About Bruce Tutvedt

Bruce Tutvedt Candidate Senate District 3 - Life long resident of the Flathead

Senate District 3 includes the NW part of Flathead County and the area north of Kalispell and between Evergreen and Columbia Falls. This seat is currently held by Jerry O’Neil who is term limited out.

Family:

Son of Harold and Shirley “Phillips” Tutvedt
Married his College Sweetheart Linda “Kleffner” Tutvedt.
Linda has been teaching art in SD 5 for the 28 years. She enjoyed teaching at KJHS and Linderman, and now enjoys LASER, the alternative high school. She spent 9 years on the West Valley School Board.
They have 3 children;
Valerie Tutvedt graduated from MSU in 2007and is working in Bozeman
Emily Tutvedt is a Junior at U of M in Missoula
Andora Tutvedt is in the 8th grade at West Valley School

Education:

West Valley Grade School,
Flathead High School, active in FFA,
MSU B.S. of AG Business 1978

Business:

Bruce operates the family farm between Whitefish and Kalispell, with his father Harold Tutvedt. Together they operate a feedlot and a cow-calf operation along with growing peppermint, wheat, barley and alfalfa. The farm employs 4 to 10 people depending on the season and is home to some of the best bird and deer hunting in the Flathead.

Public Service:

Bruce is the current Chairman of the Montana State Farm Services Agency, where he and the committee oversee 300 employees of the U.S Government. Montana FSA is under the US Dept of Agriculture and administers from 220 million to 600 million dollars of payments to Montana’s ag. community. President Bush appointed Bruce to the FSA Committee in 2001.

Bruce was appointed to the Flathead Basin Commission by Governor Mark Raciot. Water quality is very important to Bruce, he grew up swimming in the lakes of the Flathead and using this precious resource to irrigate crops and water livestock.

Bruce was appointed to the Wolf Advisory Committee by Governor Judy Martz. Bruce was able to work with all parties to mold a Wolf Management Plan that protects landowners and wildlife, while still allowing the wolf to have a place on the Montana Landscape as mandated by the Endangered Species act.

Associations and Affiliations:                 

Montana Grain Growers (Board of Directors)
Montana Mint Committee (chairman)
Montana Farm Bureau
National Rifle Association
Glacier Pachyderm
Montana Contractors
West Valley Volunteer Fire Dept, past president (not active)
National Association of Barley Growers
First Presbyterian Church of Kalispell

Sports and Recreation:

Bruce is a long standing member of the Whitefish Golf Course and he enjoys playing in men’s league. Bruce grew up snow skiing on Whitefish Mountain back when it was Big Mountain, and swimming in the area lakes and rivers. He shot trap ad played county league basketball and softball.

Most of Bruce’s free time is spent with his family waterskiing, swimming, hiking and trail riding. The Family has been to the top of Sperry Glacier twice in the last 10 years. Glacier National Park and the Flathead wilderness areas are wonderful places to hike and explore on horseback.