Mike Ankeny took the oath of office Tuesday to officially become the 5th District commissioner on the Mower County Board.

Even though he didn’t officially start take office until yesterday, Ankeny began attending events shortly after he was elected Feb. 10. Ankeny was invited to participate in a round-table discussion with area legislators hosted by county officials on Feb. 12. He also attended Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s visit to Akkerman Inc. Feb. 16. On Monday, Ankeny toured the new Mower County Jail and Justice center.

Ankeny attended weekly county board meetings for about a month leading up the election.

Mower County Coordinator Craig Oscarson said it can sometimes take more than a year for a new commissioner to learn all the ins and outs of the job.

Ankeny said the other commissioners and county employees have been helpful answering questions and helping the newest commissioner learn the job.

“There’s a lot to learn, and there’s a lot more that goes on than what you think,” Ankeny said. “It’s pretty complex.”

Ankeny has met with some of the department heads, but he said he is still planning to meet with others to learn more about county departments.

Ankeny was also assigned to committees, and plans to attend the first committee meeting for finance on Wednesday.

Even on his first official day as a county commissioner, Ankeny didn’t shy away from asking questions, commenting on issues and making motions.