NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
January 5, 2016
CONTACT: Dana Kazel, Communications Manager
218-725-5049 (office) • 218-591-2219 (cell)
Commissioner Steve Raukar chosen as 2016 County Board Chair
St. Louis County commissioners today elected their longest serving member, Steve Raukar, to serve as County Board Chair for 2016. Commissioner Frank Jewell was selected Vice Chair.
Raukar was first elected to the County Board in 1988 to represent the seventh district, which includes Hibbing, Chisholm, Meadowlands, Floodwood and surrounding townships in the southwest corner of the County. This will be his fifth time serving as Board Chair, having also led the Board in 1994, 2000, 2004 and 2010.
Raukar thanked his fellow commissioners for their vote of confidence in selecting him as Board Chair, and challenged them to be vision-driven leaders who anticipate change and remain focused on policy that affects the County's delivery of services.
"It is my hope that we continue to work through administration to draw upon the resources of the organization to identify operational issues and address constituent concerns," said Raukar, "and identify via strategic planning those issues and strategies - both short and long range - that will continue to guide our managers and employees to better serve our mutual constituents."
Following the vote, Raukar assigned commissioners to chair the following standing committees of the Board:
Finance and Budget – Keith Nelson
Health and Human Services – Patrick Boyle
Environment and Natural Resources – Tom Rukavina
Public Works and Transportation – Pete Stauber
Central Management and Intergovernmental – Frank Jewell
Public Safety and Corrections – Chris Dahlberg
Commissioners also approved their meeting schedule for 2016. Consistent with the Board’s ongoing efforts to provide easier access to meetings for all citizens of St. Louis County, at least one meeting each month will be held in locations around the county, outside of Duluth. The meeting schedule for 2016 can be found online at stlouiscountymn.gov/boardschedule.
For more information about St. Louis County and its Board of Commissioners, call (218) 726-2450 or visit www.stlouiscountymn.gov.
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 Commissioner Steve Raukar has been chosen to serve as County Board Chair for 2016. Raukar was first elected to the County Board in 1988, and represents the seventh district. This will be his fifth time leading the County Board.
New Duluth Mayor Emily Larson visited the County Board to thank commissioners for their work for the citizens of Duluth and St. Louis County, and expressed optimism that the city and county will find good ways to work together in the future.
County Board Chair Steve Raukar thanked Mayor Larson for her visit and noted it was the first time in his 27 years on the Board that a Duluth mayor had attended one of the County Board's organizational meetings.
Front row, L-R are: David Montgomery, Duluth Chief Administrative Officer; St. Louis County Commissioners Keith Nelson and Patrick Boyle; and Phil Jents, Duluth Community Relations Officer.
Back row, L-R are: Commissioner Frank Jewell, County Attorney Mark Rubin, County Board Chair Steve Raukar, Duluth Mayor Emily Larson, Commissioners Pete Stauber, Chris Dahlberg and Tom Rukavina, County Administrator Kevin Gray, and County Auditor Don Dicklich.
Note to media: higher resolution versions of the above photos are available upon request. Please contact Communications Manager Dana Kazel at 218-725-5049 or kazeld@stlouiscountymn.gov to request a copy of either.
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