FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Wednesday, January 24, 2018
CONTACT: Liz Xiong
Liz.Xiong@ci.stpaul.mn.us
651-357-8448
Mayor Carter Announces Three New Chief Officer Positions
Mayor Carter Announces Three New Chief Officer Positions Centered On the Administration’s Values of Equity, Innovation, and Resilience.
SAINT PAUL – Today, Mayor Carter announced three new chief officer positions, which have never existed before in the City of Saint Paul’s 163 year history. Centered around the administration’s core values of equity, innovation, and resilience, the positions are Chief Equity Officer, Chief Innovation Officer, and Chief Resilience Officer. The creation of these roles will shape a structural shift in the Saint Paul Mayor’s Office. One that places these values at the center of operations, elevates the role of culture in city government to drive a new vision for public service, and embeds a new lens for problem solving in every facet of the city’s work.
"To build a city that works for all of us, we need fundamental change at the structural level of government,” said Mayor Melvin Carter. “The creation of these new chief officer positions around our core values of equity, innovation, and resilience will transform the way City Hall serves Saint Paul residents.”
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Toni Newborn, Chief Equity Officer: As Chief Equity Officer, Newborn will convene equity change teams across departments. These teams will work to ensure workplace cultural shifts in city processes and policies. They will help eliminate structural barriers to city services, resources, and support. They will also enhance opportunities for every resident in Saint Paul.
Newborn previously served as the City of Saint Paul’s Interim Director of Human Resources. Prior to that she served as the Diversity and Consulting Services Manager. Before joining the City of Saint Paul, she served as the Assistant Director of Civil Rights for the Complaint Division of the Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights which enforces Minneapolis’ anti-discrimination laws and policies. Newborn also serves as an adjunct professor at the University of St. Thomas School of Law. Newborn’s educational background commenced in Birmingham, Alabama, her hometown, where she graduated from Birmingham-Southern College in 2003 with a B.A in Political Science. She also obtained a J.D. degree from William Mitchell College of Law in Saint Paul, Minnesota and became a licensed attorney in the State of Minnesota in 2008.
Tarek Tomes, Chief Innovation Officer: As Chief Innovation Officer, Tomes will lead the innovation team, engage city departments in continuous improvement processes following the principles of human-centered design, and help reimagine city services to improve the lives of Saint Paul residents and businesses.
Tomes became Saint Paul’s first Chief Information Officer and the Director for the Office of Technology and Communications in 2014. Prior to joining Saint Paul, he spent over 20 years in technology leadership roles with British Telecom, Control Data Systems, State of Minnesota, STS GmbH. He also led several large technology initiatives with global fortune 500 organizations. Tomes has prior international experience living and working abroad in Europe. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland.
Russ Stark, Chief Resilience Officer: Current Ward 4 Councilmember Russ Stark will step down from his seat as of February 15, 2018 to serve as Chief Resilience Officer. In this position, Stark will promote sustainability strategies aimed at protecting Saint Paul families from the effects of climate change. Stark will also engage in internal and external advocacy with regard to green building standards, transit advocacy, the City’s Complete Streets plan, and implement initiatives to reduce our carbon footprint through energy and resource efficiencies.
Before taking office, Russ worked for University UNITED, a nonprofit coalition of residents and businesses that promotes transit-oriented development along University Avenue. Russ later directed the Midway Transportation Management Organization (TMO), working to improve opportunities for transit use, bicycling, and walking in St. Paul.
He grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada and graduated valedictorian from Chaparral High School. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Swarthmore College and a Master’s degree in Urban Affairs and Public Policy from the University of Delaware. He lives in Hamline-Midway with his wife Betsy Murray, and children Isaac and Abbey.
Mayor Carter also announced the following staff appointments in his administration:
Naomi Alemseged, Constituent Outreach Coordinator
Kaohly Her, Policy Director
Ikram Koliso, Policy Associate
Peter Leggett, Director of Communications & Marketing
Noel Nix, Deputy Director of Intergovernmental Relations & Community Engagement
Chris Rider, Senior Aide to the Deputy Mayor
Camille Tinnin, VISTA Leader
LyLy Vang-Yang, Policy Associate
Liz Xiong, Press Secretary
ThaoMee Xiong, Director of Intergovernmental Relations
Daniel Yang, Senior Policy Advisor
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