Background:
The Hennepin County Open Appointments Policy and MS 383B.102 require the county administrator to seek county board confirmation of unclassified service appointments.
Following an extensive national recruitment process with a diverse interview panel which included community partners, the county administrator is recommending Joan Granger-Kopesky be appointed to the unclassified position of Director for Children and Family Services.
Ms. Granger-Kopesky brings 29 years of Human Services experience and most recently served as Deputy Director of Children and Family Services in Dakota County for the past 15 years.
Ms. Granger-Kopesky has had direct responsibility in overseeing social services staff and operations in the areas of child protection, children’s mental health, child welfare programs, Parent Support Outreach, child care licensing, family foster care licensing, adoption, truancy intervention, and interagency collaboratives.
Ms. Granger-Kopesky has extensive background in serving on a variety of committees including the Minnesota Early Childhood Longitudinal Data System Governing Board, Minnesota Treatment Court Initiative Advisory Committee, and the Minnesota System of Care State Level Policy and Planning Group.
Ms. Granger-Kopesky has a Master’s Degree in Public Affairs with a concentration in management from the University of Minnesota, Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs. Additionally, she has certificates in Juvenile Justice Reform from Georgetown University’s Center for Juvenile Justice Reform, Research Methods from Hamline University and Public Affairs Management from Hamline University.
As required by the Open Appointments Policy, a list of final applicants who interviewed for this position is on file with the Clerk of the County Board.