During the June Primary four candidates were identified as seeking the two four-year terms for Ramsey County Commissioners: Ed Brown (incumbent), Bill Hodous, Mark Olson and Paul Wilhelmi. Two of these four individuals will be elected November 8, 2022. Their profiles can be found on the front page of the Devils Lake Journal, Nov. 1, 2022.
Also, unexpectedly one two-year term vacancy was created when Lucas Wakefield resigned his position on the commission and moved away. Therefore, on November 8, voters will also decide among the three candidates who want to be elected to fill the remainder of this position. They are Terry Wallace, Lee Gessner and Rob Johnson.
Terry Wallace
It was Terry Wallace’s last official day as the Superintendent of Devils Lake Parks and Recreation on Friday, October 21 although he intends to remain involved to help the new Superintendent, Josh Janssen, begin his tenure until the end of 2022 or thereabout. Janssen’s first day was Wednesday, Oct. 19.
“I enjoyed my job,” Wallace admitted. After 31 years serving in a position he dearly loved, no doubt Wallace will be around for the Park Board and his successor for a long time to come. Besides, he said that he wants to be a part of seeing the planned activity center built in the Leevers South location.
Wallace is a life-long resident of Devils Lake and the area. He grew up on a farm, his family farmed land in both the Lawton and Oberon areas, and worked for 14 years for the USDA. He figures these experiences and knowing how government works, how to balance a budget, will help him if he is elected to the Ramsey County Commission. “I will have the time, now, I know a lot of people throughout Ramsey County and I want to stay active in the community,” Wallace said.
Lee Gessner
Lee Gessner is seeking to fill the two-year term on the Ramsey County Commission remaining when Lucas Wakefield moved away.
Gessner grew up in Devils Lake, graduating from Devils Lake High School and attending the NDSSS Wahpeton for his Associate of Arts in welding and machine maintenance, then getting his BS degree in Animal Science through NDSU.
He has been married to Bonnie for 30 years. She works locally for Hospice of the Red River. They have two grown sons and one grandson.
Gessner farmed until 2014 when he started his own business located in the Devils Lake Industrial Park, Gessner Iron Works. He says that business focuses mostly on repairs and maintenance of farm equipment, just about anything that’s made of iron.
Gessner is well known for his years serving the Devils Lake Rural Fire Department. He spent six years as Chief and now serves as the President of the Corporate Board and Training Officer. He is also the First Vice President of the North Dakota Firefighters Association.
He is aware of the issues that face Ramsey County and sites flooding as a continuing problem for farmers even though strides have been made to help, thousands of acres of productive farmland remain underwater and could possibly remain so for another 20 to 30 years. That’s a reality for all those out there in the county who still pay taxes on their land even if it is inundated. Their sacrifice needs to be acknowledged and somehow mitigated.
Gessner admits he is something of a philosopher, but says he’s not afraid to address the difficult decisions that may need to be tackled on the county level. He emphasizes the need for accountablity and involvement in many areas of government. “We need to be more than just taxpayers, we need to give back to society if we want this community – and I mean the whole of Ramsey County – to be better than it is. There’s always room for improvement, ways to give back and to bring a different perspective to view,” He says, admitting, “Nothing is simple, but you need to be informed and the real problems talked about and addressed, whether it is in the city, smaller towns or rural areas.”
Rob Johnson
Rob Johnson grew up in Cooperstown and attended Mayville State, playing football there, for one year before moving to the Lake Region and working at the Spirit Lake Casino for seven years. He married Laurie and her daughter who now has a three and a half year old son, Johnson’s grandson, and the apple of Grandpa’s eye.
Johnson ended a more than 20-year career in law enforcement recently. “It was the most difficult decision,” he admits. “I love those places and the people who work there.”
“After years on the floor nights and holidays, I have the utmost respect for those who walk the line and their families who sacrifice so they can do that,” Johnson added.
He hopes to garner those experiences and all he’s learned from those experiences to helping Ramsey County deal with many of the same social issues that he had to deal with in law enforcement; homelessness and mental health issues, for example.
“I care about this town and I want to see this community become a healthy community,” Johnson said. “I have some ideas about how we can do that and to help fix the issues we face with our youth and improvements in how we identify and deal with the needs of those around us.”
“I am transparent, I will be honest with you and not try to paint you a false picture of reality,” he promises.
Johnson works full time for the city of Devils Lake as the City Assessor, a new role for him, one he is still learning, but he maintains membership in local organizations to help improve the community and meet its needs, like the Region 3 Homeless Coalition.
Election day
In person voting takes place from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 8 in the Memorial Building located in the Devils Lake Courthouse Complex at 524 4th Ave. NE. You will need to bring with you a photo ID that has on it your current address.
