ST. PAUL, Minn. – The state Human Services commissioner, Jodi Harpstead, acknowledged a need to “firm up our process controls” after a legislative audit turned up internal problems that could facilitate fraud and other abuses. Harpstead, commissioner since 2019, said the department’s problems are being addressed. “We’ve spent the past year working intensely on evaluating our processes and putting the pieces in place to start implementing changes,” Harpstead said. “The auditor’s review found the same issues we’ve identified in our own evaluation of process controls in the department. The report makes us more confident that our plan moving forward is the right plan.”
Harpstead. Formerly chief executive at Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota. Before that, 23 years at medical device manufacturer Medtronic.