Brian Balstad

Mr. Balstad graduated from law school in 2003 with a Juris Doctor degree from the University of North Dakota. While attending law school, he served as a law clerk with a student limited practice license in North Dakota and Minnesota, and after acquiring his license to practice law, he practiced as an attorney for a regional law firm in East Grand Forks, Minnesota. As a law clerk and attorney, Mr. Balstad gained experience in land use, planning, zoning, municipal law, business law, family law, estate planning, probate, and real estate law. As a land use and zoning supervisor in Minnesota, he acquired valuable experience in every aspect of land use, planning, and zoning. Mr. Balstad interpreted, implemented, and enforced the Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Ordinance on a daily basis. He prepared proposed revisions to the Zoning Ordinance; established and revised implementation and enforcement procedures; reviewed and processed zoning permit, conditional use permit, and variance applications; and performed many other land use, planning, and zoning tasks. After working as an environmental, health, and safety manager for an ethanol company, Mr. Balstad returned to the practice of law in 2014, establishing the Balstad Law Firm. He is currently pursuing his Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) through the University of Florida, which is in the top 10-15 percent of the MURP planning programs in the nation.