Wadena County Commissioners Hire New Administrator
- 41 minutes ago
- 2 min read
by Trinity Gruenberg
The Wadena County Commissioners held their regular meeting on February 24.
New Administrator Hired
A small group consisting of Chair Ron Noon, Vice Chair Brian Winkels, and HR Director Jennifer Westrum worked together to find and negotiate with candidates for the county administrator position. After interviews and discussions, they agreed to hire Colleen Winter, with a tentative start date set for Monday, April 6. Winter has some prior commitments and vacation time, and the board is willing to accommodate her schedule as she transitions into her new role.
Her employment agreement is for two years, with a six-month performance review. This early review will help the board judge how well she fits in. If she were to be let go after one year, they would need to follow legal procedures. County Attorney Kyra Ladd helped create the agreement to ensure it meets legal requirements and allows the county enough time to find a new administrator if needed.
With the hiring settled, the board turned its attention to office space. For several years, they’ve planned to use a downstairs area—as a future suite for the administrator. This space is next to the main entrance and is currently being used for storage and small offices. Maintenance and HR staff worked with Deana Malone to develop a renovation plan that includes removing a dividing wall to create a larger office, adding a workspace for support staff, and making necessary electrical and flooring updates. They also looked at furniture options such as standing desks and a small conference table.
Board members had mixed feelings about the location. Commissioner Jon Kangas thought the space was too small and too close to the public entrance for the county administrator. He suggested that the zoning office or other operations might be better suited for the downstairs area.
Others argued for the importance of security and workflow, noting the long-term plan to use that space. They also discussed whether HR should eventually move downstairs and how closely HR needs to work with other offices...
