Meet new Met Council Chair

A Southwest neighbor, Robin Hutcheson, became the new chair of the Metropolitan Council in December 2025. There she will help lead a group of 17 governor-appointed district commissioners while overseeing a budget of $1.7 billion and staff of over 4,000.

Hutcheson was appointed by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, replacing outgoing Chair Charlie Zelle, also a Southwest resident.

The Met Council, established in 1967, is empowered by state law to work with area local governments to develop comprehensive regional plan. It provides wastewater, transportation and park services, and funding for housing and economic development.

The Twin Cities metropolitan region includes seven counties and 181 cities and townships. It includes an estimated 55% of the state’s population.

“I’ve known Robin through her work for years, and professionally our paths have crossed many times,” said District 6 Metropolitan Council Member Robert Lilligren. “I think the governor made an excellent choice in Robin Hutcheson for Met Council Chair.”

District 5 Commissioner John Pacheco Jr. agrees. “She brings extensive experience at both the local and national levels, and her thoughtful leadership will be invaluable as the Metropolitan Council continues its work to build a stronger, more equitable region,” said Pacheo, whose district includes the southwest corner of Minneapolis, west of Lyndale Avenue and south of 42nd Street.

District 6 includes portions of south and southwest Minneapolis. Lilligren is also a former Ward 8 council member.

IMAGINE 2050 PLAN
The Met Council is currently focused on advancing its Imagine 2050 Plan, that they hope will represent a collective effort to expand safe and affordable housing, create abundant and accessible parks and trails, expand fast, frequent, and reliable transportation, ensure clean water for generations, and engage in thoughtful land stewardship for decades to come. 

“I’m very excited to work with my fellow council members and the entire Met Council team to advance the Imagine 2050 Plan,” said Hutcheson. “This is an incredible portfolio of work… with a deep positive impact on our community.”

LOCAL AND FEDERAL JOB EXPERIENCE
Hutcheson moved to Minneapolis from Salt Lake City in 2016 when she was appointed by the mayor and Minneapolis City Council to lead the city’s public works department.

“I loved being a public works director because I was part of an incredible team of professionals who cared so much about taking care of the city,” Hutcheson said. “Every day was unique, ranging from high-level visioning and policy work to on-the-ground issues that needed immediate attention. I went from wearing suits to steel-toed boots depending on the day.”

She is most proud of the work the public works department did in establishing the program to improve city streets.

She left the City of Minneapolis in 2021 when newly elected President Joseph Biden appointed her to work under the secretary of transportation as the administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and deputy assistant secretary for policy.

“My time as an appointee in the Biden Administration was like ‘dog years.’ On my first day I became the Department of Transportation representative on the White House COVID response team,” Hutcheson said. “On my second day I was knee-deep in the development of what became the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which was a $1.2 trillion infrastructure package eventually passed by Congress.”

The package included the Safe Streets for All program, a $5 billion grant program that awarded funding to over 2,000 cities, towns, counties, metropolitan planning organizations, and tribes.

“It wasn’t easy work,” Hutcheson said, noting that the most important lesson she learned was “reasonable people who come from different political parties can still agree with one another.”

She moved back to Minneapolis after the federal job ended following the 2024 presidential election.

“I think the Twin Cities are the best metro area in the United States, and I love my home city of Minneapolis,” she said. “While I was away, I gained an even greater appreciation for our access to natural spaces and swimmable waters. This, along with a great food and arts scene and a community that cares about people reaching their full potential, is why I am back for good.”

Living in Bryn Mawr, Hutcheson said, “What I love most about my neighborhood is that it feels like a village in a park. I have great access to recreation activities, winter and summer. I can ride my bike downtown or to a Twins game in no time, and I’m well served by transit.”

If she had to pick a favorite place in Minneapolis it would be Cedar Lake. Hutcheson likes to spend her free time swimming, skiing, and in nature.

Transportation has been a focus of Hutcheson’s work for decades. Before becoming director of public works for Minneapolis, she was the director of transportation for the city of Salt Lake City, and the president of the board of directors of the National Association of City Transportation Officials.

One of her first public appearances as Met Council Chair was a ribbon cutting on Dec. 6, 2025, at Minneapolis College for the opening of the latest Met Council Bus Rapid Transit Line, The Metro E Line. The route runs through Southwest connecting Edina, downtown, the University of Minnesota, and Prospect Park.

MET COUNCIL’S MANY FACETS
Mass transportation isn’t the only focus of the Met Council, Hutcheson emphasized.

“There is a temptation to focus on a single project or headline, but I would encourage people to look at the many opportunities the Met Council creates for a vibrant and livable community and to take advantage of the many ways to engage and provide feedback, ” Hutcheson said.

Met Council meetings are open to the public and there are over 25 formal advisory committees made up of local elected officials, community members and others to serve on. The committees cover land use, transportation, equity, parks, water, and specific projects like the Southwest Light Rail Greenline extension.

“I have already been impressed with Robin’s openness, transparency, willingness to learn, and engagement with her council colleagues,” said Lilligren. “I look forward to supporting Robin as she puts her impressive private and public sector experience to the service of our region.”

Moving forward, Pacheco encourages her to “lean on” the council members. “We are all serving in our roles as council members to create a healthy region for generations to come,” he said. “We are here to support her leadership and vision.”