Walz names Jett to Education, Cunningham to Health | News

Educator Willie Jett was named Commissioner of Education very last week. Dr. Brook Cunningham was appointed Commissioner of Overall health.

“Having labored in college districts from St. Cloud to St. Paul, Willie Jett understands the shared worries and various wants of educational institutions across our point out,” said Governor Walz. “I glance ahead to operating with each other to ensure every single youngster in Minnesota receives a entire world-course instruction, no subject their race or zip code.”  

“Willie Jett is a proficient, considerate chief focused to the achievements of training and general public faculties,” said Lieutenant Governor Flanagan. “With in depth administrative experience and a deep concentrate on fairness, I know that he is prepared to move up to the challenge to ensure that our learners, academics, and directors have the equipment, sources, and aid they need to be successful.”  

“As the chief of the Minnesota Office of Health’s fairness work, Dr. Brooke Cunningham has demonstrated her talent as a chief and commitment to advancing the overall health and wellbeing of persons throughout the condition,” said Governor Walz. “She shares our vision of community wellness, and we are glad to have her management and expertise in our Administration.”

“Dr. Brooke Cunningham’s enthusiasm and know-how for health equity will help us establish a far more reasonably priced, equitable wellness care process that serves all Minnesotans,” said Lieutenant Governor Flanagan. “With her leadership, we will proceed to address the overall health inequities underlying our condition and do the job to be certain Minnesota remains a single of the healthiest states in the country.”

“I am grateful for the option to serve as the Commissioner of Instruction less than Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan,” said Jett. “Great get the job done transpires in community, and I search forward to partnering with educators, legislators, firms, and increased education and learning. Collectively, we will continue to advance accessibility and possibility for just about every youngster in every corner of Minnesota.”

“We are seeking forward to functioning with Mr. Jett on the problems that issue most to Minnesotans and educators,” stated Denise Specht, president of Schooling Minnesota. “From the chance gaps confronted by our BIPOC college students, to cutting down class sizes, to giving ample mental health and fitness companies, to stabilizing the educator workforce by way of improved payment from the very first working day by means of a dignified retirement, there are unparalleled difficulties for Minnesota universities ideal now. We’re eager to commence the tricky operate of acquiring methods with the new commissioner.”

Jett is an teacher in the Education Administration Licensure software in the Office of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Improvement at the College of Minnesota. He has taught and led in city, suburban, and larger Minnesota college districts for about a few a long time. Jett gained his B.S. from College of Illinois at Chicago and M.A. from College of Pittsburgh.  

Dr. Brook Cunningham reported, “I am thrilled to be appointed to guide the Department of Health and fitness at this vital time in the agency’s record. As the agency transitions out of a pandemic response, its leaders and team have a exclusive chance to reinvest in the foundational capabilities of general public well being. I goal to prioritize equity in our science, operations, and local community partnerships, so that we can far more efficiently defend, keep, and boost the wellness of all Minnesotans.” 

Timothy Beebe, PhD, interim dean of the College of Minnesota Faculty of General public Health praised Cunningham’s appointment. “I am thrilled that Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan appointed Dr. Brooke Cunningham as Minnesota’s Commissioner of Wellbeing.  Dr. Cunningham has considerable working experience in community well being, client care, and public provider, and I seem ahead to forging an even stronger collaboration with the division beneath her advice. Her leadership will support Minnesotans continue to be healthy and obtain overall health care in a much more inexpensive and equitable way.”

Dr. Nathan Chomilo, Medical Director, State of Minnesota Medicaid and MinnesotaCare programs, concurred noting Cunningham’s “extensive expertise driving ground breaking techniques modify in public overall health, affected individual treatment, and medical training. Her leadership in the office has shown a obvious eyesight for general public health and fitness centered on local community and by means of a lens of well being and racial equity. Dr. Cunningham is uniquely suited to use the lessons figured out for the duration of the COVID19 pandemic and direct a transformation in general public well being to assure no a single in Minnesota is still left at the rear of.”

“Mary Turner, President, Minnesota Nurses Affiliation, reported, “Dr. Cunningham’s track record at both equally the bedside and inside the division put her in a robust and one of a kind position to lead the section from a lens of health and fairness.”

