~ She will oversee merger of department and ‘work herself out of a job’ ~

Governor Tim Pawlenty today appointed former State Auditor Pat Anderson as Commissioner of the Department of Employee Relations (DOER), filling the last remaining Cabinet-level position in the Pawlenty Administration

Anderson will oversee Pawlenty Administration efforts to move functions from DOER to other agencies, including the Departments of Administration and Finance, with the goal of eliminating DOER as a stand-alone agency. The Governor said he’s hopeful the legislature will approve a bill to eliminate the department, but that most of the move can be accomplished through reorganization orders if necessary. It’s expected that moving DOER’s functions to other agencies will take about a year-and-a-half.

“Pat Anderson has a record of holding government accountable and working to improve efficiency,” Governor Pawlenty said. “She’s the right person to make sure that this transition is done the right way. We expect her to work herself out of a job by completing the merger.”

Anderson, 40, served as State Auditor from 2003 through earlier this month. She previously served as Mayor of Eagan, Eagan City Councilmember and started and ran two businesses. The Business Journal named Anderson one of the state's "Most Influential Women to Watch," as well as one of Minnesota's "Top 40 Business and Community Leaders Under 40." She has an undergraduate degree in international relations from the University of Minnesota and a Master's degree in public administration from Hamline University.

DOER’s two main functions include human resource management and the state employee insurance division. It administers eleven labor agreements covering 37,200 state employees and a health insurance plan that serves 129,000 state employees and their dependents. The agency’s operations include Administrative Services, Information Services, Diversity and Equal Opportunity, Labor Relations Bureau, Strategic Staffing, and the Employee Insurance Administration.