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Politics and Government News
Jon Collins

Kelliher begins new chapter in political career as head of Minneapolis operations

a man and a woman pose holding a frame
Margaret Anderson Kelliher during her swearing in ceremony as Minneapolis' first ever city operations officer on Wednesday.
Jon Collins | MPR News

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The newest chapter in Margaret Anderson Kelliher’s career in government service begins this week in Minneapolis. The former Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives, MnDOT commissioner and head of the Minneapolis Public Works Department, was recently sworn in as Minneapolis’ first ever city operations officer.

Mayor Jacob Frey described Kelliher’s appointment as the final cabinet appointment in the city’s transition to a new government structure that gives the mayor more executive authority, which was approved by voters in 2021 and implemented throughout last term.

“Margaret has been at the forefront of navigating incredible challenges and opportunities, finding problems, and perhaps most importantly finding consensus,” Frey said. “She is a person that brings people together.”

The new position oversees 17 departments around the city, including civil rights, public works and racial equity, inclusion and belonging. Kelliher said she’s going to prioritize building a positive workplace culture and ensuring that city employees feel valued and supported in their work. 

“It’s important that we’re one year into this government structure,” Kelliher said. “We know what we’ve accomplished already, we also know where we have to reset some relationships going forward, and we are actively doing that every single day.”

Kelliher, who also made an unsuccessful bid for the governor’s office in 2010, is originally from Blue Earth County. However, Kelliher said she’s lived in Minneapolis for 34 years.