Government Market News StaffProfiles in Power highlights public officials nationwide who are improving their communities through their dedication, enthusiasm, creativity and experience.
This week’s profile is Steve Mokrohisky, county administrator for Lane County, Oregon.
Public career highlights: I have been in public service for 25 years, three different counties in three different states. I started my career in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, as deputy director of communications. I then went to Nevada, where I served as county manager for Douglas County. From there, I received my current opportunity here in Oregon.
What I like best about public service: The ability to really make communities and people’s lives better. Public service is a is a pathway to change the world. For those of us in local government, we do it one community at a time. So the reason I get up every day to go to work is to change the world one community at a time.
The best advice I’ve received: When I was younger and looking for a new opportunity, a former state Supreme Court justice in the state of Wisconsin told me to make sure that what you will doing will motivate you to go to work every day instead of being misled by the excitement of a new opportunity.
People might be interested to know that: Other than spending time with family, I just love being outdoors. That is one of the reasons that I love the Pacific Northwest: just being in the mountains and the rivers and in the woods.
One thing I wish more people knew about county government: In our country if we live in a city, we are connected to the city government. We may also pay attention to the federal government and have some understanding at the state level. But I feel that county government gets lost in people’s minds in terms of the important role it plays. Yet, you can change the world through county governments, because we do so much, we truly do everything from public safety to health and human services, to parks and infrastructure, even waste management. We cover the entire spectrum of the health and safety and vitality of communities. So, I want people to know that county governments are really an important part of their lives.
