Steven S. Collins has served as the Director of the Appeals Division for the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) for four years and was an Administrative Law Judge for the Appeals Division for four years prior to his promotion to Director. He holds a J.D. from the University of South Dakota School of Law and a B.S. in Journalism and Political Science from South Dakota State University. After four years in private practice, he became City Attorney for Redwood Falls, Minnesota, and was subsequently elected Redwood County Attorney. He served as Judge Advocate General Officer in the U.S. Army for 14 years. He retired from that position in 2016, after 28 years of combined service in the U.S. Army, the Army National Guard, and the U.S. Army Reserve.