St. Paul, Minn. (April 16, 2010) – Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty last month reappointed Ikram M. Huq, and appointed Laura J. Schwartzwald to the State Board of Pharmacy. They will serve four-year terms that expire on January 6, 2014.
The Board of Pharmacy is responsible for licensing and disciplining pharmacists. The board also inspects and licenses all pharmacies, drug wholesalers, and drug manufacturers. The board consists of seven members appointed by the Governor.
Huq, of Apple Valley, has been a member of the Board of Pharmacy since 2006, is reappointed as a public member. He is also a senior Imam and religious director of the Muslim Community Center in Bloomington, an appointed board member of the State Council on Asian-Pacific Minnesotans, and president of the Cosmos Cricket Club of the Minnesota Cricket Association.
Huq is the owner and chief executive officer of Omar Insurance Agency in Burnsville and Minneapolis, and is a co-owner and president of Ramdan Halal Meat Market and Groceries in Burnsville. Previously, he has been a post closer with GMAC, a finance administrator for Ceridian, and a contract employee for Wells Fargo and U.S. Bank. He was also the deputy director and controller of Sha Sha Training Center, a UNICEF-funded project in Iperu Ogun State, Nigeria, West Africa.
Huq has master’s degrees in economics from Texas Tech University in Lubbock as well as from Bangalore University in Bangalore, India, an associate’s degree in information systems from Amarillo College, in Amarillo, Texas, and a diploma in business administration from Transworld College in the United Kingdom.
Schwartzwald, of Aitkin, is a registered pharmacist and replaces Gary Schneider on the Board of Pharmacy as a pharmacist member. She owns Arrowhead Pharmacy in Grand Marais and GuidePoint Pharmacy, with locations in Brainerd, Redwood Falls, Rochester and Worthington.
