Rybak nominates prison consultant for Mpls regulatory services post

Mayor R.T. Rybak has tapped corrections consultant Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde to oversee the city's revamped, less-powerful regulatory services department.

Regulatory services is responsible for housing and fire inspections, traffic control and problem properties. It lost oversight of business licensing, emergency preparedness, environmental management and small construction permits when Rybak reformed the agency in 2012.

Rivera-Vandermyde replaces former director Gregory Stubbs, whose sudden resignation last year remains unexplained. Deputy City Coordinator Jay Stroebel served as the department's interim director.

Rivera-Vandermyde is the president of Fridley-based Indigo Enterprises, which does everything from corrections consulting to document translation. She is also a consultant at Curnyn Consulting, which bills itself as having "vast experience on the front line of jail and prison work as well as the management and administration of correctional facilities as a whole."

From 2001 to 2006, Rivera-Vandermyde was CEO of Correctional Health Services Corp., which provides medical services to all prisoners in Puerto Rico.

Before that, she was the number two official in the Puerto Rico correctional system for two agencies.

"We are privileged to have found such a seasoned leader with a proven ability to lead organizations successfully through very complex challenges. I believe she will be effective both in City Hall and with our communities," Rybak said in a statement.

In addition to her corrections work, Rivera-Vandermyde worked as an attorney in Boston and in Puerto Rico's Department of Justice.

Rybak's nomination will get a public hearing on May 13 and a City Council vote on May 24.

UPDATE: Rivera-Vandermyde was also operations manager for Council Member Kevin Reich's campaign in 2009.