St. Paul, MN - Governor-elect Mark Dayton today announced the appointment of Ken Peterson to head the Department of Labor and Industry. Peterson brings a wealth of public service experience to the position, including serving the last DFL Governor, Rudy Perpich, in the same position.

I have known, worked with, and respected Ken Peterson for almost thirty years, Dayton said. He is one of the most dedicated and effective public servants I have ever known. He brings exceptional experience and expertise back to the agency he has led before.

It is a thrill to be back serving the people of Minnesota and its next governor, said Peterson. I look forward to aiding Governor Dayton in his commitment to protecting the hard-working men and women of Minnesota in the workplace, and ensuring that Minnesota stays the great place to work that it is.

Ken Peterson has served the people of Minnesota in multiple capacities over several decades. He was the executive director of the Minnesota Public Interest Research Group (MPIRG), Deputy Commissioner of the Minnesota Public Service Department and Department of Labor and Industry, Commissioner of the Department Labor and Industry, Deputy Mayor and Mayor's Chief of Staff of the City of Saint Paul, and Director of the St. Paul Department of Planning and Economic Development. His most recent public service was in the Minnesota Attorney General's office, where he was Deputy Attorney General for Government Operations.