League Recognizes City Leaders

By Andrew Tellijohn

THE C.C. LUDWIG AWARD for elected city officials, JAMES F. MILLER LEADERSHIP AWARD for appointed officials, and the EMERGING LEADER AWARD for city officials with less than eight years of experience were presented by the League of Minnesota Cities at the 2024 Annual Conference.

These awards honor individuals who have consistently done outstanding work to improve the quality of their own cities as well as cities throughout the state. The 2024 winners are Waite Park Mayor Rick Miller, Apple Valley City Administrator Tom Lawell, and St. Louis Park Mayor Nadia Mohamed.

RICK MILLER
WAITE PARK MAYOR
C.C. LUDWIG AWARD WINNER

Through Rick Miller’s tenure as mayor of Waite Park, he’s helped oversee acquisition of state and regional funds for several road projects, spearheaded the construction of major infrastructure projects such as The Ledge Amphitheater and the River’s Edge Park — a premier baseball facility with national and state acclaim — and led the push for local infrastructure, such as new public works and water treatment facilities. He also advocated for the regional sales tax authorization between six St. Cloud regional cities.

Despite his efforts and dedication, he does not seek the limelight, sharing credit with city staff and others who have helped push these initiatives along, often quick with a self-deprecating joke in the process.

“I was born and raised in Waite Park, so I just want to keep doing things that are good for Waite Park,” he says. “Everybody said, ‘Why do you do it? It’s a lot of work,’ but it’s not when you have good staff. I’ve got good staff and I always say they make me look good. Anybody can do my job when somebody else is doing most of the work.”

Big projects, big progress

Among Miller’s proudest moments was reclaiming property from Burlington Northern Railroad, now known as BNSF Railway, in the early 2000s. The polluted space and railroad were cleaned up, and the city built the baseball complex, which is comprised of eight parks, six of which are lit. It’s been a boon to the area.

“That brings a lot of tournaments and a lot of people from not only Waite Park, but out of state,” he said.

A few years later the amphitheater further “put Waite Park on the map,” he said.

Throughout all the growth and development, colleagues note that Miller has never sought praise for his efforts. Miller has been involved in everything, but he never seeks recognition and it’s all for the betterment of the community, according to Jon Noerenberg, who has worked with Miller for nine years as the city’s planning and community development director.

“He is nothing but a fantastic leader for the city,” Noerenberg said. “He’s always been a booster for Waite Park and he acknowledges that what’s good for the city does not always come quickly.”

Noerenberg pointed to the development of two hotels and the Park Event Center in Waite Park. Miller took a long-term approach that involved ensuring that city residents who would be displaced by the project were treated as fairly as possible. The results of that initiative have been tremendous for the city and region, but he also helped people find alternative living arrangements.

“That’s become a pretty good example of redevelopment for our city,” Noerenberg said. “It’s a difficult thing to look at a project that involves relocating people. He helped a number of people. That was a heavy lift for the city to work with all that and then the private partners for the development, as well.”

History of service

His first tenure as mayor ended about the same time he retired from his day job in 2001 as a network technician for the telecommunications company now known as Lumen Technologies.

He had been mayor since 1996 and was ready to step aside from public life.

“Everybody always said ‘what made you run for mayor,’” he said, adding jokingly, “I always say ‘there was nothing else to do in town.’”

But on a serious note, he’d already built a reputation for service. He spent a dozen years working in the Navy before beginning with the city. His dad was a volunteer firefighter, so he did that, as well.

His desire to stay retired changed in 2007 when he decided to wage a write-in candidacy to retake the mayoral role. He won and has maintained the seat ever since.

Regional reputation

While he’s done well for Waite Park, peers in surrounding communities admire his selflessness and say he does a great job of working for the region as a whole.

When Rick Schultz was elected mayor in St. Joseph, he said one of the first calls he received came from Miller. Schultz said Miller helped him understand how the six cities surrounding St. Cloud could work together.

He cites Miller’s efforts to extend the Lake Wobegon Trail into Waite Park and the City of St. Cloud as a catalyst for the creation of The Ledge Amphitheater as a destination entertainment facility.

