Saint Paul, MN - Governor Mark Dayton today announced the appointment of two new members to the Commission on Judicial Selection, both representing the Third Judicial District.

Governor Dayton appointed the following:

Mark Walbran, who resides in Owatonna, is a partner at Walbran and Furness. Walbran practices in the area of civil litigation, workers compensation, social security and municipal law. He serves as the Owatonna City Attorney and has been named a past President of the Minnesota City Attorneys Association. Walbran has also been a member of the Minnesota Trial Lawyers Association and the Federal Magistrate Selection Committee. He is appointed as a Third District attorney member to the Commission.

Linda Cruz-Lares, who resides in Albert Lea, is the Cultural Diversity Specialist at Semcac Community Action Agency. Within her30-year career in the Human Services field, Lares has also worked as an Interpreter for the Minnesota state courts. She serves as a Board Trustee to the Mayo Health Systems and the Southern MN Initiative Foundation and is the incoming President of Rotary. Lares is appointed as a Third District non-attorney member to the Commission.

The Commission on Judicial Selection recruits and reviews judicial candidates for judgeship vacancies that occur within district courts and for openings that take place during the term of a judge on the Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals. The Commission then puts forth three to five recommendations to the Governor for consideration. 49 members are appointed to the Commission; 27 are appointed by the Governor, and 22 by the Supreme Court. 9 members serve in an at-large capacity while 4 members serve per each judicial district. The Governor had previously appointed the At-Large members to the Commission.

For more information on the Commission, please visit our judicial page at http://mn.gov/governor/appointments/judicial.jsp.