Mantorville native plans run for full-time County Attorney position

Dodge County Commissioners voted 4-1 on Tuesday to move forward with having a full-time County Attorney beginning in 2027.
Commissioner John Allen voted against the resolution.
County Attorney Paul Kiltinen, who has suggested the move in the past, brought it forward again at the December Committee of the Whole meeting, prior to the full board session.
In a memo to the board, Kiltinen said state statute requires the decision to be made at the beginning of the year.
He added that even with a full-time county attorney, the office would still be short staffed. Over the years, he said, the county has grown, and cases have become more complex. Social services and the Sheriff’s Office have expanded to handle growing issues. The civil division, he said, also has a significant caseload.
Kiltinen won’t seek another term
One person who won’t be on the ballot this year is Kiltinen, who told the DCI he would not be running for another term.
“I think that 32 years will be long enough, and I didn’t feel it was appropriate to do this job after 70 yrs old,” he wrote in an email.
Ahead of the meeting, Kiltinen said that he would support going to the full-time position either way.
“I believe the position should be full time, but I would not be running for re-election this year, regardless if it would be full or part time,” Kiltinen wrote.
Asked if he knew of anyone planning to run, he wrote, “I am unsure who might run for the position, but I do not anticipate that I would formally support anyone.”
Mantorville native to run
At least one candidate has confirmed their candidacy — Mantorville native Crysta Parkin, a current Assistant Dodge County Attorney.
Parkin graduated from Kasson-Mantorville High School in 1995, before going on to earn a degree in Public Relations and Political Science in December 1998 from Valparaiso University.
She then went on to obtain a Master of Public Policy, Concentration in Social Policy: Families and Children from the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota in May 2001.
“While I was attending the Humphrey Institute, I worked in the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office as a Planning Analyst for the Delinquents Under 10/Targeted Early Intervention Program from March 2000 — May 2001,” Parkin wrote in an email.
She went on to work for Olmsted County Community Services as a Program Evaluator from May 2001 to August 2004 conducting research, evaluation and data analysis for programs serving children and adolescents.
“I produced and presented yearly reports to the county board, citizen advisory boards, and other interested parties,” Parkin said.
She left the job to attend law school, graduating from Hamline University School of Law in May 2007. During law school, she worked as a research assistant for the Ramsey County Elections Office and as the Child Advocacy Clinic Student Director.
From August 2007 until November 2015 she worked at the Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services Rochester Office.
“I was a family law staff attorney until March 2010 when I was promoted to Lead Family Law Attorney for the SE Region supervising 3 staff attorneys and 1 paralegal while maintaining a caseload. I have argued before the MN Court of Appeals several times (and won all of the cases),” she wrote.
In November 2015, she landed a job with the Dodge County Attorney’s Office, where she handles the civil caseload including child protection, paternity, child support, civil commitments, guardianship/conservatorship, and civil forfeitures.
“I participate in our Family Treatment Court team, facilitate the Dodge County Attendance Review Board (ARB), and participate in MNPrairie’s child protection and adult protection MDTs (Multi-Disciplinary Teams),” Parkin wrote.
In addition, she is a member of the Third Judicial District Committee on Equity and Justice.
“I was appointed to the State Guardian Ad Litem Board in 2017, and was chair of the board from February 2018 until I concluded my time on the board in December 2024,” Parkin said.
In her free time, she competed in CrossFit and Olympic weightlifting and is currently a two-time USA Weightlifting masters national champion. She also coaches Olympic weightlifting.