and spending time together with family. Christensen describes herself as “very involved” with her family, which includes a plethora of nieces and nephews whom she loves to spend time with. While attending NRHEG High School, Christensen played volleyball, basketball, and softball. Sports are still an important part of her life – in the last few years she’s begun coaching her daughter’s basketball team; this summer she will coach her softball team alongside her husband. Cooking is another thing Christensen holds a passion for – at one time she wanted to attend culinary school to open a restaurant of her own, but life has taken her in a different direction. Even still, she loves experimenting in the kitchen and coming up with new recipes.
“I’m usually joking around,” Christensen says about herself. She explains that she is rarely in a bad mood, something evident to those around her. She also describes herself as very understanding and social. “I don’t want people to ever hesitate to reach out to me,” she adds.
“Don’t let yourself have regrets,” Christensen says. “I’ve hated looking back and having regrets that I didn’t take the chances I wanted to. But I got my kids out of it and I wouldn’t change that for the world. Taking chances is something we really instill in our kids – ‘Try it,’ we say. ‘See if you like it.’”
“I’m still learning, so hopefully people are patient with me,” Christensen said of her position with the city. “I’m super excited to start on this journey and to get more involved with the community and everybody else around here. I’m really excited to see where this is going to take me in the future.”