BP names admin finalists

The city of Blooming Prairie has announced the finalists for the position of city administrator – and three of the four are less than 30 miles away.

After an extensive recruitment and selection process by South Central Service Cooperative, the finalists, from a pool of 13 candidates, are:

Anthony Martens currently serves as the city administrator for New Richland. With more than 20 years of experience in municipal and county operations, he brings expertise in public administration, emergency management and strategic leadership.

His other roles include chief of police and emergency management director; Martens has a master’s degree in public administration with a specialization in emergency management. He has led initiatives in economic development, public safety and intergovernmental coordination.

Lisa Schlotterhausen is program manager for the Southern Colorado Economic Development District. She has more than two decades of leadership experience in higher education, economic development and grant management. A certified grant professional with a Ph.D. in anthropology, Schlotterhausen has secured millions in grant funding, and led strategic planning and institutional improvement initiatives.

Her past roles include vice president at Lamar Community College and Dean positions at multiple Minnesota colleges. She is recognized for her strong cultural awareness, strategic thinking and community engagement.

Angela Lipelt is now serving as the supervisor of environmental services in Mower County, a role she has held since 2008. In that position, she oversees land use permitting, zoning, environmental health and public education. With prior experience as a zoning administrator in Waseca County, Lipelt brings a strong track record in ordinance development, court testimony, grant administration and legislative engagement.

She has a bachelor’s degree in urban and regional studies, and is known for her professionalism, leadership and long-term service to Minnesota counties.

Tyler Lendt is the assistant county veteran services officer in Mower County, where he was formerly the deputy auditor/treasurer. He launched and led a continuous process improvement team for the county, and previously managed large-scale infrastructure projects in the private sector.

An Army veteran with extensive leadership experience, Lendt is pursuing a master’s degree in public administration; he has a bachelor’s degree in transportation and logistics management. With a passion for service and organizational development, he is a six sigma green belt and the recipient of multiple military and civilian leadership awards.

On June 16, the four candidates will meet with city employees from 2 to 4:15 p.m., then tour the community. Members of the public will have the opportunity to meet the candidates from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at city hall.

Members of the BP City Council have received the full resumes and packets for each candidate to review before the final interviews on June 17.

Those individual interviews will run from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., followed by a closed city council session for deliberation and labor negotiations.

Members of the city council will vote on the employee agreement and appoint the new city administrator at the July 14 council meeting, with a start date of mid-July to early August.