Rep. Pat Strachota (R-West Bend), who is stepping down from the state Assembly at the end of this term, was appointed to a twoyear term as a citizen member of the Washington County Human Services Board by County Board Chairman Herb Tennies. The County Board approved the appointment, among others, earlier this week.
“The reason I asked her was her experience with the county. She was a county supervisor,” Tennies said. “In Madison, she did fight for a number of issues for Human Services.” Strachota was a county supervisor from West Bend for 16 years, stepping down in 2002. She was elected to the state Assembly in 2004.
Strachota will complete the three-year citizen term of Kristine Deiss, who was elected to the County Board in April. Deiss remains on the Human Services Board. Tennies appointed her to one of the five county supervisor seats.
Also named to the Human Services Board were county supervisors Paul Ustruck, Dennis Myers and Robert Hartwig. Former Human Services Board Chairman Les Borman, Germantown, who retired in April as a county supervisor, was re-appointed to the board as a citizen member.
There is no problem with Strachota remaining a state representative this year and taking an appointed post with the county, Tennies said. “We did check it out if there was any conflict of interest and there is none.”
Not that he had to twist any arms, but Tennies did have to wait for Strachota to make up her mind about the appointment. “I had to ask her twice,” he said with a laugh. “But she did get back to me and agreed to serve on the (Human Services) Board. I was happy to hear that because I think she’ll be a great asset to the county.”