Dan Dunbar, the Assistant Dunn County Manager, was selected by the County Board of Supervisors Wednesday, June 18, to succeed County Manager Kris Korpela, who has served the county for 24 years.
“It has been a real pleasure to work closely with Dan Dunbar in his role as assistant county manager, and I’m looking forward to continuing a great working relationship as he moves up to county manager,”
-Kelly McCullough, County Board chair
Dunbar officially will begin working with Korpela on the transition on July 7 and will take over on Aug. 8. Korpela began as county manager in July 2022 after serving in other management positions for the county.
“It has been a real pleasure to work closely with Dan Dunbar in his role as assistant county manager, and I’m looking forward to continuing a great working relationship as he moves up to county manager,” said Kelly McCullough, County Board chair. “Even before he applied for the assistant role, Dan was already actively looking for broader county problems to solve through the cooperative leadership model that County Manager Korpela established from her first days in the job.
“He is a thorough and careful thinker, a motivated problem solver and has established a great relationship with the members of the board,” McCullough continued. “We will certainly miss Kris as she moves on to the next phase of life, but I have complete faith in Dan’s ability to step into her shoes and carry the county forward.”
Dunbar brings over two decades of public sector leadership experience to the role, including his most recent position as Assistant County Manager. He played a key role in county-wide budget planning, investment strategy and sustainability initiatives. His leadership was instrumental in advancing broadband access.
“I am honored to serve as Dunn County’s next County Manager,” said Dunbar. “I look forward to working with the County Board, staff, and community partners to continue building a responsive, transparent, and forward-thinking government that meets the needs of all residents.”
Prior to his role as Assistant County Manager, which he assumed in March 2024, Dunbar served as the county’s Chief Information Officer, beginning in February 2021, where he led major technology transitions, including the move to Office 365 and the implementation of a county-wide print management system. His career also includes leadership roles at UW–Stout, where he directed telecommunications and networking operations.
Dunbar holds a Master of Arts in IT Leadership from The College of St. Scholastica and a Bachelor of Science in Telecommunications Systems from the UW–Stout. He is also an active community member, volunteering with local youth sports and civic initiatives.
