After more than 35 years of public service, Deb Sjostrom will pass the reins as Human Service Director and step into a phased retirement from Otter Tail County on July 6. Sjostrom has served as human services director since April 2015 and is one of the longest-tenured employees in the county’s human services department.
“Deb Sjostrom is the definition of dedicated public service,” said Nicole Hansen, Otter Tail County administrator. “For more than three decades, she has shown up every day for the people of this county, not just as a skilled administrator, but as someone who genuinely cares about the well-being of every person she serves. Her leadership has made Otter Tail County a stronger, more compassionate community, and her legacy will be felt for years to come. We are deeply grateful for everything she has given to this work and to the people of Otter Tail County.”
A Career Built on Service
Sjostrom began her career with Otter Tail County Human Services in December 1990 as a foster care licensing social worker, a role she held for 15 years. She moved into leadership as disabilities and long-term care services manager in January 2006, overseeing programs and services for county residents 65 and older and those with disabilities for more than nine years. During her tenure she also oversaw Adult Mental Health and Chemical Health Services. She was named Interim Human Services Director in April 2014 and appointed to the permanent director role one year later.
As director, Sjostrom has led one of the largest county departments in the region, overseeing a broad range of programs including child protection, adult protection, financial assistance, and disability and senior services. Her tenure has been defined by a commitment to strengthening families, building community partnerships, and ensuring that vulnerable residents have access to the services they need.
“When I joined Otter Tail County Human Services, I thought it would be a good job for a while, and 35 years later, I’m still here,” said Sjostrom at the Years of Service celebration in April. “It has been far more than a ‘good job.’ Serving Otter Tail County as a social worker, supervisor and director has been a privilege, and I’m grateful for the partnerships and dedicated coworkers I’ve worked alongside. I’m proud to be part of the county.”
Statewide Leadership and Recognition
Beyond her work in Otter Tail County, Sjostrom has been an active leader at the state level through the Minnesota Association of County Social Service Administrators, where she served for several years as a co-chair of the Adult Services Committee. In that role, she helped shape policy and practice for adult services across Minnesota’s county human services system. In 2021, she served as the association’s president.
In 2022, Sjostrom was presented with the Human Service Award, recognizing her outstanding contributions to human services in Minnesota. The award reflects her peers’ recognition of her leadership, advocacy, and lasting impact on the communities she has served throughout her career.
Structural Transition and Organizational Realignment
As part of this transition, Otter Tail County has restructured how human services and certain public health programs are organized to strengthen coordination and improve access to services for residents. Current Assistant Human Services Director Jess Steinbrenner has been selected as the new Health and Human Services Director to lead an integrated team that brings key programs under one organizational structure. Steinbrenner has spent more than 20 years working in various human services capacities, including the State of Minnesota’s Mental Health & Substance Abuse Treatment services, the Alzheimer’s Association, and the State of South Dakota. She is a licensed social worker and clinical therapist with master’s degrees in social work and business administration.
Under the new structure, programs that serve children and families, primary prevention initiatives, as well as long-term care programs will align under the new Health and Human Services Department. This alignment is intended to strengthen coordination across programs and connect residents with supportive services as early as possible through a streamlined approach to service delivery. Public Health will continue to operate as a separate department under the leadership of the Public Health Director Jody Lien and the Prairie Lakes Community Health Board. Public Health will remain responsible for core public health functions that focus on population health including emergency preparedness, public education, and disease prevention.
Together, Health and Human Services and Public Health will work collaboratively to improve outcomes for individuals, families, and communities while ensuring both direct service needs and broader community health priorities are effectively addressed.