Council members & districts

Charlie Zelle

Metropolitan Council Chair

Charles A. Zelle is chairman of Jefferson Lines, an intercity bus company with scheduled passenger routes in 14 heartland states from Minnesota to Louisiana. He held the position of president and CEO for more than 20 years until 2012, when he was appointed commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Transportation. In that capacity, he oversaw a multimodal state transportation agency with an annual budget of more than $4 billion.

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Contact

390 Robert St. N.
Saint Paul, MN 55101
651.602.1453
[email protected]

Judy Johnson

Metropolitan Council Member, District 1

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Judy Johnson is a former City of Plymouth mayor and council member, serving more than 20 years in these roles. She is a past president of League of Minnesota Cities and a former board member of Metro Cities, the Municipal Legislative Commission, and a former member of the Regional Council of Mayors. She serves as the membership services director for the Greater Wayzata Area Chamber of Commerce, where she is in charge of member relations, new member outreach, and membership programming.

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Contact

390 Robert St. N.
Saint Paul, MN 55101
612-384-4636
[email protected]

Reva Chamblis

Metropolitan Council Member, District 2

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Reva Chamblis has wide-ranging experience in planning, organizing, and implementing community engagement projects and organizations. She was a human rights commissioner for the City of Brooklyn Park from 2013 to 2016. She served as consultant for engaging underrepresented residents in Brooklyn Park and other northeast Hennepin County cities in planning for the METRO Blue Line extension project, and is founder and president of Northwest Community Building.

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Contact

390 Robert St. N.
Saint Paul, MN 55101
612-403-4951
[email protected]

Dr. Tyronne Carter

Metropolitan Council Member, District 3

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Dr. Tyronne E. Carter’s work on the Met Council is focused on listening to and representing the perspectives of disadvantaged groups who otherwise would not have a seat at the table. Dr. Carter is particularly interested in building shared prosperity through transportation and housing equity for BIPOC individuals. He strives to be open and inclusive, embodying the principles of servant leadership in his work. 

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Contact

390 Robert St. N.
Saint Paul, MN 55101
612-487-1203
[email protected]

Deb Barber

Metropolitan Council Member, District 4

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Deb Barber is co-founder and senior partner of Canopy Medical LLC. Barber served multiple terms as the chair of the Scott County Human Services Resource Council. She also served as vice chair of the Shakopee Economic Development Advisory Committee, as well as a member of other community advisory boards.

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Contact

390 Robert St. N.
Saint Paul, MN 55101
612-819-0848
[email protected]

John Pacheco Jr.

Metropolitan Council Member, District 5

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John Pacheco Jr. improves equity in the region through his work in the business and non-profit sectors, advocating for more economic and training opportunities for BIPOC communities. He is a regular transit rider who believes that safe, efficient, and reliable transit service, combined with effective community planning, provides a critical foundation for a prosperous community and region. 

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Contact

390 Robert St. N.
Saint Paul, MN 55101
651-602-1727
[email protected]

Robert Lilligren

Metropolitan Council Member, District 6

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Robert Lilligren is the CEO of the Native American Community Development Institute (NACDI), an asset-based development nonprofit. A citizen of the White Earth Ojibwe Nation, he is the first Tribal member to serve on the Met Council. He served for over 12 years as the Vice President on the Minneapolis City Council, again the first Native person serving on that body. Lilligren has a lifelong history of community service at all levels. He has served on the boards of many nonprofit organizations, such as OutFront MN and LSS. He is past chair of, and still active in, the Metropolitan Urban Indian Directors (MUID), a regional Native leadership forum. Among other positions, Lilligren serves as an officer for the board of Meet Minneapolis, the Heading Home Hennepin Executive Committee that works to end homelessness in the county, and on the capital campaign committees of several community-based projects.

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Contact

390 Robert St. N.
Saint Paul, MN 55101
651-602-1095
[email protected]

Yassin Osman

Metropolitan Council Member, District 7

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Yassin Osman is committed to building an equitable and prosperous region for all through his work as a Met Council member. He believes that authentic stakeholder and community engagement, based on accountability, active listening, and responsiveness, are key to ensuring that all voices are heard and represented in the Met Council’s work.

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Contact

390 Robert St. N.
Saint Paul, MN 55101
612-487-1204
[email protected]

Anjuli Cameron

Metropolitan Council Member, District 8

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Anjuli Cameron is the CEO of SEWA-AIFW. She has an extensive background in community-based research in state government and at academic institutions. Cameron’s current research, combined with two decades of community engagement experience, addresses complex policy issues for Asian, Pacific Islander, and underserved communities across Minnesota. Cameron serves on a number of boards and advisory bodies, including the Minnesota Board on Aging.

