Press Kit
About Olmsted County
Olmsted County is the seventh largest county in the state of Minnesota with eight cities (Rochester being the largest), 18 townships, and approximately 163,440 residents. The county is governed by seven individuals elected to serve on the Olmsted County Board of Commissioners, and county services are supported by approximately 1,300 Olmsted County government employees working to build a sustainable foundation for a safe, healthy, and welcoming community through public service excellence.
Learn more about Olmsted County's strategy, budget, and performance.
Bios/photos of county leaders
Travis Gransee
Travis Gransee is the county administrator for Olmsted County. As administrator, Travis makes recommendations to the county board, is accountable to the board for the implementation of county policies, leads the Olmsted County government organization, and ensures effective delivery of county services.
Travis’ career spans 20+ years serving Olmsted County residents (since 2004) and nearly 30 years in the field of human services. Since 2021, he has served as a member of the county’s executive management team and led the county’s Health, Housing, and Human Services division as deputy administrator. Prior to that, he worked in Community Corrections in various roles increasing in responsibility before serving as the director of the department for over seven years.
Travis holds a bachelor’s degree in criminology from the University of Minnesota – Duluth. He is also a graduate of the University of Minnesota Human Services Leadership Program and completed the Collaborative Leadership Fellows Program.
Pete Giesen
Pete Giesen has served as deputy county administrator for Olmsted County since 2017. He oversees the work in the Physical Development division. Departments in this division include Environmental Resources, Facilities and Building Operations, Parks, Planning, Property Records and Licensing, Public Works, and the Soil and Water Conservation District.
He has worked for Olmsted County for more than 35 years. Most of his career was spent working in Public Health in various capacities, including as director of Public Health from 2011 - 2017. Prior to this, Pete served as an environmental health manager, public health emergency preparedness coordinator, project consultant, and senior environmental health specialist. Prior to serving as deputy administrator for Physical Development, Pete worked as a deputy administrator overseeing the work of teams that previously comprised the General Government division.
Pete obtained a bachelor's degree in biology from Northland College and a master's degree in health science/community health from Mankato State University.
Amy Rauchwarter
Amy Rauchwarter is the deputy administrator for the Health, Housing, and Human Services division and has served in that role since 2024. Previously, she was the director of Child and Family Services.
Rauchwarter has worked with Olmsted County since 2000. She also has experience working as a program manager in Adult and Family Services. Much of Rauchwarter’s experience is working with teams, and she values collaboration, innovation, and authentic engagement.
Rauchwarter obtained a bachelor's degree in social work from Winona State University and a master's degree in social work from the University of St. Thomas. She is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW).
Information about our elected officials
Information about and photos of our Olmsted County Board of Commissioners are available on the board of commissioners page on this website. The Sheriff's photo and bio and the County Attorney's photo and bio are also available on this website.
Olmsted County's mission, vision, and overarching goals
See the Olmsted County mission/vision page on this website. Information about our county's overarching goals, strategy, budget, and performance is also available on this website.
Olmsted County logo files
Olmsted County Public Health logo
Olmsted County Attorney's logo
Olmsted County Sheriff's Office logo
Olmsted Soil and Water Conservation District logo
Dodge & Olmsted Community Corrections logo
Dodge & Olmsted Victim Services logo
Olmsted County media liaisons
If you are trying to coordinate an interview with an Olmsted County leader or representative, please contact the appropriate Olmsted County media liaison.
Olmsted County press releases
All press releases (since late 2020) are archived on this website. See the Olmsted County press release archive.
If you would like to be added to the Olmsted County press release distribution list, please email Communications@olmstedcounty.gov.
Olmsted County social media
Olmsted County has several social media accounts. Like and follow them to receive the latest news and information from the county!
Subscribe to receive Olmsted County news
You can subscribe to receive Olmsted County news directly to your email inbox. Subscribe today!
Photo/video requests
If you would like to request still photos or videos from Olmsted County, please email Communications@olmstedcounty.gov.
How to join the county's public meetings
There are multiple ways residents and the media may participate in public county meetings. Visit the Olmsted County PrimeGov site which has public meeting information including dates, agendas, and packets provided. Each meeting agenda should have details about where the meeting is located (for joining in person) as well as a video link (for those who wish to join virtually).
If you have any questions or would like more information about a meeting, please contact County Administration at 507-328-6001. If you are having difficulty accessing materials in board packets or require that documentation in a different format, please contact InternalServicesSupport@olmstedcounty.gov.