City Hall

Current City Leadership (as of April 2025)

Mayor

• Daniel Manick
  Elected in 2024, Mayor Manick’s term will end on December 31, 2026.

City Council Members

• Ron Bushbaum – Term ends December 31, 2028
• Jesse Scofield – Term ends December 31, 2028
• Jody Bixby – Term ends December 31, 2026
• Liza Root – Term ends December 31, 2026

City Administration

• Administrator: Theresa Martinson (Interim since September 30, 1999; appointed Administrator on May 19, 2000)
• Deputy Clerk:
  • Cindy (Brenna) Palm – Clerk and Administrative Assistant
  • Susan (Mihm) Stone – Clerk

City Attorneys

• Civil: Mark Weir
• Criminal: Mike Kearney

Past Mayors of Cook

The following individuals have served as mayors of Cook, Minnesota, in the past:

• George Frances (served 1926–1930)
  Founder of the Farmers & Merchants Bank of Cook.
• Waldo Reichel (served 1930–1943)
  Operated a local barber shop and worked for the St. Louis County Highway Department.
• August Buboltz (served 1943–1945)
  A Businessman who built the first hotel in Ashawa and owned the townsite.
• William Heiam (served 1945–1965)
  Physician and owner of Cook General Hospital.
• Douglas Johnson (served 1965–1970)
  Cook School teacher and later served in the Minnesota House and Senate.
• Wally Refsdal (served 1971–1973)
  Cook School teacher.
• Marvin Chase (served 1973–1977)
  Owned Chase Lumber Company.
• Mike Popelka (served 1977–1979)
  Cook School teacher.
• Judy (Schelde, Henson) Anderson (served 1979–1981)
  Nett Lake School teacher.
• Yale Corcoran (served 1981–1987)
  Past owner of Spring Bay Resort on Lake Vermilion.
• Loren “Corny” Lind (served 1987–1989)
  Truck driver for Hill Wood Products.
• Don Simonson (served 1989–1991)
  Owner of Simonson Chevrolet-Olds, Inc. and Simonson Internet Realty, Inc.
• Doug Nakari (served 1991–1992)
  Manager of Northern Farmers Co-op and Frances Insurance Agency.
• Darrel Lindgren (served 1992–1998)
  Foreman for Ulland Construction Company.
• Harold Johnston (served 1999–2007)
  Physician at the Ashawa Clinic in Cook.
• Richard Edblom (served 2008–2010)
  Acting Mayor.
• Harold Johnston (served 2011–?)
  Physician at the Ashawa Clinic in Cook.

City Council Members (Past)

The following individuals have served as council members in Cook:

• Dr. William A. Erickson (1936)
  First council member.
• Alice Gustafson (1937–1938)
  Council member.
• Ole Larson (1937–1938)
  Council member.
• John Leding (1937–1938)
  Council member.
• Wayne Stenbeck (1937–1937)
  Council member.
• Elmer Waataja (1937–1938)
  Council member.
• Art Refsdal (1939–1939)
  Council member.
• Don Simonson (1971–1973)
  Council member.
• Joe Amundson
  Council member.
• Melvin Bakk
  Council member.
• Charles Bixby
  Council member.
• Robert Champa
  Council member.
• Tony Chos
  Council member.
• Russell Duame
  Council member.
• George Fox
  Council member.
• Richard Fox
  Council member.
• Lawrence Gustafson
  Council member.
• Sue Gustafson
  Council member until 2002.
• Larry Hahn
  Council member.
• Eleanor Howard
  Elected on November 2, 1976. Council member.
• Darrell Lindgren
  Council member.
• Elizabeth Martinson
  Council member.
• Pat Mathias
  Council member.
• Arne Ojanen
  Council member.
• Russell Pascuzzi
  Council member.
• Dennis Rinne
  Elected on November 2, 1976. Council member.
• Arne Johnson
  Council member.
• Melvin Johnson
  Council member.
• Don Simonson
  Council member (1971–1973, 1999–2002).
• Shirley Snell
  Council member.

Past Administrators/Clerks

• Ray Ronning
  Past Administrator/Clerk.
• Julius Fadum
  Past Administrator/Clerk.
• Earl Soderberg
  Past Administrator/Clerk.
• Edren Hyppa
  Administrator in 1971.
• Melvin Bakk
  Past Administrator/Clerk.
• Rick Waataja
  Past Administrator/Clerk.
• Doug Nakari
  Past Administrator/Clerk.
• Walter Salo
  Served as Administrator from July 10, 1995 – October 5, 1999.
• Theresa Martinson
  Interim Administrator since September 30, 1999. Appointed as Administrator on May 19, 2000.

City Attorneys (Past)

• Frank Rosenmeir
  City Attorney (1946).
• Phillip Stone
  City Attorney (1949).
• Ralph Harvey
  City Attorney.
• Andrew Phillips
  City Attorney (1973).
• Mike Lantry
  City Attorney (1991).
• Mark Weir
  City Attorney (2006).
• Mike Kearney
  City Attorney (2006).

Official Depositories

• American Bank, Cook Area Credit Union
• First National Bank
• Municipal Money Market Fund
• Wells Fargo

Other Key Committees

Airport Committee

• Karen Hollanitsch – Chair
• Linda Flack – Vice Chair
• Other Members: Dave Bowser, Earl Grano, Dale Gustafson, Jack Jordan, Jack Schelde, Stephen Towle (Alt. Pam Towle)

Ambulance Association

• Harold Johnston – Representative
• Alt. Karen Hollanitsch

Cemetery Board

• Darrel Lindgren
• Elizabeth Storm

Emergency Preparedness

• Elizabeth Storm – Chair
• Secretary: Penny Buckingham
• Additional Members: Linda Flack, Albert Hietala, Karen Hollanitsch, Arnie Johnson, Theresa Martinson, Bud Ranta, Reuben Rosnau, Tom Woock

Historical Society

• Shirley Cheney
• Karen Hollanitsch
• Diane Pascuzzi
• Donna Snyder
• Andrea Vogel

Parks & Recreation

• Greg Burckhardt – Chair
• Dan Manick – Vice Chair
• Other Members: Tammy Palmer – Secretary, Joani Bergstrom, Dick Edblom, Julie Tausk, Jeanne Taylor

Personnel Committee

• Harold Johnston – Chair
• Dick Edblom
• Karen Hollanitsch
• Dan Manick
• Elizabeth Storm

Planning & Zoning Commission

• A. Richard Holm – Chair
• Dave Danz
• Dick Edblom
• Erick Stoller
• Al Vogt

Police Commission

• Richard Buckingham
• Harold Johnston
• Dan Manick
• Arlee Olson
• Don Simonson
• Al Vogt

Rural Fire Association

• Harold Johnston – Representative
• Alt. Karen Hollanitsch

Utilities Commission

• Robert Dickson – Chair
• Linda Flack
• Ray Flank
• Irvin Gustafson
• Harold Johnston
• Darrel Lindgren
• Larry Phillips