Melvin Carter Jr. was one of Saint Paul’s first black police officers, swearing his oath in 1976. He is also the husband to Ramsey County Commissioner Toni Carter and father to Saint Paul mayor Melvin Carter Jr. In this episode we discuss his early life in Rondo, his unlikely path to becoming a police officer, and the current work he is involved in…

Bernard Hebda is the Archbishop of the Saint Paul and Minneapolis Archdiocese for the Catholic Church. He previously served as Bishop of Gaylord, Michigan, and Coadjutor Archbishop of Newark, New Jersey. In this episode we talk about his journey in the priesthood, his time in Minnesota, and many questions about the Catholic faith. If you'd like to …

Steph Shimp is the co-owner of Blue Plate Restaurant Company in the Twin-Cities. Her restaurants include Highland Grill, Longfellow Grill, and The Lowry just to name a few. In this episode we discuss her industry journey, what makes a restaurant successful, and all the difficulties COVID-19 has allotted the community. If you'd like to ask one of ou…

Jane Prince serves on the Saint Paul City Council, representing Ward 7 on the Eastside. Prior to her election in 2015, she served as City DFL chair and as legislative aide to then councilman Jay Benanav. On this episode we share stories, talk about her path to the council, and discuss the issues facing Saint Paul today. If you'd like to ask one of …

Casey O’Brien is a five-time cancer survivor and University of Minnesota graduate. Casey played for the Gopher football team throughout his college career, often during periods of chemotherapy treatment and surgery. Casey has inspired thousands, if not millions of people with his story of perseverance and optimism. On this episode we discuss his lo…

Aaron Benner is the Dean of Students at Cretin-Derham Hall and a lifelong educator. In 2019 Aaron was awarded $525,000 in a settlement with Saint Paul Public Schools, where he had taught for over a decade. In this podcast we talk about his path to becoming a teacher and the events that led to him suing Saint Paul Public Schools. If you'd like to as…

David Palm is a criminal prosecutor for the city of Saint Paul. He has worked with a variety of groups, all the way from people experiencing homelessness and economic difficulty in Nebraska, to those in alcohol and drug treatment plans in Saint Paul. On this episode we discuss everything from local challenges to systemic issues. If you'd like to as…

Trevor Miller is an Associate Dean at the University of Minnesota College of Design. He previously served as Press Secretary for Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold. In this episode we discuss his time at the nation’s capitol, his role at the University of Minnesota, and moving to/living in St Paul. If you'd like to ask one of our guests a question tha…

Ryan O’Connor assumed the role of Ramsey County Manager in 2018. On this episode we discuss his path in life and what led him to serve as the executive of Minnesota’s second most populous county. Topics covered include how to manage a $750 million budget, Ramsey County’s COVID response, homelessness in the metro and more. If you'd like to ask one o…

In this 50-second preview episode, host Isaiah Sullivan describes what Saint Small Talk is all about and who he'll be interviewing in upcoming episodes. Make sure to hit subscribe on whatever podcast source you found this on so that you can be informed of new episodes as they go live. Thank you for listening!…