A Valley City, N.D., native and security supervisor in Polk County's existing jail has been promoted to run the new Tri-County Community Corrections Center, which now is slated to accept prisoners some time in February.
Andrew Larson brings years of experience in the corrections field to his new role as jail administrator. Before coming to TCCC, he held positions as a corrections officer and caseworker for the North Dakota Department of Corrections at its James River Correctional Center in Jamestown.
"Andy is a very organized individual who has a great background both with us and before he came to us," said Susan Mills, executive director of TCCC. "He has the ability to build a great working relationship with his staff. He's got a great future just in general."
Larson officially started his new duties as jail administrator in September, busy designing everything from budgets to staffing.
Larson started at TCCC in 2001 as a probation officer and director of the jail's "Productive Day Program." He took over the role of security supervisor in 2003 after the retirement of his predecessor, Norvald Anderson.
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Warren Strandell, who sits on the board that oversees the new jail, said he's confident that Larson has what it takes to lead the new jail, which will have more technology, more staff members and more inmate capacity.
"Oh yes - he's already proved that in his previous position," Strandell said. "This is just a job description change for him."
Larson will oversee a staff that equals almost 40 full-time employees, eight more than the current jail. He'll have five shift supervisors working under him.
Larson is a graduate of Valley City State University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in human resource management. He and his wife, Lisa, who is a TCCC probation agent, have two children. They make their home in Crookston.
