Governor Tim Pawlenty today announced the appointment of Paige Winebarger and the reappointment of Chester Wilander to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) Citizens’ Board. In addition, the Governor has designated MPCA Commissioner Brad Moore chair of the board.

Winebarger, of Bloomington, retired in 2001 as senior vice president and general counsel of Marquette Bancshares, Inc. in Minneapolis. She previously served as an attorney for the Federal Reserve System and as the assistant commissioner of banks for the Minnesota Department of Commerce.

Winebarger formerly served as vice chair of the Board of Trustees of the Nature Conservancy of Minnesota and as vice chair of the Board of Directors of the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota. She also served as a board member and chair of the Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota and as board member and officer of Friends of the Minnesota River Valley. She received a B.S. in business education from Longwood College in Farmville, Virginia and a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Winebarger is appointed as a public member to the MPCA Citizens’ Board to a four-year term that ends January 3, 2011. She replaces Melanie Allen on the board.

Wilander, of Laporte, is a retired labor representative from Teamsters Local 346 in Duluth. He was first appointed to the board by Governor Carlson in 1997. Wilander received a B.S. in art education from Bemidji State University. He is a veteran of the U.S. Army and a former teacher at Braham High School in Braham. He serves on the board as the representative of organized labor. Wilander is appointed to another four year term that expires on January 3, 2011.

The MPCA Citizens' Board considers and makes decisions on varied and complex pollution problems that affect areas of the state. Decisions are intended to achieve a reasonable degree of purity of the water, air and land resources of the state in order to provide for the maximum enjoyment and use of these resources for the welfare of the people. The Citizens' Board consists of the Commissioner of the MPCA and eight members who are appointed by the Governor.