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Dunn County is searching for a new county manager after Kris Korpela recently announced her retirement, effective in August.
“I have enjoyed my career with Dunn County immensely and am grateful for the confidence the County Board of Supervisors has shown in my leadership,” Korpela said. “The county is in a solid place financially and operationally, so it is a good time to pass the baton to a new leader.”
The county board’s Executive Committee has asked the Human Resources Department to lead the search for a new manager, posting it both to internal and external candidates. The county hopes to have a new manager on salary by July so they can spend time training with Korpela before she leaves.
Korpela, a 24-year employee of Dunn County, was appointed County Manager in July 2022 after serving for nine years as Human Services Director. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Minnesota-Duluth.
"Kris Korpela's work as county manager has been outstanding, and it has been a genuine pleasure to work with her for the citizens of Dunn County,” said Kelly McCullough, County Board Chair and District 17 Supervisor. “We will miss her boundless enthusiasm, her relentless work ethic, and most especially her gift for empowering and elevating the people who work with and for her.”
In a message to employees, Korpela said she took the County Manager job nearly three years ago “to provide some historical context and institutional stability for the county” while relatively new county administrators gained valuable county experience.
"I am ever so thankful to have been selected and have loved my time in this role,” she said in her employee message. “That being said, the time has come to move to the next chapter.”
The process to select the next County Manager calls for a subcommittee to interview candidates that includes the board chair, vice chair, Administration Committee chair and Human Resources director. A candidate will be selected by the Executive Committee by June 2.
“County manager is a big complex job with a lot of different responsibilities and opportunities, and everyone who takes such a position will come with different strengths and priorities,” McCullough said. “Beyond the necessary managerial skills, we would hope to see someone with enthusiasm for both public and internal stakeholders.
“Kris Korpela did great work on communication both with the community and internally, empowering her staff and other employees to feel that they were a part of a team,” he continued. “We very much hope to see her successor continue that work, as well as the highly collaborative relationship she has established with the elected officials of the county board."
McCullough added: “She will be leaving behind some very big shoes to fill.”
Dunn County Media release.
