Mr. Joe Belford - County Commissioner in Ramsey County, ND
Joe was raised on a farm at Webster, North Dakota and attended county school, later moving to Devils Lake and graduating from Devils Lake High School and Devils Lake Community College. Joe started working for a petroleum company and later bought in to the business until 2008.

He has been married for 48 years and has 4 children and one grandchild.

Joe has been involved in many community boards over the years including serving on the Devils Lake City Commission for 12 years,10 years as Vice Chairman. During that time he was on the board of the North Dakota League of Cities serving as state president in 1982-83. He was then elected to the Ramsey County Commission in 1988 starting his 22 year in that position. Joe served as state president in 1995. He is the only person who has served as state president of both boards in North Dakota. He has lobbied the North Dakota Legislative sessions since 1975 in Bismarck for the cities, counties and Water issues of North Dakota.

Joe helped organize the Red River Basin Commission and currently serves as Sect-Treasure of the board. He also served on the North Dakota Peace Officers Standards and Training Board appointed by the North Dakota Attorney General.

The Devils Lake flooding started in the spring of 1993. In 1995 Joe was selected by local officials, Governor Schaffer, and the North Dakota State Water Commission to the position of Down Stream Coordinator, traveling to North Dakota, Minnesota, Manitoba and Washington DC, telling their story and asking for help to solve the flooding issues.