Nancy Trautman said she brings a positive attitude and a willingness to compromise to her duties as a Pennington County commissioner.

Trautman, appointed to the commission in January 2007 to finish the term of Mark Kirkeby, who resigned, is seeking election to her first full term.

She will face former commissioner Lyle Hendrickson and newcomer Wayne Sumner for the Republican nomination in the June 3 primary. No Democrat has filed for the commission seat from District 2.

Trautman said her positive attitude is an asset on the commission. "I look at how we can do it, rather than how we can't do it," she said. "You just have to ask the right questions, you have to listen, you have to be civil and you have to be kind."

But Trautman also said she does her homework. "I really do read what I'm supposed to read," she said.

She said issues important to her include long-range county planning (she favors hiring a long-range planning consultant), a cost-of-services study, alternative funding sources, water quality and budgeting.

Trautman, 56, grew up on a ranch near Hermosa, graduated from Rapid City Central High School and attended Black Hills State University.

She worked in the financial industry in the Black Hills for more than 30 years.

She is now the marketing director at Westhills Village Retirement Community.

Trautman serves on the Rapid City Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and has served as chairwoman of the American Heart Walk for the past two years.

She received awards from the governor's office for her work in helping to bring the "Character Counts!" program to the Rapid City area, according to her announcement.

In 2005, she was honored with the Minuteman award from the South Dakota Army National Guard for her support of the 109th Engineering Group while it was deployed to Afghanistan.