Governor Tim Pawlenty today announced the appointment of Timothy Houle, William McCormack and Steve Ringquist, and the reappointment of Cynthia Johnson to the Center for Rural Policy Development.

Houle, of Little Falls, is the chief administrative officer for the Morrison County Board of Commissioners. He serves at the statutory clerk to the county board and is the primary advisor on administrative issues and is responsible for compliance with all federal and state regulatory requirements. Houle is a member of the Minnesota Association of County Administrators, the Minnesota Association of City/County Managers and the Legislative Auditor’s Best Management Practices Advisory Council. Houle has a master of arts degree in public administration and a bachelors of arts in political science from Hamline University in St. Paul. He is appointed as the rural county government representative to complete a six-year term that expires January 3, 2011. Houle replaces Kevin Kelleher on the board.

McCormack, of Marshall, is the president of Schwan’s Development Corporation of the Schwan Food Company. He also serves as the executive vice president of administration for Schwan. Prior to joining Schwan, McCormack worked for Hormel & Company as a corporate attorney. He is a member of the William Mitchell College of Law Board of Trustees and the Southwest Initiative Foundation Board of Trustees. McCormack is appointed as a business representative to a six-year term that expires January 7, 2013. He replaces Allen Olson on the board.

Ringquist, of Hallock, is an attorney with Brink, Sobolik, Severson, Malm & Albrecht in Hallock. In addition to general practice, he serves as an assistant county attorney for Kittson County. Ringquist holds a juris doctorate at Hamline University School of Law in St. Paul and bachelor of arts in political science from St. John’s University in Collegeville. He is appointed as the rural town representative to a six-year term that expires January 7, 2013. Ringquist replaces Robert Bunger on the board.

Johnson, of Battle Lake, has been involved in the dairy farming business for over 40 years and has been a member of the Minnesota Farmer’s Union for the past 15 years. She is a member of the Minnesota State Community and Technical College Foundation Board of Directors and is a substitute teacher for the Fergus Falls school district. Johnson is reappointed as the major farm organization representative to a six-year term that expires January 7, 2013.

The Center for Rural Policy and Development is a non-partisan, not-for-profit policy research organization dedicated to the study of the economic, demographic and cultural factors that affect rural Minnesotans and their communities. Based in St. Peter, Minnesota, the Center publishes the Rural Minnesota Journal, the Atlas of Minnesota and regularly advises policymakers on rural issues through its research reports. All of the center’s products and reports can be found on line at www.ruralmn.org. The Center’s Board consists of 17 members 12 appointed by the Governor.