Beltrami DFL elects new board officers

      The Beltrami County DFL held its ‘off-year’ County Convention on Monday March 14, 2005 at the Bemidji American Legion. The main order of business was the election of all five officers and five of the eleven directors.

      The eleven-member board and five officers make up the 16 member Beltrami County DFL Executive Committee. The DFL Constitution requires gender balance on the board, so eight females and eight males must be serving at the end of the day. Monday’s ballot included two-year terms for Officers. All officers were elected without opposition with a ‘white ballot’, and all officers are from the Bemidji area.

      Elected Chair was former Associate Chair Steve Nelson. Nelson replaces two-term Chair Lisa LaFrinier Scott. Elected Associate Chair was Rita Albrecht who replaces Nelson. Elected Secretary was David DenHartog who replaces (resigned) City Councilor Onen Markeson. Re-elected Treasurer was Alan Brew, and elected as Affirmative Action Officer was Annette Fremgen who replaces newly elected State Board Director Stephanie Cobenais of Red Lake.

      Five of the eleven county board of directors were elected to two-year terms. Candidates for board were two males elected without opposition. Re-elected was Paul Keif, and new member elected Steve Newby, both from the Bemidji area. There was a contest for the three available female positions incumbent; Jackie Ryder, former Chair LaFrinier Scott, former board member Diana Killian of Hines, and Lisa Boulay of Bemidji.

      After the votes were cast the winners were Ryder, LaFrinier Scott and Killian. Newly elected officers Albrecht and DenHartog had been board members whose terms did not expire until March 2006 thereby opening up two one year positions for the board of directors. Again because of gender balance one female and one male needed to be elected.

      A contest ensued for male director candidates being Clare Kapphahan of Lake Julia and Roy Nelson of Ponemah, with Nelson winning the contest. Nominations for female director one-year nominations were Julie Albrecht and Pamela McCrory. McCrory declined and Albrecht was elected by ‘white ballot’. Albrecht is the youngest person in memory to serve on the board and is the co-chair of the BSU College Democrats.

      Directors not up for election until 2006 are John Killian of Hines, Arlys Stillday of Ponemah, and Mary and Dave Jensen, of Blackduck. Also included on the Executive Committee include because of their office at ‘higher’ DFL organization are State Director Stephanie Cobenais of Red Lake and Senate District 4 DFL Chair Michael Meuers of Bemidji Other items of business included the formation of standing committees and revising the Beltrami DFL Constitution.