Brooke Cunningham presently is the assistant commissioner of the Well being Fairness Bureau at the Minnesota Office of Well being (MDH). She identifies approaches to progress well being equity and oversees the Middle for Well being Equity, the Business office of American Indian Wellbeing, the COVID-19 Overall health Equity Staff, and the Range, Fairness, and Inclusion Office. Beforehand, as an assistant professor in the University of Minnesota Medical School, Cunningham’s educating and scholarship broadly targeted on race and drugs, like the use of race in clinical conclusion-building, physicians’ preparation to handle patients’ encounters of racism as aspect of regimen scientific treatment, and service provider and organizational things involved with the uptake and integration of health and fitness equity into health care shipping and delivery.

She supplies most important care at the Group-University Health Treatment Clinic.

At first from Richmond, Virginia, Cunningham majored in record and African-American experiments at the College of Virginia obtained her doctorates in medication and sociology from the College of Pennsylvania experienced in interior medicine at Duke College Clinical Centre and completed postdoctoral fellowships at the Johns Hopkins College College of Medicine and the Medica Study Institute (AcademyHealth).

Sub head. 14pt b – Walz names Rukavina to Iron Assortment Assets & Rehabilitation, Blissenbach to Labor & Sector, Jacobson to Public Security, and Marquart to Revenue 

Walz  named Ida Rukavina Commissioner of Iron Variety Resources and Rehabilitation”. “Rukavina has the management and advocacy knowledge to meaningfully provide the communities across the Iron Range,” said Lieutenant Governor Flanagan. “From fantastic colleges to responsible infrastructure and flourishing enterprises, she will perform to be certain all Minnesotans have the chances and methods they require to be successful.”

Rukavina was born and lifted on the Iron Variety. She is the executive director of the Variety Association of Municipalities and Educational facilities (RAMS). Rukavina has mostly worked in government and the labor movement, symbolizing community and personal employees in northern Minnesota and performing with federal government at the state, community, and federal ranges. She gained her B.A. from Clark College and her M.A.P.L. from the University of Minnesota – Duluth.

Nicole Blissenbach will proceed to direct the Office of Labor and Industry,” said Walz. “As commissioner, she will continue on the significant work that she has now began to assure protected and respectful workplaces for all staff.”

Blissenbach joined the Minnesota Section of Labor and Market (DLI) in June 2019 and has served as DLI’s short term commissioner since August 2022. She previously served as DLI’s deputy commissioner and assistant commissioner for enforcement and compliance procedures and partnerships. Prior to starting off at DLI, she labored at Training Minnesota, exactly where she served for nearly 10 yrs as an lawyer in the authorized department. Prior to working for Education Minnesota, Blissenbach labored in a personal regulation company, exactly where she practiced labor and employment regulation. She is a Minnesota Point out Bar Association Qualified Labor and Employment Legislation Expert. Blissenbach gained her B.A. from the College of Minnesota – Morris and her J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School.

Bob Jacobson replaces John Harrington as the subsequent Commissioner of the Division of General public Security

“Jacobson understands the importance of taking a holistic strategy to public protection,” said Lieutenant Governor Flanagan. “He is an professional leader in community protection and unexpected emergency management, as perfectly as human providers. He will blend this exclusive approach to prioritize the wants of little ones and people and make sure that all Minnesotans really feel safe and sound in their residences and communities.”

Bob Jacobson is the interim deputy assistant commissioner in the Division of Human Companies. Previously, Bob served for far more than 33 several years in lively regulation enforcement which include 16 several years as the director of general public basic safety/chief of police for the Metropolis of New Brighton where by he led their law enforcement, fire, and unexpected emergency management functions. He also served as interim police main for the Metropolis of Stillwater in the course of a leadership changeover. Jacobson also served as the interim inspector standard for the Department of Human Expert services. He served as the expert advancement director for the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association, coordinating and utilizing statewide and regional teaching and conferences for the Association. Jacobson has a B.A. from Bethel University in Organizational Leadership and attended the Senior Administration Institute for Law enforcement conducted by the Police Executive Research Discussion board.

Former instructor, mayor, and legislator, Paul Marquart will continue his assistance at the helm of the Office of Revenue.

Marquart served as a member of the Minnesota Home of Reps exactly where he served 18 several years on the Household Taxes Committee, including 4 decades as the committee’s chairperson. He was also chairperson of the Residence Education Finance Committee (2013-2014) and the Property Tax Division (2007-2010). Marquart served as the Mayor of Dilworth (1990-2000) and as a Dilworth City Councilmember (1988-1989). He at the moment teaches social research at Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton Higher College where by he has taught for 39 many years and coached wrestling for 16 many years. Marquart gained an A.S. from North Dakota Point out University of Science, a B.A. and B.S. Ed. from the College of North Dakota, and a M.S. in Educational Administration from Tri-College College.