Rebecca Otto
State Auditor Otto is serving as President of the National State Auditors Association (NSAA). She is also the Chair of the Human Resources Committee for NSAA and serves on the Executive Committee of the National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers and Treasurers.
State Auditor Otto serves as Chair of the Collaborative Governance Council, which looks for more ways government can collaborate, cooperate, and innovate. She also serves on the Council on Local Results and Innovation, which has developed performance benchmarks and a performance benchmark system for cities and counties to adopt.
State Auditor Otto has earned, for continuing education of public pension plans, a Certificate of Achievement in Pension Trustee Continuing Education from the NCPERS and a Certificate of Achievement in Public Plan Policy/Employee Pensions from the IFEBP.
In 2009 the National State Auditors Association (NSAA) awarded State Auditor Otto its prestigious Excellence in Accountability Award for the Best Practices Review: Reducing Energy Costs in Local Government.
In June of 2011 the League of Minnesota Cities awarded her the LMC President's Award, citing her "unwavering support of Minnesota local government in enhancing effectiveness, efficiency and accountability for all Minnesotans."
Rebecca Otto was elected Minnesota's 18th State Auditor in 2006 after receiving the endorsement of three previous State Auditors from both major political parties. State Auditor Otto was re-elected to a second four-year term in 2010.
Public service is important to State Auditor Otto, who was elected to the Auditor's post after service in state and local governments. She served on the Forest Lake school board and on the district's ad-hoc finance committee.
As a state representative from the Stillwater area she served on the House Local Government, Environment, and Agricultural Policy and Finance committees. In 2003, then-Representative Otto united legislators of both major parties in her effort calling for a truly balanced state budget.
This helped earn her the prestigious New Legislator of the Year Award.
State Auditor Otto holds a Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Minnesota and a B.A. in Biology from Macalester College.
She taught public school seventh-grade science for five years. A successful businesswoman, Otto left a career as president of a 50-employee business she had helped found to devote her time to public service and give back to the community.