Hennepin County Commissioner Randy Johnson will retire next month after nearly 40 years on the County Board. That makes him the longest-serving commissioner in the county's history.
Johnson, a Republican from Bloomington, was first elected to represent his district in 1978.
Over the course of his career, he worked on reforming the state's welfare program and restructuring Hennepin County Medical Center. He also helped increase recycling and composting programs and he helped enact the county's smoke-free ordinances.
He spoke with MPR's Phil Picardi about his career and what he plans to do next.
Click on the audio player above to hear their conversation.