“You had to get BNSF involved, you had to get Stearns County involved, you had to get St. Joseph Township involved, you had to get the city of St. Cloud involved and, on top of that, we had to get our state senators involved to negotiate with BNSF,” Schultz said. “It took a while — four to five years. Rick really wanted to get that done. It was very complicated.”

Miller also has worked hard to collaborate among six cities surrounding St. Cloud, Schultz said, adding that specifically, Miller advocated strongly for money from a half-cent sales tax collected by these cities to be dedicated to entities like libraries and the St. Cloud Regional Airport for the betterment of each.

“Rick was very vocal about what he wanted to do with that,” Schultz said. “He has the best temperament. I would call it a good balance between trying to force your way through some political issues versus keeping it light and keeping everybody moving forward.”

Ready for retirement

Now, as the city works on plans for expanding its City Hall to create more space for the police department, Miller is making plans for retirement when his current term ends. There are Council members interested in the position and he thinks this time it will be for real.

But as usual, he’s quick with a joke.

“I will definitely tell them they better not have me come back,” he said.

TOM LAWELL
APPLE VALLEY CITY ADMINISTRATOR
JAMES F. MILLER LEADERSHIP AWARD WINNER

When Tom Lawell started working with the small-but-growing City of Apple Valley as an intern in 1984 it was no ordinary internship. The city was growing fast, and he immediately jumped in on development-related activities such as analyzing tax increment financing as a tool for economic development, creating a partnership for the city’s cable television operations, and working on a collaborative ambulance joint venture with Lakeville and Farmington.

“We did a joint powers agreement between the three cities, and I was Apple Valley’s lead staff person helping to get that launched,” Lawell said.

They quickly hired the entity’s first executive director, added paramedics, acquired equipment, and began delivering the service.

“It was an amazing opportunity to learn how things work,” he said. “That’s really what I like about local government — the things you do matter immediately.”

Left and came back

Lawell moved up the ranks quickly, becoming administrative assistant in 1985 and assistant city administrator in 1986. He left to become city administrator in Mendota Heights in 1990 and then became the first ever city manager in Sequim, Washington in 1995. But when he and his wife began starting their family, he returned to Apple Valley as city administrator in 1999 and he’s never left.

“Not many people get a chance to work in a community for a long time, leave for 10 years and then come back again,” he said. “It’s been a good experience all around. Apple Valley is blessed to have amazing elected officials and staff members. I just love the profession and being able to do what we do to help our community thrive.”

Through his second tenure, Lawell has also been executive director of the Apple Valley Economic Development Authority and has overseen tremendous growth, with the population increasing from 45,000 to 56,500 since he became city administrator and the number of housing units available increasing from 19,000 to 21,650.

Planning ahead

He played a role in formulating and executing city comprehensive plans for 2010, 2020, 2030, and 2040, and oversaw during his tenure the addition of new city infrastructure, including the Apple Valley Municipal Center, Apple Valley Transit Station, Fire Station No. 2, and Municipal Liquor Store No. 3, much of which was built in a sustainable, environmentally friendly way.

“Having a long-term leader like Tom be involved in the Apple Valley community has been a stabilizing force for all the growth that Apple Valley has had over the preceding 20 years,” said Rotary Club President Bill Butler.

Finding partners

While being a steward for Apple Valley, Lawell has also become known as an advocate for collaboration among local governments. He and his staff have been instrumental in creating more than 50 joint service agreements and he’s been the long-time chair of the Dakota County Managers Association, a group that meets regularly to discuss solutions to various common issues, one of which these days is the implementation of new cannabis laws.

“I’m always looking for the most efficient and effective way to deliver a service,” he said. “A lot of times, partnerships make all the difference in making that happen. I’m a strong proponent that all of us are smarter than any one of us. So, collaboration really makes us all better.”

In the mid-2000s, Lawell helped lead the development of the High-Performance Partnership, a cooperative among cities in Dakota County dedicated to pursuing collaboration that would reduce the cost-of-service delivery for residents. He also recognized the need for and helped create Dakota 911, the emergency communications center for all of Dakota County.

Apple Valley Mayor Clint Hooppaw said Lawell’s long-term vision and planning efforts and his ability to make residents feel as though they have been heard, even if they aren’t agreed with, are part of what makes him a strong leader.

