Annie Harala Becomes First Woman To Chair St. Louis County Board In 20 Years

DULUTH, Minn. – St. Louis County Board Commissioner Annie Harala has become the first woman in 20 years to serve as the county’s board chair.

Harala was appointed by the board Tuesday for 2025.

Harala joined the county board in 2023.

Commissioner Mike Jugovich will serve as vice chair through the end of the year.

Annie Harala

Below is the full press release from St. Louis County:

St. Louis County commissioners have chosen Commissioner Annie Harala to serve as County Board Chair for 2025, and Commissioner Mike Jugovich as Vice Chair.

Harala is the first woman to chair the St. Louis County Board in 20 years. She represents the county’s First District, which covers the central portion of Duluth. She joined the Board in 2023. Jugovich represents the Seventh District, which includes Hibbing, Chisholm and the southwestern portion of the county. He joined the Board in 2017 and was just re-elected for a third term.

Harala thanked commissioners, calling the role of Chair “an honor and a privilege”. She also thanked Commissioner Keith Nelson, who served as Chair last year, for his leadership.

“We have a lot of work ahead this year,” said Harala, “but the word I think about is ‘steady’. We don’t always know what’s going to happen at the federal level or the state level, but we are a Board that’s consistent. We have the same folks that served together last year. We can continue to work and serve, and we can solve problems here locally alongside our other partners.”

Mike Jugovich

As the new Board Chair, Harala assigned commissioners to chair the following standing committees of the Board:

Health and Human Services – Patrick Boyle

Public Works and Transportation – Keith Musolf

Finance and Budget – Keith Nelson

Central Management and Intergovernmental Relations – Paul McDonald

Public Safety and Corrections – Ashley Grimm

Environment and Natural Resources – Mike Jugovich

Commissioners also approved their meeting schedule for 2025. Consistent with the Board’s ongoing efforts to provide easier access to meetings for all citizens of St. Louis County, at least one meeting each month will be held in locations around the county, outside of the county seat in Duluth. Board meetings will be livestreamed on the County’s Facebook page when at locations that are equipped with the necessary technology to do so. All other meetings will be recorded and posted later on the county’s YouTube channel, as well as aired on Public Access Cable Television.  The 2025 schedule can be found online at stlouiscountymn.gov/boardschedule.