The former director of the state Water Resources Department who has Minot ties has been nominated for assistant secretary for Water and Science at the U.S. Department of Interior, according to Sen. John Hoeven, R-ND.

Dr. Andrea Travnicek led the North Dakota agency for three years.

“We congratulate Andrea on her nomination to serve as assistant secretary for water and science at the Department of Interior,” Hoeven said. “She was a trusted advisor when I was governor and brings a wealth of knowledge to this position having previously served as a deputy assistant secretary at Interior. The Office of Water and Science oversees policies important to North Dakota including energy, agriculture and water issues. As a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, we’ll work to confirm her nomination as quickly as possible.”

Travnicek, originally from Minot, was appointed as the first DWR director in July 2021. Besides leadership positions with the Interior Department for nearly three years, she previously served as director of North Dakota Parks and Recreation for a year and as a senior policy adviser in the Governor’s Office for six years.

Reice Haase, former senior policy adviser in the Governor’s Office and former deputy executive director of the North Dakota Industrial Commission, replaced Travnicek as director of the state Department of Water Resources, according to an announcement by Gov. Kelly Armstrong in early January.

Kirsten Baesler, North Dakota’s state superintendent of Public Instruction, has also been nominated to serve as the assistant secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education at the U.S. Department of Education.

Baesler, a native of Flasher, has been state school superintendent since January 2013. Prior to being elected to the state position, she worked for the Bismarck Public School System for 24 years, including as a vice principal, classroom teacher and library media specialist. She was on the Mandan School Board for nine years, serving as president of the board for seven years.

Per state law, if Baesler is confirmed and resigns as state superintendent, Armstrong will appoint a replacement to serve in the role until the next regularly scheduled general election in November 2026.