Mayor Jacob Frey, in consultation with City Operations Officer Margaret Anderson Kelliher, has nominated 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). The nomination comes after an extensive search that yielded an impressive candidate pool.

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.

If approved for the position of Public Works director, Sexton will oversee a department with more than 1,100 employees who build, operate and maintain the City’s public infrastructure and deliver critical services, including solid waste and recycling collection, safe drinking water, street maintenance and emergency sewer and road repairs.

“I am continually impressed by the high-caliber leadership we are recruiting to the City of Minneapolis,” said Mayor Jacob Frey. “The nomination of Tim Sexton is proof of that – and I know Mr. Sexton will take our world-class Public Works department to the next level. His strong background in transportation coupled with his climate action work is exactly the direction we’re headed as a community and as a nation. He is the right person for this role, and I am grateful for his willingness to step in and serve Minneapolis.”

“Timothy Sexton oversees a MnDOT team well-recognized for its excellence,” said City Operations Officer Margaret Anderson Kelliher, who also served as the previous director of Public Works. “Tim’s experience makes him well-positioned to continue elevating our outstanding operations and building and connecting a multi-modal system here in Minneapolis.”

“I’m very grateful for this opportunity with the City of Minneapolis and look forward to serving alongside a great team of public works professionals to efficiently deliver essential services to residents every day with a focus on sustainability and equity,” said Sexton.

The mayor’s nomination has been referred to the City Council to schedule a public hearing for consideration of Sexton’s nomination.