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District 2 Commissioner, Stan Karwoski
About Commissioner Karwoski
Commissioner Stan Karwoski is serving his third term on the Washington County Board, representing District 2. He was first elected in a special election in November 2016 and was reelected in 2018 and 2022.
Karwoski is marking 24 consecutive years in elected public service in 2025 — a journey he describes as one of persistence and destiny. After two unsuccessful runs for the Oakdale City Council and deciding not to run again, he was appointed to fill a vacancy in 2001. He went on to serve 14 years on the City Council before being elected mayor in 2014, succeeding retiring Mayor Carmen Sarrack. In 2016, following the passing of Washington County Commissioner Ted Bearth, Karwoski successfully ran for the District 2 seat in a special election and has since served eight years on the County Board.
Beyond elected office, Karwoski has been an active community leader. He has served in civic organizations such as the St. Paul Winter Carnival and the Oakdale and Woodbury Chambers of Commerce. He is a past chair and former member of the Washington County Park and Open Space Commission, a founding member of the Oakdale Tree Board (1996-2023), and a former member of Oakdale’s Planning and Parks Commissions (1994-1999). Altogether, his dedication totals 31 years of continuous public service — a commitment that nearly didn’t happen.
A native of St. Paul, Karwoski has lived in Oakdale since 1987. He is a graduate of Harding High School and holds a vocational Design Degree as well as a bachelor's degree in business administration from Metropolitan State University. Now retired after a 38-year career as a principal designer at Graco, Inc., he holds nine invention patents. He is married, has four adult children, and is a proud grandfather of six.
Commissioner Karwoski serves on several boards and committees.
Washington County committees:
- Regional Railroad Authority
- Community Development Agency (Alternate)
- Workforce Development Board
- Park and Open Space Advisory Board
Regional committees:
- Association of Minnesota Counties (AMC) - Transportation Policy Committee
- East Metro Strong (Co-Chair)
- Gold Line Executive Change Control Board
- Gold Line Joint Powers Board
- Greater MSP Board
- Metropolitan Emergency Services Board (Alternate)
- Metropolitan Transportation Advisory Board
- Minnesota Inter-County Association (MICA) - MICA Past President
- Washington County - Yellow Ribbon Network (Liaison)
National committee:
- National Association of Counties (NACo) - Rural Action Caucus Steering Committee
- National Association of Counties (NACo) - Environmental, Energy and Land Use Committee (Air Quality Committee) Transportation Steering Committee
- National Association of Counties (NACo) - Membership Standing Committee
District 2 serves the residents in the cities of Birchwood, Landfall, Oakdale, Pine Springs, and Willernie. Also, District 2 serves the portion of White Bear Lake that is within Washington County (Ward 4 Precinct 2), and of Mahtomedi (Precinct 2). Additionally, District 2 serves parts of Woodbury (Precincts 1, 2, 7, and 8).