Hollies Winston Biography: Age, Career, Brooklyn Park Mayor, Education, and Net Worth

History doesn’t always announce itself with fanfare. Sometimes it arrives quietly, in the form of a local election result in a mid-sized suburb but the significance is no less real for that. When Hollies J. Winston was sworn in as the Mayor of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, on January 9, 2023, he made history as the first African American to lead a city that is now one of the most ethnically diverse suburbs in the Twin Cities region. His election was not just a personal milestone; it was a signal about where American cities are heading, and what kind of leadership is required to get there.

Hollies Winston Biography

Full Name	Hollies J. Winston
Birthplace	Chicago, Illinois, USA (raised in the Twin Cities, Minnesota)
Nationality	American
Occupation	Mayor of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota; Entrepreneur; Consultant
Education	International School of Minnesota (high school); Northwestern University; University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management (MBA, 2013)
Known For	First Black mayor of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota; CEO of Guaranteed America LLC
Spouse	Latrice Winston
Children	Three children (oldest daughter Tierney attends New York University)

Early Life and Background

Hollies Winston was born in Chicago, Illinois. When he was ten years old, his family relocated to the Twin Cities area of Minnesota — a move that would prove formative in every respect. His father, a lawyer, went on to become a vice president at Northern States Power Company (the predecessor to Xcel Energy), one of the region’s most significant corporate employers. His mother built a career in corporate America as well. Both parents have since retired to Arizona.

Growing up in a household defined by professional ambition and civic engagement, Winston developed both the work ethic and the social conscience that would characterize his adult career. He attended the International School of Minnesota for high school — an environment that likely reinforced both the multicultural perspective and the structured discipline that later distinguished his approach to governance.

Education

Winston pursued higher education with the same purpose that characterized his upbringing. He attended Northwestern University before going on to earn his MBA from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management in 2013. The Carlson School MBA gave him the business and organizational tools he would later apply both to his consulting firm and to the governance of a major Minnesota city. His business education is evident in his leadership style, which emphasizes data-driven decision-making, operational efficiency, and measurable outcomes qualities that bring a distinctly business-minded lens to the work of local government.

Career Journey

Before entering electoral politics, Hollies Winston built a career as a small business consultant and advocate. In 2017, he founded Guaranteed America LLC — a firm that provides services in advocacy and government affairs, coalition building, and strategic consulting, with a particular focus on helping Black-, Indigenous-, and people-of-color-owned businesses navigate state and municipal policy environments. The firm also manages a coalition of five support organizations dedicated to helping small businesses grow. His work through Guaranteed America gave him both the policy knowledge and the community relationships that would later power his political campaigns.

Winston made his first run for Mayor of Brooklyn Park in 2018, receiving 45.68% of the vote against the incumbent — a strong showing for a first-time candidate that signaled genuine community support. He ran again in 2022, this time as the DFL-endorsed candidate, and won decisively with 59% of the vote.

His policy platform centered on public safety, affordable housing, education equity, and support for small businesses — issues he described as interconnected rather than separate. His framing was consistent: “We came saying we want to help those that are struggling,” he said in his victory speech. That philosophy of governance — collaborative, equity-focused, and practically grounded — has defined his mayoral tenure.

Historic Significance

Brooklyn Park is Minnesota’s sixth-largest city and one of the most ethnically diverse communities in the state. The fact that it had never had a Black mayor before Winston is itself a data point worth noting — and the fact that his election came through a decisive majority, not a razor-thin margin, suggests that the history he made reflected genuine community consensus. His grandfather was a Mississippi sharecropper. The distance between that biographical starting point and the mayor’s chair of a major Minnesota city is one of those American stories that resists easy summarizing.

Personal Life

Hollies Winston is married to Latrice Winston, who held the Bible as he took his historic oath of office — a moment that was widely photographed and noted in Twin Cities coverage of the swearing-in ceremony. The couple has three children. Their oldest daughter, Tierney, is a student at New York University. His family has been a visible part of his public life, reflecting his belief that authentic leadership requires authentic presence.

Net Worth

Hollies Winston’s financial details are not fully public, as is standard for municipal officials. His estimated annual compensation as Mayor of Brooklyn Park is approximately $230,586, including salary, allowances, and benefits. His prior work as a consultant and founder of Guaranteed America also contributed to his financial standing before taking office. Estimates of his net worth vary but are not confirmed by official sources.

Conclusion

Hollies Winston’s biography is the story of a man who has consistently sought to solve the problems he sees, rather than waiting for others to address them. From founding a firm that helps minority-owned businesses survive bureaucratic environments, to running twice for mayor until he won, to bringing a data-driven, equity-focused leadership style to one of Minnesota’s most diverse cities — his career reflects a coherent and purposeful commitment to community. Brooklyn Park’s first Black mayor is, in that sense, simply the latest chapter in a much longer story of civic engagement.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Hollies Winston?
Hollies Winston is the Mayor of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, and the first African American to hold that position. He is also the founder and CEO of Guaranteed America LLC, a consulting and advocacy firm focused on minority-owned business support.

When was Hollies Winston elected?
He was elected in November 2022 with 59% of the vote and was sworn in on January 9, 2023.

Where is Hollies Winston from?
He was born in Chicago, Illinois, and raised in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota from the age of ten.

What is Guaranteed America LLC?
Guaranteed America is a consulting firm founded by Winston in 2017 that provides advocacy, coalition building, and strategic services, with a focus on helping Black-, Indigenous-, and people-of-color-owned businesses access government support and grow.

What are Hollies Winston’s key policy priorities?
His major priorities as mayor include public safety, affordable housing, education equity, small business support, and reducing wealth and opportunity disparities across Brooklyn Park’s diverse population.