Board Appoints Rhonda Sivarajah as Next Anoka County Administrator

The Anoka County Board of Commissioners appointed Rhonda Sivarajah as the next Anoka County administrator at the board’s May 14 regular meeting.

Sivarajah, current chairperson of the board, will move into the position after the May 30 retirement of Jerry Soma, who has served as administrator since 2011. The board will review the administrator’s contract and vote on it at its May 28 meeting.

The selection of Sivarajah came after an internal search process that yielded 24 applicants. Of those applicants, six were selected by a subcommittee composed of commissioners Scott Schulte, Robyn West and Mike Gamache to proceed to the oral exam portion of the process. From there, the candidates were narrowed down to three, with the board choosing Sivarajah. Commissioners Schulte, West, Braastad and Look voted in favor of Sivarajah’s appointment. Commissioners Gamache and Meisner voted against.

Sivarajah has been a member of the Anoka County Board of Commissioners, representing District 6, since 2003. She has been board chair since 2011. Prior to her tenure on the board, she worked as an income maintenance supervisor and financial assistance specialist at Anoka County for more than 12 years.

In addition to her duties as County Board chair, Sivarajah has served as the chair of the county’s Human Services Committee, chair of the Greater Metropolitan Workforce Council, and she represented the county on the Association of Minnesota Counties’ Human Services Committee. She also been a member of several other boards, committees and commissions.

“I’m honored to be transitioning into this new role at Anoka County,” Sivarajah said. “During my time in the county, both as an employee and a county commissioner, I’ve come to learn a great deal about how the county operates, and I’m prepared to use that knowledge as county administrator. We have an incredible team of county commissioners and talented county staff, and I look forward to working with them as we serve the public in a respectful, innovative and fiscally responsible manner."


Board Appoints Rhonda Sivarajah as Next Anoka County Administrator The Anoka County Board of Commissioners appointed Rhonda Sivarajah as the next Anoka County administrator at the board’s May 14 regular meeting. Sivarajah, current chairperson of the board, will move into the position after the May 30 retirement of Jerry Soma, who has served as administrator since 2011. The board will review the administrator’s contract and vote on it at its May 28 meeting. The selection of Sivarajah came after an internal search process that yielded 24 applicants. Of those applicants, six were selected by a subcommittee composed of commissioners Scott Schulte, Robyn West and Mike Gamache to proceed to the oral exam portion of the process. From there, the candidates were narrowed down to three, with the board choosing Sivarajah. Commissioners Schulte, West, Braastad and Look voted in favor of Sivarajah’s appointment. Commissioners Gamache and Meisner voted against. Sivarajah has been a member of the Anoka County Board of Commissioners, representing District 6, since 2003. She has been board chair since 2011. Prior to her tenure on the board, she worked as an income maintenance supervisor and financial assistance specialist at Anoka County for more than 12 years. In addition to her duties as County Board chair, Sivarajah has served as the chair of the county’s Human Services Committee, chair of the Greater Metropolitan Workforce Council, and she represented the county on the Association of Minnesota Counties’ Human Services Committee. She also been a member of several other boards, committees and commissions. “I’m honored to be transitioning into this new role at Anoka County,” Sivarajah said. “During my time in the county, both as an employee and a county commissioner, I’ve come to learn a great deal about how the county operates, and I’m prepared to use that knowledge as county administrator. We have an incredible team of county commissioners and talented county staff, and I look forward to working with them as we serve the public in a respectful, innovative and fiscally responsible manner."
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