ST. PAUL, MN – Commissioner Josh Tilsen passed away today due to complications with Staphylococcus infection. Commissioner Tilsen became ill last week, and his condition quickly worsened. He was surrounded by his wife Faith and their family at the time of his passing early this morning. Information concerning funeral arrangements will be available in the coming days.
At this time, Deputy Commissioner Todd Doncavage will assume Commissioner Tilsen’s duties as acting commissioner of the Bureau of Mediation Services (BMS). Governor Dayton and Lt. Governor Smith today offered the following statements of condolences to the Tilsen family and BMS staff.
The following is a statement from Governor Mark Dayton:
“Our entire Administration is deeply mourning today. Commissioner Tilsen was our good friend, an important leader of our team, and a superb public servant. We will greatly miss his talent, expertise, and good humor. We offer our support to Josh’s wife, Faith, and the Tilsen family, as they mourn this tragic loss.
“Josh Tilsen devoted his career to improving the lives of Minnesotans. During his 29 years of service at the Bureau of Mediation Services, he demonstrated an extraordinary ability to bring people together to mediate complex contracts and resolve contentious disputes."
The following is a statement from Lt. Governor Tina Smith:
“Minnesota today lost one of its great public servants. Over the last six years, I have come to know Josh Tilsen as one of the most dedicated and talented professionals in state government. He was our colleague and our great friend. Josh’s wife Faith and the Tilsen family are in our thoughts and prayers today as they grieve this terrible loss.
“Commissioner Tilsen dedicated his professional life to helping Minnesotans with opposing views find common ground. Josh had an extraordinary capacity to listen and then doggedly seek out solutions to complex challenges where no one else could see a path. He was a friend and mentor to me, and exemplified the title public servant."
About Commissioner Josh Tilsen [Photo]
Josh Tilsen served as Commissioner of the Minnesota Bureau of Mediation Services (BMS)
from his appointment in February 2011 to April 2017. During his tenure, Commissioner Tilsen brought labor and management together to achieve settlements in numerous collective bargaining agreements. Prior to his appointment by Governor Dayton, Tilsen worked as a full-time hearing officer and mediator with BMS, beginning in 1988. His service at BMS included 8 years (1995-2003) as manager of administrative hearings.
Over the course of his nearly three decades of service at BMS, Tilsen successfully mediated thousands of labor disputes. He worked in nearly every county and school district in Minnesota, and also served municipal, state executive and judicial branches.
Prior to working at the Bureau of Mediation Services, Josh Tilsen was a local union representative and officer for Local 17 of the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees union in Minneapolis and Saint Paul. He is a graduate of San Francisco State College and currently lives in St. Paul.
About the Bureau of Mediation Services
The Bureau of Mediation Services (BMS) works to promote stable and constructive labor-management relations. It works collaboratively with parties to resolve contract and grievance disputes quickly and fairly, and also provides arbitration and labor-management conflict resolution training.
![[Photo]](http://mn.gov/gov-stat/images/Tilsen_Headshot.jpeg){kind=link}