Sheila Kiscaden receives Outstanding Service Award from the Association of Minnesota Counties

The Association of Minnesota Counties (AMC) Awards Committee has selected Olmsted County Commissioner Sheila Kiscaden as a recipient of its 2020 AMC Outstanding Service Award.

Each year, AMC asks members to nominate exceptional county employees, programs, and collaborations for the association’s annual awards. The AMC Outstanding Service Award is presented to individuals who have exhibited exceptional leadership, participation, and service to Minnesota counties and AMC. 

“Commissioner Kiscaden is worthy of receiving the AMC Outstanding Service Award for her ability and tenacity to implement strategic solutions for the betterment of not only Olmsted County but the entire state of Minnesota,” said Olmsted County Administrator Heidi Welsch. “Specific achievements worth noting include her innovative work on health, housing, and human services initiatives and her actions to improve racial equity within government systems.”

Kiscaden has a long career in public service. She has served as an Olmsted County commissioner for eight years and was previously a Minnesota State Senator. Improving health, housing, and human services has been a mainstay of Kiscaden’s career. Kiscaden was part of Governor Walz’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Health and Human Services, is vice chair of AMC’s Health & Human Services Policy Committee, and is chair-elect of Minnesota Department of Health’s State Community Health Services Advisory Committee (SCHSAC). 

In 2018, Kiscaden joined the Governor’s Housing Task Force to help find solutions to Minnesota’s housing issues and participated in a White House panel about affordable housing. She continues to serve on the Coalition for Rochester Area Housing, the First Homes Board, and will chair the local Alliance for Housing in 2021.  

Kiscaden has raised concerns about the consequences to Minnesota children whose parents are incarcerated and the effects this has on children’s education, health, and well-being. She was instrumental in bringing this issue to AMC and for creating the SCHSAC’s Children of Incarcerated Parents Workgroup. She continues to advocate on this topic.  

Kiscaden is committed to diversity and inclusion as a priority in making Olmsted County a welcoming place for all. In 2017, Kiscaden advocated for the passage of the One Olmsted initiative. In 2020, Kiscaden helped cast light on race/racism as a public health issue and the county board passed a resolution directing our Public Health Services Advisory Board and Human Rights Commission to work together to recommend ways to address it. 

“County government’s ability to provide effective health and human services that meet our residents and community’s needs has long been the focus of my career,” said Kiscaden. “I am deeply honored to have my efforts recognized with this service award from the Association of Minnesota Counties.”

Kiscaden will receive the 2020 AMC Outstanding Service Award at the 2020 AMC Annual Conference being held virtually on Monday, December 7, 2020.