City Spot Blog Has Moved!

You can now find City Spot blog on the League of Minnesota Cities website at lmc.org/news-publications/publications/city-spot/. 

Please join us there to read up-to-date news that impacts Minnesota cities!

Recently retired city councilor reflects on the value of serving on a state board

For many local elected officials, public service is part of their DNA. They are passionate about striving to make their communities safe, vibrant, and desirable places to live and work. Because of that dedication to public service, it is no surprise many mayors and city council members also choose to serve in other ways, including by taking on roles with statewide commissions and boards. 

It is important that cities have a voice in the various groups and task forces that impact priorities ranging from water quality to public safety to housing (and many other issues). The League encourages our members to view the boards and commissions openings on the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office website and apply for any that interest you!

One city official who has dedicated his career to public service — including by serving on a statewide board — is Roger Ihrke, who recently retired after 46 years of service between serving on the Dover City Council and as a volunteer firefighter with most of it spent as fire chief. Ihrke was also an integral part of advancing firefighter training and education for departments across Minnesota as a member of the Minnesota Board of Firefighter Training and Education (MBFTE). 

As a part of his retirement from public service, the League asked Ihrke to reflect on his tenure and the importance of serving on the board:

“Serving as a member of the Minnesota Board of Firefighter Training and Education since June of 2009 has been an honor for me. Active as a volunteer firefighter for 46 years in the small southeastern Minnesota community of Dover, 36 years as the fire chief, I found out early how important training is. In our instance, volunteers were willing to serve, but needed the skills in order to do so and feel good about their response. During my firefighting career the fire service went through many changes going from fighting a few fires each year to providing rescue services and responding to hazardous material incidents. As each of these obligations came before us it was easy to see how important training is.  

When asked by former Chief Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court the late Alexander ‘Sandy’ Keith if I would be willing to serve on the Board it would have been difficult to say no. The Board was in its infancy. It had just been given the first allocation of funds and had hired a private consulting firm to help administer the program. Since then, we have been assigned the task of licensing firefighters in the state and providing training guidance and training dollars. Our administrator and staff now work under the Minnesota Department of Public Safety as a part of the State Fire Marshals Division.

In my years of service on the Board, I believe our greatest accomplishment is providing basic firefighting, rescue and hazardous materials handling skills to every firefighter in the state at no cost to the local departments.  

The MBFTE Board is made up of individuals from all different backgrounds and parts of the state. The Board brings with it the challenges of making sure training is provided for most advance firefighters to those just starting out, both paid and volunteer.   

The State of Minnesota has several boards that provide guidance in different categories which until I became a member of the MBFTE never realized existed. These boards are very important because they not only provide guidance to many professions, but the Legislature looks to them to help determine where the state dollars are spent and what laws, rules and regulations should be adopted.

Public service at any level is rewarding and like anything, is what you make of it. I would recommend to anyone looking for a rewarding experience to serve on a state board. Check with the Secretary of State's website under boards and commissions to find one that may interest you.”

The League would like to thank Ihrke for his decades of service to his community and state, as well as thank all the dedicated city officials who devote their time and energy to serving on statewide boards and commissions.