EP School Board’s Dwivedy balancing service abroad with civic engagement at home

A key member of the Eden Prairie Schools community has begun an extended journey of military service, while still striving to fulfill civic commitments at home.

Debjyoti “DD” Dwivedy, currently serving his second term on the Eden Prairie School Board, is a member of the U.S. Army Reserves. He deployed with the U.S. Army in early June for a 400-day service term.

Dwivedy, 37, is currently in Texas for training before his deployment in late June or early July. Although he could not share the exact location, he said that he will serve as a company commander with the Army Medical Logistics Corps of U.S. Central Command in Southwest Asia.

This will be his second mobilization and his first deployment in a combat zone. He will serve as a medical logistics officer for the 13 countries in his area of operation, providing medical logistics, medical maintenance, and support to troops.

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Shortly before his departure in early June, Dwivedy said he was excited to take on this role. “In the Army Reserves, we train to fight,” he said. “When the rubber hits the road, when you get deployed and get to do a real-world mission, that is what we prepare for.”

Dwivedy has done extensive training for this military role, including graduating from a five-week medical logistics program in March. “Medical logistics save lives,” he said, noting that proper training, planning, and response are critical.

Despite being thousands of miles away and holding a key military role, Dwivedy intends to maintain his position on the board. He will rely on technology to keep up and attend meetings virtually as his military schedule permits.

“I will try to serve my community as well as be combat-ready,” he said.

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The Eden Prairie School Board recently debated whether it’s feasible for Dwivedy to remain active and effective in his school board role while deployed for so long. Ultimately, after discussing his long-term absence with Dwivedy at the June 24 board meeting, they decided he should keep his spot, and they would all see how it goes.

Bringing corporate, military, and civic experience to the school board

As a military reservist, Dwivedy is already accustomed to balancing his civilian career with his military obligations.

Dwivedy is a first-generation immigrant to the U.S., having moved from where he grew up near Kolkata, India, to Fargo, North Dakota, for graduate school. After receiving his master’s degree in computer engineering and networking at North Dakota State University, he moved to Eden Prairie in 2013 for work.

Soon, he began to put down roots in the community. “I came here for a job, and stayed here for the people,” he said.

In 2015 Dwivedy enlisted in a U.S. Army program hiring foreign nationals with specific linguistic and IT skills. “There was a list of foreign languages they were looking for at the time, and I happened to speak, read, and write three of those languages,” he said. “I also had the necessary IT experience and education.”

After applying and being accepted to the program, Dwivedy went to basic training and was enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves for 4.5 years, from July 2015 to Nov. 2019. He then took a role as a commissioned officer, which he continues to this day.

Civic engagement and advocacy are also big parts of Dwivedy’s life. Since 2011, he has volunteered with Immigration Voice, a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit that works to streamline legal immigration. He said his interest in policy and how laws are created made him a good fit for this organization.

Initially volunteering as a graduate student in Fargo, he eventually took over the Midwest region. He now serves as Immigration Voice’s senior vice president for policy strategy and affairs.

“I help with advocacy efforts to get legislation done, from introduction to sponsors to strategic initiatives for streamlining legal immigration in this country,” he said. “We work on bills in D.C. and with federal legislators. I’m very proud that we were able to pass a bill through the House twice and the Senate once.”

Dwivedy has also had local community and civic roles including as a member of the Eden Prairie A.M. Rotary and the City of Eden Prairie’s Conservation Commission (now called the Sustainability Commission).

At the state and national level, his political advocacy has included serving as the elected chairman of the Minnesota Young Republicans. He has also been a vocal supporter of recent presidential candidate Nikki Haley, joining her on parts of the campaign trail during her candidacy.

Dwivedy also has a civilian job working for the Federal Reserve National IT, as the system lead for network solutions and engineering. “I love what I do – I manage people and information technology at the same time, so it is very interesting,” he said, adding, “I can also translate my people management skills to the Army.”

He previously worked in healthcare information systems management and said many of the skills he learned in that business have dovetailed with his current role in the Army.

In 2019, Dwivedy decided to run for one of four open spots on the Eden Prairie School Board. He said he thought he had valuable expertise to share with the community, from his policy and governance knowledge to his IT and corporate career experience, as well as his perspective as a first-generation immigrant and person of color.

Although Dwivedy does not have children, which is a reason many people typically decide to run for school board, he said he chose to run because he values education and wanted to help the local schools.

“I came to this country for education, to get my master’s degree,” he said. “I’m grateful for that experience, and I want to give back. Eden Prairie is my home, and I felt it was important to share my experience and knowledge to help the local community and our schools.”

Dwivedy took the oath of office in January 2020, and the pandemic soon hit in March 2020. He said he’s grateful to be serving his second school board term under “normal operating conditions.”

Encouraging others to serve the community

Dwivedy’s school board term will continue until January 2026, but two spots will be open on the school board this November.

Dwivedy encouraged anyone who wants to serve their community to consider running. He also said that while he has no plans to run for higher office, he recommends that anyone considering that trajectory should first gain experience serving their local community.

“Local government is the hardest part but a really important part of government,” he said. “You also get to work for things that people really care about – their kids, local taxes, local roads, local business, local safety. You work with all of those on city councils and school boards.”

He said that if more legislators and politicians first gained experience in local government, it would be significantly better for the country.

“Then they learn how policies create change at the local level,” he said.

He added, “Many of our state and federal legislators don’t have that understanding or experience. That’s why they are working in silos and implementing policies and making decisions that don’t positively impact communities at the grassroots level. It creates a disconnect.”

He also wanted to share, especially with young people, the idea that it’s possible and fulfilling to balance different kinds of service with a civilian career. “I hope the next generation will be inspired to step up, to put in some time for service,” he said. “It’s a very good experience.”

Of his military experience, he said, “The Army is the only thing that taught me that nothing is impossible, that if I make up my mind to do something, I can do it. The life skills and leadership skills I have learned in the Army are invaluable, and I’m truly grateful for that.”

Dwivedy said that while he is deployed, he will miss Eden Prairie, his friends and family, and being at board meetings in person. “But I know that 12 months will go fast and I will be back soon,” he said.

He added, “I am truly grateful to the residents of Eden Prairie for the opportunity to serve them.”