City of Tower hires new City Clerk-Treasurer at Monday special meeting

MONDAY, September 30, 2019—Victoria Ranua, Shakopee, MN, will serve as the City of Tower’s new City Clerk-Treasurer following the announcement of her hire at a special meeting held tonight.

One of two finalists, the city conducted a final interview of Ranua, and the other finalist, Michael Phillip Schultz, Tower, at an open special meeting, held Monday.

Each candidate was asked to answer three questions before a crowd comprised of city council members, city staff, media, out-of-town visitors, and two or three Tower residents.

Setting the stage for the evening’s job interviews Mayor Orlyn Kringstad welcomed everyone “to this special meeting, September 30, it is in fact a very special meeting.”

Announcing the interview committee of Councilor Mary Shedd, interim City Clerk-Treasurer Ann Lamppa, Deputy Clerk-Treasurer Terri Joki-Martin, and Professor Richard Hanson “I played more of an advisory roll—choosing to take an ex-officio position” the Mayor said.

Kringstad continued: “These proceedings are somewhat unusual but very well thought out by our hiring panel,” Kringstad said as he explained that four candidates, out of six applicants, were interviewed, and three finalists were selected. One of the finalists, however, withdrew their application prior to the public interviews, the Mayor informed the full city council.

The candidates were then invited, individually, to respond to a set of three questions presented to them for their answer by Deputy Clerk Joki-Martin.

Once the candidates were given opportunity to answer prepared questions the meeting went into temporary recess. The hiring committee convened in an open door session in the city office to makes its recommendation.

About forty minutes later Mayor Kringstad and the city council again settled into their seats at the city council table to announce that the committee was recommending that Ranua be hired. The city council was unanimous in supporting the hire, having immediately moved and supporting a motion to do so.

Ranula has an University of Minnesota background having earned a Bachelors of Science and a Masters of Science in Plant Biology. Her resume shows she has served in the United States Naval Reserves and is currently employed as a Land Manager with the Mdewakanton Sioux community in Prior Lake, Minnesota. She has family which lives in Soudan. During her interview Ranua recounted that she has ice-fished Lake Vermilion often, starting about 20-years-ago.

LakeVermilion.net, on behalf of the Lake Vermilion communities, welcomes her into her new position with the City of Tower.