WINONA, Minn. – The Winona County Board voted unanimously for Maureen Holte to be the county’s chief executive. For more than a year Holte had been acting county administrator while the Board fumbled through two rounds of searches and interviewed 11 candidates. Holte is the first woman to be county administrator since the position was created 30-some years ago, although a woman, Pat Blaisdell, earlier had been county coordinator before the position was beefed up with more authority and retitled. Holte’s new salary: $178,600. She supervises departments with 250 employees and a $70 million annual budget. She reports directly to the elected County Board.
Earlier: Way paved for Holte as chief county executive
A face-saving gesture
Holte’s appointment as county executive had been stalled by rural County Baird members Steve Jacob and Marcia Ward. Jacob has since left the Board, but Ward had remained adamant for a full interview. Holte was insulted at an interview requirement. She noted as diplomatically as possible that she had been a county employee 20 years, mostly as personnel director and had been the voted-in as interim county executive for 14-1/2 months. In fact, Holte had interviewed for the job when it was vacant in 2009 and 2015. Holte’s point: She was hardly new to the job and what more was there for the Board to know. In the end with Jacob gone, Ward found herself the lone recalcitrant and changed her tune. Ward’s revisionist view: Holte comes “with a lot of experiences” to build on a lot of those experiences.” In fact, two days before the final vote. the Board did conduct perfunctory interview with Holte as a face-saving gesture to Ward.