Citizens Academy profile

Through a seven-week series, attendees of the Hennepin County Citizens Academy learn how county government works. The Citizens Academy features topics like winter road plowing, light rail transit and property tax assessment. Participants meet county leaders and learn about all the services the county provides. The series is free to the public, and we spoke with Richard Harrison to learn more about their experience so far.

 

Richard Harrison St. Louis Park

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How did you hear about the Citizens Academy?

I don't recall how I first heard about it, but I've been interested in it since the prior year. I applied, but couldn’t attend, maybe because it filled up. There is a lot of interest in this program in the community. I applied for it during the fall for this year and was accepted.

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Why did you decide to participate?

I’m a homeowner, and I was really interested in what I could learn about the county and what I need to know about interacting with it as an organization. 

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What has your previous experience with Hennepin County been like? Does this help your understanding of how the organization functions?

I have lived in and worked for companies in Hennepin County since 1979. My wife used to work at Hennepin as well, but my knowledge of her experience and our long term as residency weren't enough to prepare me for what I’d learn at the Citizens Academy. 

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What has been the most interesting session so far?

There were too many great sessions to pick from! I really liked the Medical Examiner session. It was fascinating and I learned a lot about the work they do there, and thought it was very interesting. I really thought the jail was eye-opening as well. The EMT session was the 6^th session we went to, and I thought it was very good as well.

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Which facility did you enjoy touring most?

The Medical Examiner was interesting, and we went into the jail and even had presentations there, but the Hennepin County Workhouse was really interesting. We walked outside the workhouse, and it was exciting to me to be there and hear how they reinvented the workhouse and hear how it functioned around 10 years ago compared to today. I thought the presentation and the speakers were excellent.

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What are your big takeaways?

It led me to realize that Hennepin County does a huge amount of things, and that the county has excellent people. The staff were excited about having us there and showing us what they did, and it was nice to know the people at Hennepin care so much about their work. I’m more aware of what they do now than before, and I’m looking to continue participating in other opportunities at the county, like volunteering.

Richard Harrison resides in St. Louis Park. The Hennepin County Citizens Academy is held twice yearly, in the spring and fall. For a summary of each session, see below or click here. To stay informed about the fall session, click here.

• Week 1: Your county government
• Week 2: Sustainable development and transit, economic development and environmental services
• Week 3: Health and medical services
• Week 4: Human services
• Week 5: Law enforcement and corrections
• Week 6: Emergency management, transportation and county fleet
• Week 7: County Attorney’s Office, 4th Judicial District Court, collaborations, volunteering and jobs