It's official: Tim Houle is the next Crow Wing County administrator.
Houle, who has been the Morrison County administrator for 14 years, attended Tuesday's Crow Wing County Board meeting. Commissioners unanimously voted to hire him.
"We welcome you north," Board Chairwoman Rachel Reabe Nystrom said. Houle was one of two finalists for the position after the county conducted several rounds of interviews. Nystrom said the evaluation reports the board requested for its final candidate described Houle as a natural-born leader and strategic planner. Houle is expected to start July 14. He'll make $110,920 a year and have a standard six-month probationary period.
After the meeting, Houle said he enjoyed the hiring process that involved interviews with county staff and the county board.
"There are a ton of challenges, not the least of which is financial," Houle said of budget issues facing the county and the state's financial shortfall. "The next two budget years are going to be very challenging."
Tim Houle
Beyond the budget, Houle said his first order of business will be getting to know the county. He has the added benefit of having worked cooperatively with commissioners and staff members here during his tenure in Little Falls.
"The most important thing I can do when I come in here is listen and learn," Houle said. "Who are the key staff that will get you from where you are to where you want to go."
Government is all about people, Houle said.
"The goal is continuous improvement," he said.
During the interview process, Houle spoke of the importance of serving the public and viewing people not as an interruption to a staff member's job but as the reason their job exists.
"We need to treat people in a friendly and respectful way and it doesn't cost a thing," Houle said. "It starts from the top. People will live up or down to your expectations."
Houle's background includes his work as a primary market area resource manager/field team leader at the Star Tribune in Minneapolis. He is working on a doctorate in public administration at Hamline University and has a master's degree in public administration and a bachelor's degree in political science from Hamline.
Four finalists were interviewed for the position and two were called back for another round of interviews before the board agreed Houle was the right fit for Crow Wing County. This was the second time Houle had interviewed for the administrator's post. He was considered a strong candidate for the job in 2000, when the board hired Peter Herlofsky Jr.
"On behalf of Crow Wing County, we want to thank you for giving us a second chance," Nystrom said.
RENEE RICHARDSON may be reached at renee.richardson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5852.
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