Morrison County Commissioner Jeffrey J. Jelinski Friday announced he would be seeking another term for the District 2 seat.
Jelinski, 57, has served District 2 since 2013. District 2 covers Belle Prairie, Buh, Platte, and Ripley Townships including the city of Harding in Morrison County.
"Serving the interests of the people in my district these past four years has been an absolute honor," Jelinski stated in his re-election letter. "I truly love representing and working for the people in District 2, as well as all of Morrison County.
"It is far more than an 8 to 5, 40-hour week job, but it's the only job I want. It doesn't matter if it's 6 a.m. or 10 p.m., if one of my constituents wants to talk, I'm ready to listen. We are in this together.
"One thing you can rest assured on is that my decisions come from careful consideration of their concerns, considerable research into the best ways I can help them and strong efforts to get the best results for them."
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Jelinski, a 1976 graduate of Little Falls Community High School, lives in Belle Prairie Township with his wife, Barb, and is a lifelong resident of Morrison County, having grown up in Swan River Township. Jelinski was involved in public service and public safety for 30-plus years before being elected in November of 2012. Jelinski started his career with Morrison County as a dispatcher/jailer, spent nearly 19 years as a communications/records tech with the city of Little Falls and has been the communications supervisor at the sheriff's office since 2005. He gained certification from the Emergency Management Institute in emergency management, and is a Minnesota state certified emergency manager. In October 2009, he received national recognition as a Communications Unit Leader Type III.
Jelinski is the chair of the Central Minnesota Emergency Medical Services Joint Powers Board and vice chair of the Emergency Medical Services Board, which consists of 19 counties and the city of St. Cloud. He also serves as the Statewide Emergency Communications Board, representing greater Minnesota's Emergency Services Boards and the communication board's legislative committee.
He has worked with several area schools on "Mock Car Crash" exercises. He is a member of the Morrison County EMS Council, member of St. Mary's Church and a member of the Knights of Columbus No. 1804. He is also a member of the NRA, the Morrison County Wild Gobblers and the National Wild Turkey Federation.
When Jelinski said he is truly proud of the work the county has done in the past four years, especially his work being involved in the Central Minnesota Emergency Medical Services Joint Powers Board.
Jelinski said if someone wants to be a county commissioner, they have to be prepared to be involved and to support public service.
"I truly love what I do," Jelinski said. "I believe I have won my constituents respect and trust. My background is people, they are why I do what I do."
JENNIFER STOCKINGER may be reached at jennifer.stockinger@brainerddispatch.com or 218-855-5851. Follow me at www.twitter.com/jennewsgirl on Twitter.