Hooppaw cited the recent need to begin renovating roads that were approaching 50 years old. The city had to figure out how to pay for full-road replacement and began planning for that years in advance so they could be paid for as part of a regular tax levy rather than through a large special assessment to residents and businesses.

“It’s easier to chunk a little bit monthly than it is to have great big bills show up,” he said. “It never sounds exciting when you say this, but it’s that consistent leadership and long-term vision that make all the difference.”

NADIA MOHAMED
ST. LOUIS PARK MAYOR
EMERGING LEADER AWARD

In 2023, with backing from several heavyweight state political figures like Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, Nadia Mohamed was elected the first Somali mayor in the U.S. and the first woman of color elected to the role in St. Louis Park.

She’d already been on the City Council since 2019 when, at 23, she became the city’s youngest council representative on record. Before that, she had served on the police department’s Multicultural Advisory Committee.

But Mohamed’s career in service in some ways kicked off well before that when, at the age of 10, her family came to the United States from Somalia and she began translating for her parents to help them navigate their new home.

“I don’t regret that and don’t look back and wish I hadn’t experienced that,” she said. “It’s that very experience that has led me to want to advocate, to want to be able to navigate this complex system for people who don’t know how or don’t have the time to do it.”

Diversity efforts started with policing

She was an effective and valued member of the Multicultural Advisory Committee, said Police Lt. Mikael Garland, who praised her work and her support of the department.

“Nadia was an invaluable asset, working toward the betterment of the community and connections with the police department,” he said. “She has shown a remarkable ability to collaborate with others, listen to diverse perspectives, and drive change. Her efforts have had a measurable impact on the lives of our community members, and she has played a pivotal role in advancing the goals and initiatives of our police department.”

Mohamed is proud to have played a role in ensuring the department is making the effort to better hear from all factions of the community.

“They put together this multicultural group,” she said. “I got to join it and that’s how it got started.”

Inclusion has been a part of her focus in her roles as city councilor and mayor, as well, say colleagues, who add that her affable personality has helped move this and other issues forward within the city.

“Diversity, equity, and inclusion are not buzzwords for mayor Mohamed,” said City Manager Kim Keller. “They are baked into who she is. She trains on diversity and inclusion all day at the state.”

Her efforts at connecting people through events, classes, and conversations earned her the St. Louis Park Human Rights Award in 2018.

Other goals and interests

Mohamed has also been an equity specialist at Robbinsdale Area Schools and is now a diversity, equity, and inclusion specialist at the Minnesota Department of Human Services.

“I think Mayor Mohamed’s commitment to diversity comes from her lived experience, not just as a Muslim woman and coming from an immigrant family but also her diversity of experience in the health and human services field,” said Rep. Cheryl Youakim, DFL-Hopkins.

In addition to her inclusion and public safety efforts, Mohamed is proud of the work she’s put in revamping how the city’s boards and commissions operate so they work better for the public.

She has also become an advocate for affordable housing, in particular, supporting the city’s first-generation home ownership and payment assistance programs.

Mohamed said she’ll serve the city as long as the city wants her and then figure out the future later. But for now, she’s immensely popular with the Council and colleagues, who say she’s smart and friendly, knows when to be serious, but also realizes it’s OK to have fun sometimes.

“It’s been a pleasure to know Nadia for at least a decade and I look forward to every time we come in contact,” Garland said. “She’s a great person.”

At a young age, she’s taken on leadership roles that would be difficult for even those with greater levels of experience.

“It’s really hard to be an elected official, to stand up and say I want to take on this difficult job,” Keller said. “And she does it with grace and humility.”

Pressure to succeed?

So, as a young Somali woman accomplishing many firsts, does she feel pressure to excel? She takes it in stride, recognizing that she is carrying a banner for folks who will follow but is not doing so alone.

“It’s been a whirlwind, but it’s been steady,” she said. “I have been fortunate enough to be surrounded by an amazing support system, both with city staff, my mentors, my friends, my family. It kind of feels like you’re lifted off your feet.”

Andrew Tellijohn is a freelance writer.