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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 28, 2025
Contact:
Jay Willms, Interim Director of Council Operations
Jay.Willms@ci.stpaul.mn.us
Saint Paul City Council Announces 2025 Leadership Following Transition
SAINT PAUL – Today, the Saint Paul City Council announced today that it will elect new leadership for 2025, including new leaders of the City Council, Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA), and Council committees. The leadership changes will take effect on February 12th, following the transition of Council President Jalali who is stepping down to focus on her health after the February 5th meeting.
Councilmember Rebecca Noecker (Ward 2) will become Council President, and Councilmember Hwa Jeong Kim (Ward 5) will continue to serve as Council Vice President. Councilmember Cheniqua Johnson (Ward 7) will chair the HRA, and Councilmember Saura Jost (Ward 3) will serve as Vice Chair.
The Council will also share information about the public appointment process to select an interim Councilmember for Ward 4 in the coming weeks.
“As I exit City Hall to focus on my health, I care deeply about our community having continued focused leadership across the Council,” said outgoing Council President Mitra Jalali. “Local government is on the frontlines for our community right now in a difficult national reality, and in this transition, I want Saint Paul to know we are still here for you. I am grateful to incoming Council President Noecker, whose institutional knowledge and experience will continue to be an asset to our Council; to Vice President Kim, for her continued support as Vice President in this transition; excited for incoming HRA Chair Johnson, who will become the first Black woman ever to chair the HRA; and thankful to Councilmembers Jost, Bowie and Yang, who will all also be stepping up into more responsibilities. I have invested so much in our Council succeeding, and I am proud to see my colleagues take these steps forward. I know they will carry on our collective work in this next chapter together.”
“I’m grateful for Council President Jalali’s leadership during our first year as a new Council. She has been a driving force for positive change, and she will be dearly missed,” said incoming Council President Rebecca Noecker. “I deeply appreciate my colleagues’ support as I take on this new role, and I look forward to continuing our work to build a more resilient, vibrant, and inclusive Saint Paul. I will work hard every day to make sure our Council is fully equipped to pass good policy and fight for the interests of our constituents, especially in a time of uncertainty in federal and state government.”
Councilmember Noecker will also chair the Council’s Organizational and Policy Committee, which is responsible for advancing shared policy priorities, with Councilmember Johnson serving as Vice Chair. The Budget Committee will be chaired by Councilmember Nelsie Yang (Ward 6) with Councilmember Kim serving as Vice Chair. The Audit Committee will continue to be chaired by Councilmember Noecker.
The Library Board will continue to be chaired by Councilmember Saura Jost, and Councilmember Anika Bowie (Ward 1) will serve as Vice Chair.
The Council also intends to create a new Public Safety Committee whose scope and responsibilities will be defined. Councilmembers Bowie and Yang will serve as chair and vice-chair, respectively. This expanded leadership structure aims to maximize the expertise of new and returning Councilmembers alike and give more opportunities for Councilmembers to gain additional leadership experience.
“We are reimagining how power is held and shared and building a deep bench of leadership ability amongst all Councilmembers,” said Council Vice President Hwa Jeong Kim. “When our members have a wider range of policy and leadership experiences, we’ll be able to craft better legislation and deliver better services for constituents.”
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