Abdirahman Muse
Metropolitan Council Member, District 8
Abdi Muse was appointed to the Metropolitan Council by Gov. Tim Walz in March 2019. Muse lives in St. Anthony and represents District 8, which includes the City of St. Anthony and the eastern half of Minneapolis.
Meet your Council Member
What compelled you to apply for a seat on the Council?
I want to see inclusive and equitable growth where everyone reaches his or her potential and where disparities are eliminated. With that spirit, I applied to serve the people of District 8.
What are you most looking forward to during your service at the Council?
I look forward to getting to know my colleagues and finding areas of common ground where Met Council initiatives would be beneficial both to their districts and my district.
What do you think is most on the minds of people in your district?
The residents of my district have a strong interest in the Met Council fulfilling its mandate on all the issues under our purview. My constituents know how much the Council’s work can benefit our region because of the positive impact that has already been achieved. For example, District 8 (one of the densest in the region) includes significant portions of both the Green Line LRT and Blue Line LRT. These projects are not just providing access to jobs but are transforming our communities with sustainable development. There is much more work to do, particularly on affordable housing and reducing sprawl – which increases pollution and inequality. But my constituents have already seen the regional benefits of the Council’s work.
What will be your priority in 2019?
Although the region is economically thriving, inequities keep us from reaching our full potential. So I will focus on housing equity and inclusion to make sure that jobs are closer to where people live. Also, I am interested in working on diversifying the Council’s workforce at both the entry level and higher management levels to make sure that we reflect our diverse region. Finally, I look forward to exploring ways to expand DBE and MCUB business opportunities for minorities and underserved communities.
What changes would you like to see in the region by 2040?
I would like to see the region position itself globally and to brag about our world-class amenities to attract both international investment and tourism.
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
I enjoy running, reading, singing karaoke, eating my favorite camel burger, and following national and international current affairs.
Biography
Muse is executive director of Awood Center in Minneapolis, a community organization focused on advocating for and educating Minnesota’s growing East African communities about their labor rights. The Awood (the Somali word for “power”) Center also helps develop leadership and mobilize East African communities to improve the lives of all working people.
He previously served Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges as a senior policy aide on housing, neighborhoods, and as a liaison to the Somali community. He has been an organizer for Service Employees International Union, focused on improving employment conditions for workers in the home care and health care facility field.
“I’ve worked outside the system as an advocate and I’ve worked on the inside with policymakers to help make sure government works for the people. That’s where my passion lies. I have worked all my professional life for inclusive economic development and worker rights. So the policy areas I would like to focus on are housing affordability and inclusion, specifically regional planning for inclusive housing, and inclusive economic development and engagement.”
Committee assignments
Contact
390 Robert St. N.
St. Paul, MN 55101
612-590-8579
abdirahman.muse@metc.state.mn.us