Pete Stauber ’90
Pete Stauber ’90 has been chosen as the recipient of the Kenneth J. Shouldice Professional Achievement Award for 2026. The Shouldice Award, established in 1994, honors individuals whose personal and professional accomplishments serve as outstanding examples to LSSU graduates. Dr. Kenneth J. Shouldice is, in many ways, the founding father of today’s Lake Superior State University. As the institution’s first chancellor and president (1965–1982), he guided the campus from a two-year branch of Michigan Technological University to an autonomous four-year college.
Pete Stauber is a Member of Congress representing Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District. A native of Duluth, Minnesota, Stauber’s journey from national champion Laker hockey player to police lieutenant, county commissioner, and Member of Congress reflects a lifetime of service to his community and state.
Stauber attended Lake Superior State University, where he played collegiate hockey and was a key member of the Lakers team that captured the 1988 NCAA Division I National Championship. Following graduation, he played professional hockey in the minor league system affiliated with the Detroit Red Wings organization. Stauber commented, “My time at Lake Superior State was an experience that brings a lifetime of great memories and lifelong friends, many whom are here today.” He also reflected on the impact of the university’s educators, saying, “The faculty at Lake Superior State are tremendous role models and have set up so many students for success far beyond these campus walls.”
After his playing career, Stauber returned to Minnesota and joined the Duluth Police Department, where he served for nearly two decades. Rising to the rank of lieutenant, he also held leadership positions within the police union and became an advocate for public safety issues.
Stauber later entered public office, serving on the Hermantown City Council before being elected as a St. Louis County Commissioner, a position he held from 2013 to 2019. In those roles, he focused on regional infrastructure, economic development, and local governance in northeastern Minnesota.
In 2018, Stauber was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. In Congress, he has focused on issues including transportation, natural resources, small business development, domestic energy production, and mining, particularly as they affect Minnesota’s Iron Range and surrounding communities.
Pete and his wife, Jodi, an Iraq War veteran, have been married for 30 years and make their home in Hermantown, Minnesota. They have six children: Levi and his wife, Katie; Luke and his fiancée, Lisa; Isaac; Addilyn; Theo; and Genevieve.