Today, the City Council approved Mayor Jacob Frey’s nomination of Timothy Sexton to be the City’s new director of the Public Works Department. Sexton currently serves as the assistant commissioner for sustainability, planning and program management for the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT).

Sexton begins his new role with Public Works on May 6, overseeing a department with approximately 1,100 employees that build, operate and maintain the City’s public infrastructure and deliver critical services, such as solid waste and recycling collection, safe drinking water, street maintenance and emergency sewer and road repairs.

At MnDOT, Sexton leads a staff of 350 people and provides strategic direction for all modal programs (freight, rail, waterways, aeronautics, transit, walking, biking, shared mobility), research and innovation, asset management, and sustainability and public health.

“I am excited to begin working with the Public Works team to further our City’s vision for a safe, equitable, and sustainable infrastructure system of the future,” Sexton said. “Thank you to Mayor Frey and the City Council for their vote of confidence. I look forward to continued partnership as we work together to make people’s lives better across the city.”

“Having Tim Sexton at the helm of our Public Works department is the right choice for our city,” said Mayor Jacob Frey. “A big part of tackling climate change at the local level is through transportation – and that is exactly the kind of expertise Tim will bring to this role. I’m excited to support his vision and know he will serve Minneapolis with integrity and passion.”

“We are grateful to Tim Sexton for accepting his appointment to the position of Public Works Director,” said Council Member Katie Cashman, chair of the Climate & Infrastructure committee. “I have appreciated getting to know him these last couple weeks and learning more about his deep experience on clean and safe transportation throughout Minnesota. His work on climate and equity has meaningfully moved our transportation systems forward and I know he will continue that work here at the city. He's also shown an interest and willingness to deeply engage on issues of solid waste in our city and I look forward to our collaboration as he takes up the role of Public Works Director for the City of Minneapolis.”