Nicole Joy Frethem, District 1
For more than a decade, Nicole has worked to ensure children in Ramsey County and Minnesota have access to high-quality child care arrangements and parents are able to find healthy and safe child care so they can work. Nicole has previously worked as a child care administrator and early learning coach before transitioning to implementing, developing and analyzing statewide child care policy at the Minnesota Department of Human Services. In her work, Nicole has seen the importance of all the systems that support families and people beyond the classroom. She is passionate about streamlining human services delivery, partnering with local and state governments to provide better services, and criminal justice reforms.
Nicole received her bachelor’s degree from Hamline University, a master’s degree in early childhood education from Concordia University St. Paul, a Juris Doctor degree and a certificate in Conflict Resolution Theory and Practice from Mitchell Hamline School of Law, and a graduate certificate in leadership and public policy from the University of St. Thomas. At MHSL, Nicole drafted a plan to transform Minnesota’s early care and education infrastructure.
On the Ramsey County Board, Nicole serves as the Chair of the Health and Wellness Service Team Committee of the Whole, Vice Chair of the Safety and Justice Service Team Committee of the Whole in addition to serving on all other committees of the whole, the Ramsey County Housing and Redevelopment Authority and the Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority.
As commissioner, she serves on several outside boards and committees including:
- Community Action Partnership of Ramsey and Washington County, Board Chair.
- GenerationNext, co-chair of the leadership committee policy workgroup.
- Metro Conservation Districts Joint Powers Board.
- Metro Mosquito Control District Board.
- Ramsey County Extension Committee.
- Recycling and Energy Board of Ramsey and Washington County.
- TCAAP Joint Development Authority.
- State Advisory Subcommittee on Children’s Mental Health.
- Northeast Youth and Family Services Board of Directors.
- County-Court Joint Committee.
- Court House/City Hall Committee.
- Law Library Trustee.
- Suburban Ramsey Family Collaborative Joint Powers Board.
- Youth Justice Transformation.
- Association of Minnesota Counties District X Committee.
- National Association of Counties Large Urban Counties Caucus.
- National Association of Counties Arts and Culture Commission.
Nicole lives in Shoreview with her family. She enjoys crafting of all kinds; nerdy TV, movies and books; Shakespeare and visiting Ramsey County parks.