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Freeborn County Administrator Ryan Rasmusson submitted his resignation to the Freeborn County Board of Commissioners on Monday, effective Oct. 9.

Rasmusson was appointed as permanent administrator in November 2023 after working in the interim role for six months. He has been with the county for over 20 years, for many years as county assessor.

“I have made the decision to accept a new job opportunity that offers me the chance to pursue a more fulfilling career in my area of expertise,” Rasmusson wrote in the resignation letter.

He thanked the board for the opportunity to serve in the position and said he was committed to ensuring a smooth transition.

“I will always be grateful for the opportunities and experiences I have had during my time with Freeborn County,” he said. “I have learned a great deal and appreciate the support and guidance from the board, my colleagues and management team.”

During the board workshop Tuesday, Board Chairman Brad Edwin thanked Rasmusson for his time in the role. He said the board would formally accept the resignation at the next board meeting Sept. 17.

The board began discussions on next steps for finding a new administrator, including whether they wanted to go with an outside firm to find candidates or to do the search from within.

Third District Commissioner John Forman asked if they conducted the search without a firm, if they would be able to do everything they needed for background checks. He said one of the nice things about having a firm lead the search is that they sort candidates.

Fifth District Commissioner Nicole Eckstrom said she liked the idea of using a service and suggested reaching out to other counties who have recently hired a new administrator and find out their experiences with different firm.

Edwin said last time with the administrator search, he was concerned about the time frame and wanted a time frame that was not so long.

Forman also asked about an interim administrator.

Phil Wacholz, county engineer, said from his perspective, having an interim administration would be extremely important, as it gives department heads a single point of contact in their roles.

Rasmusson has been the third of a series of administrators in the county since the departure of John Kluever in 2017 after allegedly driving while intoxicated in Albert Lea.

After that, the board hired Tom Jensen, who had previously worked as Court Services director in the county. Jensen worked in the role until in June 2022, when the board approved a separation agreement with him. The board then hired Candace Pesch, who formerly worked as the county’s personnel and human resources director, but she was terminated in April 2023.