Palm hire as new City IT director ‘home run' Mike Christopherson Crookston Times The Crookston City Council at a special meeting this week enthusiastically approved the hiring of Chad Palm as information technology director for the City, replacing Philip Barton, who resigned. Ward 1 Council Member Jake Fee said the hiring of Palm, a Crookston High School and UMN Crookston grad and previous City IT director in the early and mid-1990s, is a “home run” hire for the City. “We’re getting a very good one here…very talented,” Fee said. Palm also used to be a teacher in Crookston. Since leaving Crookston, he’s worked in IT for Becker County and is currently IT director in Chaska, Minnesota, in the seven-county metro area. He’ll be putting in his notice there, City Administrator Amy Finch said, and is poised to start in Crookston on Jan. 11, 2021.