The new year is bringing new blood to the county board.

Polly Glynn will be sworn in to the District 2 seat at 8:15 a.m. Tuesday before she participates in her first meeting as commissioner at 1 p.m.

“I’m just looking forward to the challenge,” she said.

As the retired president of First State Bank of Minnesota in LeRoy, Glynn believes she’ll bring a different skill set to the county board than Ray Tucker, who was known for his work with wind energy, the ditch board and the highway department.

“I’m hoping that I can contribute something different,” Glynn said.

Glynn defeated Tucker by 61 votes in November, ending his 16-year tenure on the county board.

Now, Glynn is prepared to bring a fresh perspective to the county.

“Ray did a good job, there’s not doubt about that, and it will be a change, but change isn’t always bad,” Glynn said.

After Tucker’s 16 years, Glynn admits it may be odd for other county officials.

“It will be different for the rest of the board not to have Ray there,” she said.

While other commissioners have said it will be tough losing Tucker’s experience, they’re looking for Glynn to bring her own talents.

“I’m sure Polly’s going to bring some strengths to the board, too, with her banking background,” Commissioner Jerry Reinartz said after a December board meeting.

Though Glynn has spoken favorably of Tucker throughout the campaign, she said she doesn’t see replacing the longest-tenured commissioner as a daunting task. Instead, she said she’s excited for the challenges ahead.

Glynn maintains she’s not coming into the role with a set agenda, and her first order of business is to learn the ropes.

“I know that I have a learning curve, so my goal is just to learn as much as I can,” she said.

But Glynn is no stranger to serving on boards, as she served on the Grand Meadow Public Schools board.

Even before she took office, Glynn said residents in her district have called her to express concerns about issues, mainly the county’s rising taxes.

Glynn’s financial background will come in handy, as she said she’ll likely serve on the county’s finance committee.

Glynn has said she’s looking forward to looking forward to working with county departments on the county’s budget issues, especially out of home placements in Human Services.

“I’m excited to visit the different departments and learn a little more about what each of those departments do,” she said.

At the end of January, Glynn will take part in County Government 101, a class put on for all first-time county officials in St. Paul.