Hennepin County has appointed Jessica Loftus to fill a seat on the Riley Purgatory Bluff Creek Watershed District (RPBCWD) Board of Managers. Loftus, a resident of Deephaven, has a business degree from the University of St. Thomas and a master’s degree in public administration from Metropolitan State University.

Loftus brings over 15 years of experience in city management, including terms as the City Administrator for the cities of Tonka Bay and Orono. She currently works as a part-time consultant providing interim management and strategic planning to local governments. Prior to her appointment to the Riley Purgatory Bluff Creek Watershed District Board of Managers, she served for 9 years on the Board of Managers for the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District, serving as board Treasurer and Chair of the Operations Committee. 

Loftus' appointment fills one of four seats appointed by the Hennepin County Commissioners  to the RPBCWD Board of Managers. One additional seat is appointmented by the Carver County Commissioners. Managers serve three-year terms. One Hennepin County and one Carver County seat will be up for appointment in 2027.

With Loftus' appointment, RPBCWD bids farewell to Manager Dorothy Pedersen, who served on the Board of Managers for 6 years, including 2 years as board president. Prior to joining the board, Pedersen spent several years on the Riley Purgatory Bluff Creek Watershed District's Citizen Advisory Committee. 

Loftus' first meeting of her new term will be at the August regular meeting of the Board of Managers on August 19th at 7:00pm. Information on the meeting can be found here.