Member Spotlight: Robert Wilson
Robert Wilson, County Administrator, Cass County, Fargo, ND
Tell us about your career.
I was a small-market television reporter for ten years before a crazy 'life happens moment' led me to county government. (I was laid off one day as a report. The next day, searching help-wanted sites I came across my county's HR page. They'd just posted an Assistant Administrator position. I'd spent the last several years covering the county commission and called the chair. Three months later I was an Assistant Administrator in Minnehaha County, SD. After eight years in that role, I moved to County Administrator position in Cass County, ND.
I received my undergraduate degree at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon and a master's degree in Public Administration from the University of Nebraska - Omaha.
What are some of your current or notable achievements or projects?
While maintaining (and trying to improve) the day-to-day function of Cass County Government, I have twice served an interim role as the Co-Executive Director of the Metro Flood Diversion Authority. This is a partnership of five local governments in the Fargo - Moorhead metro area that have joined to partner with the US Army Corp of Engineers and a private developer to finance, build and operate a $3.2B flood mitigation and stormwater diversion project around the Fargo-Moorhead metro area. When not serving in the Co-Executive Director position, I am one of two Co-Deputy Executive Directors, serving with the Fargo City Administrator.
Early in my tenure with Cass County the retiring elected Auditor, Treasurer and Recorder encouraged me to propose an ordinance change converting all three to appointed rather than elected positions. That effort was successful and has led to these important county positions now being appointed based on education, experience and skill.
Have you volunteered with Roles with NACA or affiliates like ICMA, NACo, IGHN, NFBPA?
I currently serve in the following roles: NACA Mountain Plains Regional Vice-President, NACo Board of Directors (ND representative), NACo committees including: Mid-Sized County Caucus, Membership Committee and Career Economic & Workforce Committee.
What is one thing that most people don't know about you?
In junior high and high school I was a horrible student - a full-on academic disaster. I don't dwell on it and by college I got things figured out. The lasting impact is an underdog mentality that I'm convinced I basically have to work twice as hard as anyone around me to stand a chance of keeping up. That's served me well over the years.
September 2025