By Sara Strong
The new Land Management Office Director comes to Rock County with experience in leading, most recently as the mayor of Okabena.
Eric Hartman also has a family farming background and worked as an agronomist, so the principles of the LMO aren't new to him.
Hartman said, "One of the many interesting things that I look forward to is conservation."
In Okabena, Hartman was involved with some conservation interest groups that worked on a watershed and lake restoration group along with an environmental learning center.
"I look forward to serving the people of Rock County, and my wife and I are excited about our upcoming move," Hartman said.
He and wife Cheryl, a cake decorator in Worthington, will move from Okabena with two children, Caitlin and Alexandra.
As LMO director, Hartman will work with constantly changing codes and regulations, state and local government officials and individual Rock County producers.
Caitlin is in preschool so the move will wait until after the school year. Hartman said he'd like to relocate somewhere between Luverne and Worthington so he and his wife have a similar commute. Their children will likely attend school and day care in Luverne.
Hartman grew up on a family farm, north of Okabena, where they fed cattle and raised corn, soybeans and sometimes alfalfa and small grains.
After high school, he attended Worthington Community College and continued on at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, to earn a degree in ag business.