Mayor-elect Melvin Carter announces new St. Paul city department directors

St. Paul Mayor-elect Melvin Carter announced director appointments for city departments Friday, picking six new leaders and retaining four already working in those roles, after community hiring panels weighed in on the possible candidates.

Among the new hires is a new city attorney, Lyndsey Olson, who is now general counsel of the Minnesota National Guard. Other new leaders will oversee libraries, technology, planning, human resources and emergency management.

The selection comes after more than 100 people served on panels to interview and deliberate over candidates.

"With their help and support, we have engaged a group of department leaders that bring a rich, diverse set of values, backgrounds, and skills," Carter said in a statement.

Bruce Corrie will oversee the city's Department of Planning and Economic Development. Corrie, an associate vice president of Concordia University, is known for his work studying the impact economic impact of minorities and immigrants. Sharon Kennedy Vickers, who will oversee the Office of Technology and Communications, works as an IT management consultant for the city. She co-founded the group Blacks in Technology Twin Cities in 2015.

The new library director is Catherine Penkert, who has worked at the city in a variety of roles since 2008, most recently as the senior innovation consultant. Andrea L. Turner will oversee the Department of Human Resources after holding the same role for the state's Management and Budget office, as well as Department of Administration. An emergency management coordinator for the city, Lucy Angelis, will become the acting director of the Emergency Management Department.

Department directors under Mayor Chris Coleman who will retain their posts are Ricardo Cervantes of the Department of Safety and Inspections, Mike Hahm of the Department of Park and Recreation, Todd Hurley with the Office of Financial Services and Kathy Lantry of the Department of Public Works.

The city's police chief, human rights director and general manager of water services were not up for reappointment.

Eric Roper • 612-673-1732 Twitter: @StribRoper