Hon. Mary Jo McGuire

Commissioner Mary Jo McGuire served as NACo president from 2023 to 2024. She has been a Ramsey County Commissioner in Minnesota since 2012. Prior to the county board, Commissioner McGuire served 16 years in the Minnesota State Legislature, serving in both the House and Senate.

She is also active in her state, serving in leadership at the Association of Minnesota Counties (AMC), and is a member of its Public Safety Policy Committee and Education and Research Committee.

In her own county, Commissioner McGuire chairs the county’s Legislative Committee and Active Living Ramsey Communities, and serves on the Suburban Ramsey Family Collaborative, Extension Committee, and Recycling and Energy Board. She is involved in several community organizations including Rotary International, the Optimist Club, and the Roseville Area Community Foundation.

Mary Jo is a lifelong resident of Ramsey County, currently residing in Roseville. She has a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from the College of St. Catherine, a law degree from Hamline University School of Law, and a Master’s in Public Administration from the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government.

She is an adjunct professor in the Master’s of Organizational Leadership (MAOL) Dept. at St. Catherine University, and was a guest lecturer at West Point Military Academy.