Names of candidates interviewing for Nobles County Administrator released

• Nobles County

Nobles County

Talk about it

WORTHINGTON — Jackson County Coordinator Janice Fransen is one of three candidates to accept a second interview for the Nobles County Administrator post.

Press releases sent Friday morning to the Daily Globe include information on all three of the finalists. Also vying for Nobles County’s top government spot are Thomas Johnson, currently the managing director of public works for Eagle County (Colo.) Government; and Charles Kell, the village administrator of Little Chute, Wis.

Kell earned his bachelor’s degree in urban and regional planning from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, and worked as director of planning and zoning for Portage County in Stevens Point, Wis., from June 1984 through November 2005. At that point, he moved into his role as village administrator in Little Chute.

Johnson earned his bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from the University of Minnesota-Duluth, and his master’s in manufacturing systems engineering from the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul. He worked as a senior project engineer for The Engineering Alliance in St. Paul from March 1989 through March 1991; and then served in various roles with Rosemount Inc., in Chanhassen.

From March 1991 through June 2006, Kell worked his way up from project engineer of the Solid State Center to manufacturing manager, then manufacturing engineering supervisor and finally facilities manager. In June 2006, he became facilities management director for Eagle County Government, and in January 2007 he moved into the managing director post in public works.

Fransen earned her bachelor’s degree in public administration from Metropolitan State University in St. Paul. She had various roles in Freeborn County from 1980 through 1986, and then served as an appraiser for the City of Eden Prairie. In 1987, she became a customer support representative for Contract Programming Specialists Inc.

From 1988 through 1993, Fransen served as the systems analyst and training coordinator for the Minnesota Supreme Court in St. Paul; and from 1993 through 1997 she was the MIS/customer service su-pervisor for the City of Brooklyn Park. Fransen has been in her present role as Jackson County Coordinator since 1997.

All three of the candidates will visit Worthington Jan. 8, for a tour of the county de-partments and meeting with members of the county’s management team. That evening, there will be an open house meet and greet with the candidates.

Then, on the morning of Jan. 9, they will each participate in an interview with the full county board of commissioners.

Daily Globe Reporter Julie Buntjer may be reached at 376-7330.

Tags: nobles co., nobles county, janice fransen, thomas johnson, charles kell, news