By Chris Reinoos

When Mark Bjorlie retired from the Austin YMCA in May 2012, he accepted an offer to serve on an interim basis when necessary.

Bjorlie’s first interim position comes in Fergus Falls, where he started as the interim executive director on Feb. 26.

“I can’t determine if I want to do this on an as-needed basis until I actually try it,” Bjorlie said.

Bjorlie worked for the YMCA for 34 years, including serving as the director at the Austin location for 15 years, where he was replaced by Tedd Maxfield.

Bjorlie still lives in Austin and commutes to Fergus Falls each Monday. The interim position requires him to work two or three days a week, so he typically drives back to Austin Wednesday.

Despite the long commute, Bjorlie was excited by the opportunity to work at the Fergus Falls location, one of the few Minnesota YMCA locations he had yet to visit.

“It intrigued me to get a feel for what it’s like here,” he said.

The Fergus Falls YMCA Board is reviewing applications to fill the permanent position.

Bjorlie expects to serve as interim director for a few months.

In that time, he doesn’t plan on making any big changes. His highest priority is being supportive to the board as it looks to transition to a full-time director.

“We have a good staff dedicated to what they’re doing, and it’s fun to be a part of it,” Bjorlie said.