By Dana Kazel
St. Louis County commissioners have chosen Commissioner Annie Harala to serve as County Board Chair for 2025, and Commissioner Mike Jugovich as Vice Chair.
Harala is the first woman to chair the St. Louis County Board in 20 years. She represents the county's First District, which covers the central portion of Duluth. She joined the Board in 2023. Jugovich represents the Seventh District, which includes Hibbing, Chisholm and the southwestern portion of the county. He joined the Board in 2017 and was just re-elected for a third term.
Harala thanked commissioners, calling the role of Chair "an honor and a privilege." She also thanked Commissioner Keith Nelson, who served as Chair last year, for his leadership.
"We have a lot of work ahead this year," said Harala, "but the word I think about is 'steady'. We don't always know what's going to happen at the federal level or the state level, but we are a Board that's consistent. We have the same folks that served together last year. We can continue to work and serve, and we can solve problems here locally alongside our other partners."
As the new Board Chair, Harala assigned commissioners to chair the following standing committees of the Board:
Health and Human Services – Patrick Boyle
Public Works and Transportation – Keith Musolf
Finance and Budget – Keith Nelson
Central Management and Intergovernmental Relations – Paul McDonald
Public Safety and Corrections – Ashley Grimm
Environment and Natural Resources – Mike Jugovich
Commissioners also approved their meeting schedule for 2025. Consistent with the Board's ongoing efforts to provide easier access to meetings for all citizens of St. Louis County, at least one meeting each month will be held in locations around the county, outside of the county seat in Duluth.
Board meetings will be livestreamed on the County's Facebook page when at locations that are equipped with the necessary technology to do so. All other meetings will be recorded and posted later on the county's YouTube channel, as well as aired on Public Access Cable Television. The 2025 schedule can be found online at stlouiscountymn.gov/boardschedule.
St. Louis County spans 7,000 square miles and is home to 200,000 people. The County is divided into seven districts, with each commissioner representing approximately 28,500 people. For more information about St. Louis County and its Board of Commissioners, call (218) 726-2450 or visit stlouiscountymn.gov.
