Larry Herke
Larry J. Herke | |
|---|---|
| 18th Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs | |
| In office January 7, 2019 – September 22, 2023 | |
| Governor | Tim Walz |
| Succeeded by | Brad Lindsay |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 25, 1963 Cedar Falls, Iowa, U.S. |
| Died | September 13, 2024 (aged 61) Sauk Centre, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Spouse | Debra Rose Kortuem (m. 1985; died) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Mankato State University (BS, MPA) United States Army Command and General Staff College |
| Awards | Legion of Merit Bronze Star Medal |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1985–2016 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Unit | Minnesota Army National Guard |
Larry J. Herke (April 25, 1963 – September 13, 2024) was an American military officer and state government official who served as the 18th Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) from 2019 to 2023. A colonel in the United States Army and Minnesota Army National Guard, he served over 30 years in uniform before entering state government. He retired as commissioner in September 2023 following a diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Early life and education
Herke was born on April 25, 1963, in Cedar Falls, Iowa, to Larry W. Herke and Sheila J. (Jacobson) Herke.[1] He grew up in southern Minnesota and graduated from Mankato East High School in 1981.[1] He earned a Bachelor of Science in accounting and a Master of Public Administration from Mankato State University (now Minnesota State University, Mankato).[1][2] He also graduated from the United States Army Command and General Staff College.[3]
Military career
Herke served more than 30 years in the United States Army and the Minnesota Army National Guard, retiring at the rank of colonel in July 2016.[2] Early in his career, he spent four years on active duty, including one year in Texas and three years in Germany, where he worked with other NATO nations and commanded a Patriot missile air defense system.[3]
In the National Guard, Herke deployed to Iraq, where he served as chief of staff for a 5,200-soldier brigade combat team.[3] His military decorations include the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star Medal.[3]
Commissioner of Veterans Affairs
After retiring from the military, Herke served as director of the Minnesota Office of Enterprise Sustainability, where he assisted all 24 cabinet-level state agencies in developing sustainability plans to reduce energy and water consumption and solid waste production.[2][1]
Governor Tim Walz appointed Herke as the 18th Commissioner of the MDVA on January 7, 2019.[2] Walz, who had known Herke for 30 years since their time together in New Ulm, had previously collaborated with him on armory modernization plans described as "a model for the country".[2] The Minnesota Senate Veterans and Military Affairs Committee voted unanimously in March 2021 to recommend Herke's confirmation, more than two years after his initial appointment.[3] Walz reappointed Herke to a second term in January 2023.[4]
As commissioner, Herke:
- Completed design and secured federal and state funding for three new state veterans homes in Bemidji, Montevideo, and Preston, scheduled to open in late 2023 and early 2024.[5]
- Completed design and secured funding for a fourth state veterans cemetery in Redwood Falls, which was dedicated in August 2023.[5]
- Placed more than 1,200 homeless veterans in permanent housing through the "Every Veteran Deserves a Home" plan, which used landlord incentive programs and a low-barrier supportive housing grant to advance Walz's goal of achieving functional zero veteran homelessness statewide.[5][3][6]
- Reopened the bridge over Minnehaha Creek at the Minnesota Veterans Home in Minneapolis, which had been closed for seven years due to disrepair.[5]
- Led the department's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.[3]
In March 2023, Herke dismissed two senior department officials following allegations of a toxic workplace environment at the Hastings Veterans Home.[2]
Illness and death
Herke was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in 2023. He took medical retirement from the MDVA, with his last day as commissioner on September 22, 2023.[2][5] Brad Lindsay was appointed as his successor in December 2023.[2]
Herke died on September 13, 2024, at the age of 61, at Big Sauk Lake in Sauk Centre, Minnesota, surrounded by family and friends.[1][7] He was interred at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery in Little Falls.[1] He was predeceased by his wife Debra and was survived by three sons.[1]
MDVA Commissioner Brad Lindsay stated: "We send our deepest condolences to Commissioner Herke's family and express our gratitude for his service to Minnesota Veterans."[8]
Personal life
Herke married Debra Rose Kortuem on December 28, 1985; she predeceased him.[1] They had three sons: Jon, Joe, and Justin.[1] He was a life member of the American Legion and a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, AMVETS, and Jewish War Veterans.[1] He served as an assistant scoutmaster with the Boy Scouts of America and was a board member of the Minnesota Military and Veterans Museum.[1] He was a member of the Grey Eagle United Methodist Church in Grey Eagle.[1]
References
Sources
- "Larry Herke Obituary". Patton-Schad Funeral Home. September 2024. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
- "Larry Herke, Minnesota veterans affairs commissioner who retired after ALS diagnosis, dies at 61". St. Paul Pioneer Press. September 17, 2024. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
- "Former Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner Larry Herke has Died". KNSI Radio. September 17, 2024. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
- "Appointed over two years ago, MDVA Commissioner Larry Herke receives a confirmation hearing". Minnesota Senate DFL. March 18, 2021. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
- "MDVA Commissioner Herke Retires After 30+ Years of Military and Public Service". Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs. September 2023. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
- "Agency in Mourning Following the Death of Former Commissioner Larry Herke". Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs. September 2024. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
- "Former Minnesota veterans commissioner who resigned after ALS diagnosis dies at 61". Star Tribune. September 2024. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
- "Governor Walz, MDVA Commissioner Herke Announce "Every Veteran Deserves A Home" Plan". Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs. 2020. Retrieved February 17, 2026.