County Board contemplates future without 'silver tsunami'

Anoka County leaders survey the landscape for younger replacements to step in for long-time employees nearing retirement, taking their decades of knowledge with them.

By PAUL LEVY, Star Tribune

Last update: October 18, 2009 - 12:04 AM

Print this story

Follow local news on Twitter

More from North Metro

Anoka County Commissioner Dick Lang is 70, and fellow board members Dan Erhart and Dennis Berg are 68 and 64, respectively. Scott LeDoux is 60, and Jim Kordiak and Robyn West also are nearing what others might consider retirement age.

"One of the prerequisites for being a county commissioner is gray hair," said West, who turns 58 in December.

But shades of gray have spread beyond the county board room. With a county attorney, county administrator and key division managers 60 or older, Anoka County's governmental structure is on the verge of a personnel overhaul unlike any the county has experienced in decades.

"For the last two years we've talked about the fact that we have become the silver tsunami," said County Administrator Terry Johnson, 60. "We have a number of folks within five years of retirement, some long-term employees of the county."

With division managers Jerry Soma, Maureen Devine and Steve Novak all 60 or older, county officials have quietly surveyed personnel with the hope of grooming replacements for nonelected positions, said Johnson.

For the past few years, Johnson says, county officials have discussed leadership development with a management consultant, Don Salverda, a former Ramsey County commissioner. He's 73.

The elected positions are less predictable -- in part because only the incumbents know if they're running for re-election.

'These guys are old'

Kordiak, who turns 59 in January, and West are expected to run again next year. But Lang and Berg also are up for re-election next year, and neither has said much about running again. LeDoux, clearly the people's champ after his overwhelming victory in last year's election, is battling for his life with ALS. After more than three decades in office, County Attorney Robert M.A. Johnson seems to be leaning toward retirement, rather than running again next year.

"I remember back in 1980, when I first was elected, how I looked at the board, saw two guys in their 60s and Al Kordiak was 58, and I thought, 'Geez, these guys are old,' " said Lang, who teases about running for a sixth term as commissioner. "And now I look around, and Jim Kordiak is exactly the same age his father was when I got here. And he's one of the younger guys!"

Rhonda Sivarajah, who turns 44 today, is the lone board member who is not eligible for an AARP card. She has disagreed with fellow board members old enough to be her father but says she rarely thinks about "the age thing" when board meetings begin.

"The fact that so many managers have been there for such a long time speaks well for the county," she said. "They didn't just become division managers. They gained expertise over the years.

"Age brings out a great deal of wisdom, experience and knowledge. We have people with drive and energy who come up with innovative ways to do business."

Some -- certainly not all -- longtime Anoka County employees have developed a camaraderie that has more than enhanced working conditions.

"Once a month, they go out for breakfast, on their own dime, and exchange ideas," Johnson said. "You learn things about how other departments work that you otherwise wouldn't know.

"We want to continue to cultivate that, but we're mindful that the way that continues is with people who will be here for the long term," Johnson said. "It's something we have to address as we do hiring."

Paul Levy • 612-673-4419

Recent North Metro stories

'Should I shoot him?' Brooklyn Center woman asked pals - October 18, 2009

'Should I shoot him?' Brooklyn Center woman asked pals - A Brooklyn Center woman is charged with a shooting Monday. The victim, hit in the chest, is expected to survive. More