Nan Crary uses a sports metaphor to describe her decision to run for a seat on the McLeod County Board.

For seven years, she was an observer of county government, as a reporter for the Fairmont Sentinel. For 21 years, she was an advisor, serving as Faribault County’s coordinator and McLeod County’s administrator.

“I moved from the press box down to the bench, right at the edge of the playing field,” Crary said. “Now, maybe, is my opportunity to be a player on the field. A participant. A decision maker.”

Crary believes she has the energy, enthusiasm and experience to make a good county commissioner. She described herself as an “optimistic realist” and added, “I approach what needs to be done in a positive way.”

Leadership goals
If elected, Crary said she wants to find ways for McLeod County government to run more efficiently, including converting to a paperless board meeting process.

Under a paperless system, information and agenda items are posted to a Web site where county commissioners can find them. Each commissioner has a laptop computer to download the information.

Information is served in a more timely, complete manner, and is also available to the public. This allows individual voters to have more of a say in decision making.

“My view is the best decisions are made when everyone’s voices are heard,” Crary said.

For more on this story, which is part of a series of profiles on this year’s County Board candidates, see the Leader’s July 22 print edition.

(Jorge Sosa is a staff writer for the Hutchinson Leader. He can be reached at sosa@hutchinsonleader.com [2])