Saint Paul, MN - Today, Governor Mark Dayton announced the appointment of John Linc Stine as Acting Commissioner of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Stine currently serves as Deputy Commissioner at MPCA and will replace outgoing Commissioner Paul Aasen, who announced that he will accept an offer to become City Coordinator for the City of Minneapolis. Stine will assume the role of Acting Commissioner on May 14th.

Speaking about his departure and the appointment of Stine, Commissioner Paul Aasen said, "It has been an absolute honor to serve with Governor Dayton and the cabinet; they are true public servants. I have complete faith in John's ability to lead and the agency's ability to meet a challenging future."

"Commissioner Aasen has done a superb job leading a state agency with critically important responsibilities." Governor Mark Dayton said, "Our loss will be Minneapolis' great gain."

As Deputy Commissioner at Pollution Control, Stine worked to implement Governor Dayton's Executive Order to improve the environmental review and permit process, and helped oversee department budget, personnel, and enforcement. He has almost 30 years of experience in soil conservation, hydrology, and environmental program implementation.

Stine has previously held positions with the Minnesota Department of Health, as Assistant Commissioner and Division Director, and with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, as Assistant Division Director, Section Administrator, and Regional Hydrologist. He holds a BS in Soil and Water Resource Management from the University of Minnesota with an emphasis on hydrology, soil science, and technical communications. Stine lives in Maplewood with his wife Deb, and has two adult sons.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency monitors environmental quality and enforces environmental regulations in the state.