Though it has the same members as the last year, the Freeborn County Board now has different faces for its leadership positions.

The board Tuesday elected Mark Behrends as the chairman for 2003 to replace Dave Mullenbach, and Glen Mathiason as the vice chairman, taking over the position Behrends held in 2002.

During the first meeting of the year, the board also approved the resignation of Sheriff’s Office Supervisor/ Investigator Terry Cochran, and Assistant Veterans Services Officer Bob Sabin.

County Administrator Ron Gabrielsen said that the county would withhold new hiring to replace them.

Sheriff Mark Harig said, &uot;I hate to see losing an investigator.&uot; Cochran has been engaged for a long time in child endangerment and other investigations, and Harig said he would need to assign other deputies to go through special training to make up the loss. The shortage may affect his plan to send one deputy to the South Central Drug Investigative Unit.

Veterans Services Director Jon Rhiger said he would assess whether the existing staff could cover Sabin’s job. But, the department is scheduled to move during the new courthouse project, which will make it impossible to share secretaries with the Environmental Services Department like now. Further reorganization will be necessary to maintain the service, according to Gabrielsen.

The board also appointed Harig as the Emergency Management Coordinator. Former Sheriff Don Nolander wanted to remain in that capacity, but Harig turned down the offer.

In the afternoon, the commissioners gathered as the Human Services Department Board, and elected Mathiason as the chairman and Dan Springborg as the vice chairman.