MARSHALL — A former member of the Lyon County Attorney’s Office will be the newest judge in the local district court.

Gov. Mark Dayton announced Friday that Tricia Zimmer will be appointed a District Court Judge, to fill the vacancy left when Judge Leland Bush retired in June. Zimmer is currently vice president of human resources at North Star Mutual Insurance Co. in Cottonwood, but in the past she has also served in legal positions including Assistant Lyon County Attorney.

“Through her diverse professional experiences and active community involvement, (Zimmer) has been a strong advocate for justice for all Minnesotans,” Dayton said in Friday’s announcement. “I thank Ms. Zimmer for committing to serve the people of Minnesota as District Court Judge for our state’s Fifth Judicial District.”

As a judge, Zimmer will be co-chambered at Ivanhoe in Lincoln County, and Marshall in Lyon County. The Fifth Judicial District covers an area of 15 counties in southwestern Minnesota, including Lincoln, Lyon, Murray and Redwood Counties.

While judges in Minnesota are elected by the public, the governor and the Minnesota Commission on Judicial Selection have the job of filling vacancies that happen during a judge’s six-year term.

Candidates who apply to be a judge go through a selection process including an interview with the Commission, and the governor also has the option of personally interviewing finalists. Judge candidates must be residents of the judicial district where they’re applying to be a judge.

Zimmer brings a variety of experiences to her new role as a judge, Dayton said. Zimmer is a graduate of the University of South Dakota. She has been an attorney and consultant at Petersen Law Office, an Assistant Lyon County Attorney, an adjunct professor at Southwest Minnesota State University, and a judicial law clerk for the Fifth Judicial District.

Zimmer is also active with community organizations. She’s currently a member of the SMSU Foundation Board, the Marshall Police Advisory Board, and is a volunteer with United Way of Southwest Minnesota.