Minnesota Agencies

Central management agency of Minnesota state government. The Department of Administration provides a broad range of business management, administrative and professional services and a variety of resources to state agencies, local governments and to the public. Among its responsibilities, the department manages the state's procurement process, manages more than 400 construction projects and 700 property leases, maintains 22 state-owned buildings, including the State Capitol, leases vehicles, sells surplus property, coordinates the state's Enterprise Lean business process improvement program and more.

The Minnesota Department of Administration was established in 1939 by Governor Harold Stassen as part of an effort to reform state government's administrative functions.

The Department is a successor to the Commission of Administration and Finance (1925 Minn. Laws Chap. 426 Art 3). The department formerly had responsibility for assisting agencies in preparation of biennial budget requests, approving the allotment and encumbrance of state funds, and managing the state accounting system. These are now functions of Minnesota Management & Budget (formerly the Department of Finance).

Commissioners (term: 4 years or pleasure of governor): Leslie M. Gravlin (Dept. of Adminstration's first commissioner) June 1939 -September 1942; Theodore G. Driscoll, September 1, 1943 - 1947; Earl L. Berg, June 28, 1947 - 1954; Arthur Naftalin, 1954-1961; William E. Stevenson, 1961-1965; Stephen T. Quigley, 1965-1967; Rolland F. Hatfield, 1967-1971; Richard L. Brubacher, 1971-1978; James J. Hiniker, 1979-1983(?); Sandra Hale, 1983-199?; Dana B. Badgerow, 1991-June, 1993; Debra Rae Anderson, August, 1993-December 16, 1994; Elaine Hansen, January 17, 1995-?; David E. Fisher, March, 1999-? ; Brian Lamb, January 6, 2003-August, 2004; Kent Allin (Acting Director), September 16, 2004-October 25, 2004; Dana B. Badgerow, October 25, 2004-May 11, 2009; Sheila Reger, May 11, 2009-2011; Spencer Cronk, February 8, 2011 - August 2014; Matt Massman, August 2014-2018; Alice Roberts-Davis, January 7, 2019 -

For a history of the predecessor agency, see Lloyd M. Short and Carl W. Tiller, The Minnesota Commission of Administration and Finance 1925-1939.