Birkestrand retires from Rock County Heartland Express

With the retirement of longtime Heartland Express employee Elaine Birkestrand set for Sunday, May 1, county officials have been discussing different options to fill her position.
Heartland Express provides public transportation to families, older adults and people with disabilities. The countywide service began in 1991.
Birkestrand began as a part-time bus driver in 1994 a year after the local service earned the Minnesota Public Transit of the Year award from the Minnesota Public Transit Association.
“It’s really a great service in our county,” Birkestrand said.
In the years since she has worked with the Heartland Express, Birkestrand will leave as its full-time dispatcher and administrative assistant.
County commissioners voted to fill the dispatcher position immediately and on April 19 adopted a resolution to work with Western Community Action.
WCA could provide management services to the county’s transit service including the insurance billing to various entities currently completed by Birkestrand.
“We don’t want to do anything that would be a detriment to our current services and take a step backward,” said County Administrator Kyle Oldre.
More than 25,000 rides are provided and buses travel more than 75,000 miles in the county on a yearly basis. Additional rides are coordinated through Heartland’s volunteer driver program for transportation outside of Rock County.
WCA’s Community Transit program currently provides rides in five counties of Lincoln, Lyon, Redwood, Cottonwood and Jackson. WCA also coordinates or manages the public transit systems in Pipestone and Murray counties.