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
Charles.Zelle@metc.state.mn.us

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 or 612-373-3815
judy.johnson@metc.state.mn.us

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
reva.chamblis@metc.state.mn.us

Dr. Tyronne Carter

Metropolitan Council Member, District 3

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Dr. Tyronne Carter has more than 20 years of experience in STEM education, training, and development, currently as the CEO and director of marketing and curriculum design for America’s Fun Science. He’s worked as diversity program director for MnDOT Metro, served as a member of the Diversity Action Council, and developed legislative proposals and conducted studies having statewide impact and scope. He’s been a member of the Minnetonka Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force, the Minneapolis NAACP, and Rotary Club of Lake Minnetonka-Excelsior.

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Contact

390 Robert St. N.
Saint Paul, MN 55101
612-487-1203
Tyronne.Carter@metc.state.mn.us

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
deb.barber@metc.state.mn.us

John Pacheco Jr.

Metropolitan Council Member, District 5

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John Pacheco Jr. is the president and founder of the Latino Chamber of Commerce of Minnesota, and a principal with Pacheco & Associates. He has extensive experience with the business community and the district, including recent work with nonprofits to develop workforce initiatives that help close employment and training gaps for communities of color and Indigenous communities. He has also served as a director for the U.S. Bank Foundation and the Xcel Energy Foundation, as well serving on a number of nonprofit boards of directors.

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Contact

390 Robert St. N.
Saint Paul, MN 55101
612-373-3815
john.pacheco@metc.state.mn.us

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
612-373-3815
robert.lilligren@metc.state.mn.us

Yassin Osman

Metropolitan Council Member, District 7

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Yassin Osman has served as a senior advisor for the Office of the Prime Minister of Somalia, where he led anti-corruption policies, including the transition to digital identification and E-government legislative programs. Osman is a community organizer and advocate for the Somali Family Life Center mentoring youth, offering employment advice, and planning community events. He works as an operations manager for Bluemoon, overseeing logistics and resolving conflicts between contractors and customers.

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Contact

390 Robert St. N.
Saint Paul, MN 55101
612-487-1204
Yassin.Osman@metc.state.mn.us

Anjuli Cameron

Metropolitan Council Member, District 8

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Anjuli Cameron is the research director for the Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans. 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
Anjuli.Cameron@metc.state.mn.us

Diego Morales

Metropolitan Council Member, District 9

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Diego 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
612-373-3815
Diego.Morales@metc.state.mn.us

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
612-373-3815
peter.lindstrom@metc.state.mn.us

Dr. Gail Cederberg

Metropolitan Council Member, District 11

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Dr. Gail Cederberg is a retired environmental engineer with more than 30 years of experience leading the remediation and reclamation of brownfields and Superfund sites in Minnesota and throughout the United States as well as managing environmental and health and safety compliance for organizations, including collaborating with the Met Council on redevelopment along the METRO Green Line. Cederberg serves on the board of directors for Environmental Initiative and served as a board member of the Midway Chamber of Commerce. In 2015, Cederberg was selected one of the “Wonder Women of the Year” by Twin Cities Business Magazine for her efforts serving organizations, leading causes, and improving Minnesota’s culture and economy.

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Contact

390 Robert St. N.
Saint Paul, MN 55101
612-487-1205
Gail.Cederberg@metc.state.mn.us

Susan Vento

Metropolitan Council Member, District 12

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Susan Vento is a former school teacher who served as a field representative and program organizer with the Minnesota Education Association and Education Minnesota for nearly 30 years. She was a board member of Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, the National Park Trust, the Friends of the Saint Paul Library, the Ramsey County Historical Society, and Neighborhood House. She serves on the board of directors for Friends of the Mississippi River.

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Contact

390 Robert St. N.
Saint Paul, MN 55101
612-360-3602
susan.vento@metc.state.mn.us

Chai Lee

Metropolitan Council Member, District 13

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Chai Lee is a Program Coordinator for Nexus Community Partners. He helps recruit, interview and select people for the Boards and Commissions Leadership Institute (BCLI). Previously, he was a constituent service representative in the office of Saint Paul Mayor Chris Coleman. Lee serves on the District 1 Community Council in Saint Paul and the Gold Line BRT Community and Business Advisory Committee. He has also served on Saint Paul’s Long-Range Capital Investment Budget Committee (the CIB).

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Contact

390 Robert St. N.
Saint Paul, MN 55101
612-271-2719
chai.lee@metc.state.mn.us

W. Toni Carter

Metropolitan Council Member, District 14

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Toni Carter has served as a local elected policymaker for more than 20 years, including 18 years as the Ramsey County Commissioner. She has led local, regional, state, and national committees, commissions, and organizations as chair of the Saint Paul Board of Education, Ramsey County Board of Commissioners, and National Association of Counties, president of the Association of Minnesota Counties, and co-chair of the Minnesota Human Services Performance Council and Governor’s Commission on Child Welfare.

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Contact

390 Robert St. N.
Saint Paul, MN 55101
612-373-3815
Toni.Carter@metc.state.mn.us

Tenzin Dolkar

Metropolitan Council Member, District 15

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Tenzin Dolkar has more than 15 years of experience in policy development, advocacy, community organizing, and management with state and local governments. She is the Midwest Climate & Energy (Climate) Program Officer for the McKnight Foundation. Previously, she served as the State of Minnesota’s Rail Director and as a policy advisor on transportation, agriculture, and rural issues for Governor Mark Dayton. Dolkar has extensive experience collaborating with the Met Council and negotiating transit funding with the state legislature.

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Contact

390 Robert St. N.
Saint Paul, MN 55101
612-373-3815
Tenzin.Dolkar@metc.state.mn.us

Wendy Wulff

Metropolitan Council Member, District 16

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Wendy Wulff has served on the Metropolitan Council since 2009. Her passion for public service dates back to her enlistment with the U.S. Army Reserve, serving later on the Lakeville City Council and Lakeville Planning Commission and on the board of the League of Minnesota Cities.

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Contact

390 Robert St. N.
Saint Paul, MN 55101
952-484-3353
wendy.wulff@metc.state.mn.us