Andrew Jorgensen named chair of Aitkin County Health and Human Services advisory committee

Andrew Jorgensen, a local pastor and community volunteer, was appointed chair of the Aitkin County Health and Human Services advisory committee effective Jan. 1, county officials said on the Aitkin County podcast "Coffee with the County." Sarah Pratt, Aitkin County Health and Human Services director, announced the appointment and said long-serving chair Joel Hoppe’s term recently ended.

The advisory committee serves as a liaison between HHS and the community and has a statutory role in reviewing and approving the department’s budget, Pratt said. "We are required by statute to have a human services board that then will appoint the advisory committee to make formal recommendations about, like, our budget," Pratt said. She added that Carly, the fiscal supervisor, will present the department budget to the advisory committee in August, and the committee’s approval precedes submission to the County Board.

Jorgensen, who said he has served on the advisory committee for about two years after being encouraged to apply by Commissioner Mark Wheal, described the role as an opportunity to "see behind the curtain" of community programs. "There's people that are invited in from the community, and they share about what they're doing," he said, describing presentations by recovery houses and other partners as demonstrations of the passion driving local services.

Pratt and Jorgensen said the advisory committee’s work combines budget oversight with monthly presentations from community organizations and HHS staff. Pratt said the committee has prioritized topics for 2026 to respond to local needs and provider challenges, including concerns about reduced funding and limited resources for service providers.

Pratt also said the committee will make preventing fraud a focus this year, noting HHS and state oversight steps: "We audit things when we need to audit things. The state comes in when they need to come in, and we're following everything we can follow to ensure that that's not a problem here," she said. Pratt referenced an internal effort to "differentiate between grama," as the committee works to clarify information- and records-related processes.

The advisory committee is recruiting new members: Jorgensen said four of the committee’s five district seats currently have openings and encouraged interested residents to apply. Pratt said application forms are available on the county website (she noted the link is currently a few clicks deep and that she is working with IT to make it more prominent). Prospective members may also contact Paula, Pratt’s administrative assistant, or Pratt directly. Applications must be approved by the County Board before appointees become voting members.

The advisory committee meets monthly on the first Thursday at 3 p.m. for roughly an hour to 90 minutes. Meetings have been held at the library and temporarily at Mid Minnesota Credit Union; Pratt said they will return to the HHS offices when a remodel is completed.

The appointment of Jorgensen adds a community-facing leader to the advisory committee as members and staff prepare budget presentations and a slate of community partner speakers for 2026. Pratt and Jorgensen invited residents to attend meetings as observers and to consider applying for the open district seats; appointments proceed through the County Board.