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Contact

390 Robert St. N.
Saint Paul, MN 55101
612-487-1206
[email protected]

Diego Morales

Metropolitan Council Member, District 9

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Diego Morales grew up in Las Vegas. Since moving to the Twin Cities, he has developed a deep appreciation for the region’s parks system, diverse amenities, and abundant opportunities for his young family. He promotes the Met Council’s efforts to sustain the Twin Cities region’s exceptional quality of life by working to improve amenities and opportunities for everyone. Morales is a business representative for North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters, where he serves on the board of trustees for its pensions and health funds and a member of its apprenticeship committee. He reviews labor agreements, offers career guidance for new contract carpenters, and resolves conflicts between carpenters and developers. Morales works with the Minnesota Department of Labor, city attorneys, neighborhood groups, and worker rights advocates to ensure equitable pay and conditions for workers.

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Contact

390 Robert St. N.
Saint Paul, MN 55101
651-602-1727
[email protected]

Peter Lindstrom

Metropolitan Council Member, District 10

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Peter Lindstrom served as mayor in Falcon Heights for 11 years and was a city council member for 8 years before that. He is a manager with Clean Energy Resource Teams at the University of Minnesota and works with local governments and schools to help make them more energy efficient and utilize renewable energy. Lindstrom has served on the boards of the Roseville Area Schools Foundation, Family Housing Fund, Falcon Heights-Lauderdale Lions Club, and Northeast Youth and Family Services. 

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Contact

390 Robert St. N.
Saint Paul, MN 55101
651-602-1095
[email protected]

Dr. Gail Cederberg

Metropolitan Council Member, District 11

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Dr. Gail Cederberg seeks to build equitable communities, where everyone has a safe and healthy place to live, thrive and belong. She is a water management expert, emphasizing the importance of water as a universal connecting element in regional development and land use policy. Dr. Cederberg seeks to engage and listen to all voices and increase collaboration with local partners to ensure everyone belongs in planning for sustainable growth.

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Contact

390 Robert St. N.
Saint Paul, MN 55101
612-487-1205
[email protected]

Susan Vento

Metropolitan Council Member, District 12

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Susan Vento is dedicated to building a resilient and equitable region. As a long-time environmental activist, she understands that environmental quality and sustainability are important for quality of life. She is proud of the region’s parks system and the Met Council’s role in supporting sustainable and inclusive development through collaboration with local government and community partners. 

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Contact

390 Robert St. N.
Saint Paul, MN 55101
612-360-3602
[email protected]

Chai Lee

Metropolitan Council Member, District 13

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Chai Lee was born in Thailand and moved with his Hmong family to the United States when he was a year old. They lived in Fresno, California, until 1998, and then moved to Saint Paul, where he attended Humbolt High School and Carleton College. In his work on the Met Council, Lee is focused on emphasizing the Met Council’s role as a leader in convening and facilitating collaboration to support equitable and sustainable planning and policy.

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Contact

390 Robert St. N.
Saint Paul, MN 55101
612-441-1207
[email protected]

W. Toni Carter

Metropolitan Council Member, District 14

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Born in Bessemer, AL and raised in Cleveland, Toni Carter came to Minnesota to attend Carleton College. She received her B.A. from Concordia University-Saint Paul and is a recipient of Honorary Doctorates from Concordia-University Saint-Paul and Carleton College. She is an advocate for integrating and centering justice and equity in policymaking, believing that the Met Council’s role in infrastructure development is a key policy lever to improve community wellness and prosperity. 

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Contact

390 Robert St. N.
Saint Paul, MN 55101
651-602-1727
[email protected]

Tenzin Dolkar

Metropolitan Council Member, District 15

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Tenzin Dolkar is an experienced policymaker with a keen interest in transportation, regional planning, and economic development, with a strong commitment to applying an equity lens in her work. Drawing on her experience in government and the non-profit sector, she is committed to working in partnership with other Council members, community organizations, and local governments to build an equitable and prosperous region. 

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Contact

390 Robert St. N.
Saint Paul, MN 55101
651-602-1727
[email protected]

Wendy Wulff

Metropolitan Council Member, District 16

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Wendy Wulff brings a long-time passion for public service and local government to the Met Council. 

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Contact

390 Robert St. N.
Saint Paul, MN 55101
952-484-3353
[email protected]