Mayor Rybak to nominate Paul Aasen as next City Coordinator
Mayor R. T. Rybak has nominated Paul Aasen, the current commissioner of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, to be the next Minneapolis City Coordinator. Aasen will bring 25 years of experience in the public, private and nonprofit sectors to the job.
- As commissioner of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency for Governor Mark Dayton from 2011 to the present, he leads an organization of 925 employees and a $135 million biennial budget.
- As director of government relations and policy in the Governor’s office under Governor Jesse Ventura from 2000–03, he represented the Governor on all policy matters with the Legislature.
- As assistant commissioner of the Department of Public Safety under Governor Ventura from 1999–2000, he managed finance, human resources and information technology, and played a key role in criminal-justice information (CriMNet) legislation.
- As director of the State of Minnesota Division of Emergency Management under Governor Arne Carlson from 1998–99, he led the State’s effective response to the catastrophic spring storms of 1998.
- As executive director of the Minnesota Emergency Response Commission under Governor Carlson from 1992–98, he managed the staff and budget of a 22-member commission under the Department of Public Safety that helps communities deal safely with hazardous chemicals.
Aasen has also worked in the nonprofit and private sectors. In the nonprofit sector, he served as executive vice president of Global Volunteers from 2004–07 and as advocacy director of the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy from 2007–11. In the public sector, he was principal of Independent Strategic Consulting from 2003–04.
He began his career in 1986 as an environmental scientist at the Metropolitan Waste Control Commission. He holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of Minnesota, the latter from the School of Public Health.
The Mayor will officially make the nomination at Executive Committee on May 2, 2012. From there the nomination will move forward to a public hearing at Committee of the Whole and then be considered by the full City Council. It is currently anticipated that the public hearing will be held on May 10, with full City Council consideration on May 11, 2012.
Published May. 1, 2012