Under Minn. Stat. § 383B.102(c)(3) and the County’s policy on Open and Unclassified Service Appointments, the county board approves appointments of personnel in the unclassified service.

Following a thorough and transparent internal recruitment process, the County Administrator is recommending Jodie Wierimaa as Assistant County Administrator - Operations effective 8/28/22.

The Assistant County Administrator - Operations will lead the Operations line of business which plays a critical role in providing core services to all areas of the organization and our residents with a lens on reducing disparities in our community. This position has overall responsibility for the management of the departments in the county's Operations line of business including Audit, Compliance, and Investigation Services, Communications, Emergency Management, Facility Services, and Information Technology.

Ms. Wierimaa brings over 22 years of leadership and management experience working at Hennepin County. She has a Master’s degree in Public Affairs from the Humphrey Institute and a strong background in policy and program development in justice and information technology settings. She has a proven record of successful cross-department collaborations focused on innovative and data driven solutions. She has successfully worked at all levels of government building relationships to bring teams together to tackle system problems making her well positioned to work across Hennepin County lines of business and with external partners.

Ms. Wierimaa has served in dual roles as the Strategic Planning and Analytics Director since November 2021 and Chief of Staff, County Administration. As the Strategic Planning Director, she has led the establishment of the county’s planning department to ensure the organization’s strategies and goals align with the county’s mission, vision, values, disparity reduction priorities and critical program investments. She has overseen the implementation of an enterprise data strategy to build organizational capacity, enhance innovation and ensure data are embedded and used to inform and drive operational and strategic decisions. She is also a co-led on the $10 million pandemic recovery Gun Violence Reduction effort intended to prevent, reduce, and mitigate gun violence in communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 that spurred the creation of the new Safe Communities Department.

As Chief of Staff, County Administration since August 2021, Ms. Wierimaa has provided counsel and support to the County Administrator, Assistant County Administrators and Department Directors to ensure a coordinated approach to county objectives and programs. She has served as a liaison between lines of business and County Administration; brought together stakeholders to help drive decisions, and championed high-level initiatives aimed at improving the delivery of resident services. 

From 2015-2021, Ms. Wierimaa served as the Public Safety Business Information Officer, where she oversaw the Hennepin Justice Integration Program and ensured public safety technology priorities, strategies and innovations were aligned across line of business. She has partnered on numerous justice committees focused on improving system outcomes and reducing disparities including co-chairing the successful Public Safety Jail Oversight Committee responsible for successfully creating a shared data platform and identifying alternatives to incarceration for low risk individuals. Ms. Wierimaa served as the Deputy Chief of Continuity of Operations on the County’s COVID Incident Command.

Ms. Wierimaa’s other county positions include Sr. Administrative Manager 2005 - 2015 and Legal Support Services Manager 2000 -2005 in the County Attorney’s Office.

Ms. Wierimaa has been in Hennepin County leadership roles since 2000 and her vast experience within the County well positions her to oversee the strategic work of the County's Operations line of business.

Current Request: The County Administrator requests the board approve the appointment of Jodie Wierimaa as the Assistant County Administrator – Operations effective 8/28/22.