Governor Tim Pawlenty today announced the appointment of Cal Larson to the Minnesota Sesquicentennial Commission.

Larson, of Fergus Falls, just concluded serving as a member of the Minnesota Senate from District 10. He served in the Senate since 1987, and was a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1967 to 1975. Larson was a Senate appointee to the Minnesota Sesquicentennial Commission when the commission was created last year. An independent insurance broker by profession, Larson has served as chair of the Concordia College Board of Regents, and is a past president of the Fergus Falls Rotary. Larson replaces Polly Fry on the Minnesota Sesquicentennial Commission to fill an unscheduled vacancy for a Governor’s appointee.

The Minnesota Sesquicentennial Commission was created by the 2005 Legislature to plan for activities relating to Minnesota’s 150th anniversary of statehood, which is May 11, 2008. The commission consists of 17 members, including nine appointed by the Governor representing major corporate, non-profit, and public sectors of the state, selected from all parts of the state. The commission expires on December 31, 2008.