New county board clerk adjusts to intracies of the job

• Laurel Buchanan

Laurel Buchanan

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Politics, the budget and a whole lot more.

That tough job description has now been attached to Laurel Buchanan as she comes here via Superior for the position of administrative clerk of the Lake County Board of Commissioners.

Before being named to the position, she worked for First Plan of Minnesota in provider relations. First Plan started in Two Harbors.

Buchanan started the job a few months ago, replacing Wilma Rahn, who retired after 12 years of service.

Buchanan said her job has some similarities to her previous one, but one glaring difference is figuring out what information is public and what is not. The job at First Plan dealt with mostly private health information.

“With any kind of work, there is going to be similarities,” she said. She said she has to get used to the “alphabet soup” of acronyms the county uses. “I think you learn as you go.”

Among her job duties are working with the county commissioners as the central point of communication. Other duties include keeping track of the budget and commissioner correspondence.

“I like the atmosphere,” she said. “I always have something to do. … The day goes by quickly. I’m used to that pace.”

As for working with commissioners? “Every office environment is a political environment,” she said. Buchanan said all the commissioners have been easy to work with.

The main person she works with is County Coordinator Matt Huddleston. “It’s been going really good,” he said, stressing the important work she does for the board. He said he’s been impressed with her work.

For now, she doesn’t mind the commute from Superior in one of the busiest road construction seasons the region has ever seen. “I think it’s nice to have the drive home,” she said. She uses it to decompress.

Buchanan said she spends her free time with her sons, age 13 and 15 (she doesn’t have any plans to move to Two Harbors because she doesn’t want to uproot her kids from that school system). She also likes to run and practice yoga.

If you would like to get in contact with Buchanan with questions about the Lake County Board of Commissioners, email clerk.board@ co.lake.mn.us or call 834-8320.

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