MnDOT commissioner confirmed as new Minneapolis Public Works head

The Minneapolis City Council has approved the commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Transportation as the next head of the city’s Public Works Department.

Margaret Anderson Kelliher will start her new Public Works director role on March 2.

Gov. Tim Walz said Anderson Kelliher will stay as MnDOT commissioner until March 1, at which point Deputy Commissioner and Chief Engineer Nancy Daubenberger will serve as the interim commissioner until a new one is appointed.

“I want to thank Mayor Frey and the members of the Minneapolis City Council for their votes of confirmation,” Anderson Kelliher said in a statement. “This is an exciting time in our country, state and city for renewed investment in infrastructure. I am excited to lead and help residents of Minneapolis deliver high quality services and modern and future-focused transportation and water systems.”

She’s served as MnDOT commissioner since 2019 and previously spent 12 years in the Minnesota House of Representatives. Her Public Works role is a four-year term.

“I am thrilled to have Margaret Anderson Kelliher taking the helm of our City’s largest department at such an important time for Minneapolis,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said in a statement. “Her well-earned reputation for leadership will help our local government steer historic levels of federal funding toward creating a stronger, more inclusive transit system. I am confident that she will be a driving force behind meaningful climate action and strengthening our city’s resilience and core infrastructure.”

“Commissioner Margaret Anderson Kelliher’s efforts to improve and expand our state’s extensive transportation system put the Minnesota Department of Transportation in a strong position for the future,” Walz said in a statement. “I am thankful for the dedicated public servants who will step forward and apply to lead this important agency.”