Politics & Government

Washington County Board Members Sworn In

Stillwater's Gary Kriesel was re-elected to serve as representative of District 3. Lisa Weik was selected as this year's board chair.

Four members of the Washington County Board of Commissioners were sworn in to office Tuesday after being elected or re-elected in November 2012.

Commissioners Gary Kriesel (District 3) and Lisa Weik (District 5) were both re-elected to the board. Weik was selected to serve as board chair in 2013.

Commissioner Autumn Lehrke (District 4) will serve as Vice Chair for 2013.

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RELATED: Washington County: New commissioners are far from rookies

Washington County Board Election Results (Updated)

Find out what's happening in Stillwaterwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Two New Stillwater City Council Sworn In


Gary Kriesel

Kriesel was elected in November 2004 to represent the residents of District 3, re-elected in 2008 and ran unopposed in 2012.

He retired from Xcel Energy after 33 years and has served two years on the Stillwater City Council. He is a U.S. Navy veteran and has been an active member in many civic organizations and on advisory boards of Washington County.

Kriesel is an advocate for local control, allowing counties and cities to manage issues related to a growing population. He and his wife, Ann, live in Stillwater.

Lisa Weik

Lisa Weik was elected to serve the citizens of District 5 in a special election in November 2008. She was re-elected in 2010 and 2012. She has served her community as a parent volunteer for the Woodbury Athletic Association and Woodbury Schools.

Weik has a business background in medical device compliance and as a healthcare professional in clinical laboratory medicine. She is active in the Woodbury Lion’s Club, a member of the Woodbury Chamber of Commerce, and has a special interest in issues concerning science and medicine, public health and safety, seniors and transportation. Weik and her husband, Phillip, are residents of Woodbury.

Ted Bearth, District 2, and Fran Miron, District 1, joined the board as newly elected commissioners.

Ted Bearth

Bearth was first elected to the Oakdale City Council in 1974, and has spent 26 years as either a city council member or Mayor. He is currently the co-chair of the annual Oakdale Summerfest.

He is a founder of the Oakdale Athletic Association, where he coached for 13 years, and has been involved with School District 622, where he served on the foundation board and the Community Education Advisory Board. Bearth previously served as chair the Washington County Community Corrections Advisory Board. He is involved with the Oakdale Veterans Memorial Committee and the Maplewood-Oakdale Lions Club. He holds a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Minnesota, and is a Marine veteran.

He is retired from American Can in St. Paul, where he worked for 34 years, and was the park manager in the City of Landfall for more than seven years. He and his wife Agnes live Oakdale.

Fran Miron

Miron has 20 years of experience in elected office, 16 years as the Mayor of Hugo, and four years as a city councilmember. He is a graduate of Forest Lake Area High School, and holds a bachelor of science degree from the University of Minnesota. He and his wife own and operate the Miron Family Dairy & Crop Farm.

In addition to serving as Mayor, Miron's farming background creates a special interest in the importance of expanding and retaining small businesses, conserving open spaces, and planning for growth. He has served in numerous civic service organizations, including the University of Minnesota Extension Service and is a director on the Forest Lake Community Scholarship Foundation board.

He also served on a multi-jurisdictional transportation coalition which guided the construction of the Interstate 35E interchange, and chaired the Hugo Economic Development Authority. Miron has also been involved in a number of agricultural organizations, and his family has won farm and conservation awards. He and his wife Mary Ann live in Hugo.


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