Boss of the year

Waseca County administrator Michael Johnson says he regards his recently acquired title as the Waseca Area Chamber of Commerce “Boss of the Year” as “an award of shared achievements.” 

 

That’s pretty much exactly what county commissioner De Malterer predicted he would say. “There is a whole list of Waseca County accomplishments that we could recite and attribute to Michael,” Malterer observes. “His response would be to give credit to ‘the foresight of the board’ and ‘the great work of the staff,’ but we all know he is the ‘secret ingredient’ in the ‘special sauce’ that is Waseca County these days.”

 

Nominated by members of the county staff, Johnson was presented with his award during the Chamber’s annual banquet the evening of Jan. 26. 

 

As county administrator, Johnson oversees the 140 or so county employees who work in 18 different departments across 5 or so buildings. He also manages county finances, guiding the nearly year-long process of setting the next year’s county budget while managing the current year’s income and expenditures. The county’s budget for 2026 is about $39 million; it is a point of pride with Johnson that fewer than half of those dollars come from the county property tax levy, but instead from state and federal allotments, grants, and other sources.

 

“I work on behalf of and at the pleasure of the commissioners,” Johnson describes. “I am the connecting bridge between what they want to see accomplished and how the staff is going to accomplish it.”

 

At least based on various people’s perspectives, it is not only what Johnson does which earns him so much respect, but how he does it.

 

County emergency management director Denise Wright observes, “Michael creates a calm work environment; he is willing to listen. His aim always seems to be making the county a better place to live and work.”

 

Public health nurse Sarah Berry comments, “He seeks to understand where my team is and what their needs are, then supports us in our work.”

 

Commissioner Brad Milbrath says, “Administrator Johnson’s leadership is grounded in a philosophy of collective success and regional cooperation. He consistently emphasizes collaboration across cities, counties, and state partners, viewing local government as an interconnected system rather than a collection of isolated departments. His approach encourages shared problem solving and reduces siloed decisionmaking, strengthening Waseca County’s role as a constructive regional partner.”

 

A native of New Ulm, Johson began his career after earning a degree in accounting and business management at Maranatha University in Watertown, Wisc. Soon after, he began working as part of the auditor’s office in Rice County. “I like numbers; I like analytics,” he said of his work there. “What was missing for me was the aspect of collaborating, interactions with more people and the public.”

 

By 2017, he had completed a Master’s Degree in public administration through Hamline University. He had also moved to the staff of Dakota County, where the population is so much larger that seven people were needed to complete the tasks he alone could manage at Rice County.

 

When he learned of an opening in Waseca County late in 2019, he applied and was selected, coming on staff Feb. 3 of 2020. By Feb. 25 of that month, the national Center for Disease Control (CDC) was warning a large-scale shutdown was approaching due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

Of that time, Johnson says “I remember it clearly. Was it an ideal onboarding experience? Certainly not. But it was an immediate catalyst for innovation and collaboration.”

 

He remembers leaders of area towns, townships, and school districts would “touch base daily.

 

“We were learning alongside each other in real time,” he says. “I became introduced to the community quickly and in a way that would not have happened otherwise.

 

“So whatever else it was, it was a tremendous learning experience. Even people who had been department heads for 20 years were seeking support and reassurance. It was a huge unifying experience for our staff.”

 

Of that time, Milbrath observes, “Michael’s steady, factual communication was exactly what staff and residents needed during a time of uncertainty. He also managed the financial impacts of the pandemic, including federal relief funds, with the same fiscal discipline that defines his broader leadership.”

 

Malterer comments, “Although Michael joined Waseca County six weeks before the Covid shutdown, allowing such a short time for us–Waseca County and Michael–to get to know each other before the world changed, it was enough.

 

“A few things became clear in very short order. Michael didn’t panic and he didn’t try to do it all

 

himself. He worked collaboratively and trusted staff to know their jobs and figure out ways to do

 

them in very unusual times, but he also led...with intelligence, transparency, practicality, and

 

humility that helped staff trust him in return.”

 

Having just passed his six-year anniversary with the county, Johnson says he is happy to be where he is. He is a member and has served in various leadership positions with the Minnesota Association of County Administrators. In speaking with others who hold similar roles across the state, he says, “I have to tell them, ‘I don’t understand what you’re going through,’ because it seems they’re encountering some types of problems we just don’t see here.”

 

One thing leaders are encountering, he says, is that “trust in government has never been lower. 

 

“Knowing this, we have to pay attention to what we do and say.”

 

The problem is simplified in a smaller, rural setting, he suggests, where county employees are often interacting with people they know and even people they grew up alongside. 

 

Still, he says, “We have to approach our role mindfully. We want to be purposeful about connecting with people. 

 

“The more they know, see and hear, maybe the more they’re willing to trust us.”

 

Administrative coordinator Beth Weimert shares, “Michael is very intelligent and recognizes that employees often wear multiple hats, not only at work but outside of work. 

His ability to be a genuinely kind human and express interest in his employees is priceless.  Not only does Michael anticipate obstacles, have analytic decision making and adaptability but he genuinely cares about the people he works with.  As employees when we spend more time at our jobs than we do with our own families, I find these traits to be more valuable than money.  I truly care about the people I work with and we are truly blessed to have Michael as our leader here at Waseca County.”

 

County commissioner Doug Christopherson observed, “Michael is a well rounded individual, who not only has vast knowledge in public service, he also has the personality to lead and inspire people. He lets the staff know they are important.  The things I admire most about him are his deep faith and his ability to handle tough situations in a calm and respectful manner.”  

 

Director of Waseca County Property and Election Services Tammy Spooner relates, “Michael is not only an amazing boss, but he is also a wonderful family man with strong Christian values.  The impact that Michael has made in my career and life is immense. 

Every day I want to be the best person I can be and do all I can for Waseca County.  It does not go unnoticed by “the boss,” he is always quick with a compliment or a word of encouragement.  I am blessed to work for a great person.”

 

In his private life, Michael and Lindsay, who have been married nearly 17 years, live in Owatonna. Their son Levi is 15; daughter Allie is 13; Reagan, 3, is in her first years of preschool. Lindsay is a skilled piano player and teacher who currently devotes most of her time and energy to the role of parent.

 

Michael helps coach high school soccer for the Owatonna school district and is president of the community soccer organization. He traveled to Sweden with the group last year, where young athletes were taking part in an international event.

 

A gardener, golf player and someone who enjoys being outdoors, he suggests lightheartedly that an ideal retirement for him would be as a groundskeeper on a golf course. “For me, it would be a combination of many different things I enjoy,” he jokes. “Just hanging out on a lawnmower appreciating nature.”