The St. Paul City Council selected Russel Balenger to join their ranks as an interim council member representing the city's First Ward through 2023.
Balenger, 71, will fill the seat vacated by former Council Member Dai Thao, who moved to Florida for a new job. He is the founder and director of the St. Paul-based Circle of Peace Movement, a nonprofit working to combat violence through community engagement.
"I am looking forward to the opportunity to further the work of making Ward 1 a strong and lasting example of a great place to live," Balenger said in a statement. "My life's work has led me to this role, and I will deliver for the people of my community."
Balenger was born and raised in St. Paul's Rondo neighborhood, where his family owned a 16-room home that was torn down to make way for the construction of Interstate 94 in the 1950s and 1960s, he said.
According to his resume, Balenger has owned and operated an art and antique store and a catering business. He lived in Chicago and Ann Arbor, Mich., before moving back to his home in St. Paul's Summit University neighborhood.
In an interview Monday, Balenger said he plans to start listening to the residents of the First Ward and learning all he can about the council's procedures and policy work.
"I want to see where everyone else is and where I can be supportive," he said. "I've always had this interest in young people and their families. I want to make sure that there's more opportunities for youth and families. I want them to have access to jobs, recreation and education."
Balenger and his wife, Sarah, founded the Circle of Peace Movement in 2010 as their St. Paul neighborhood was seeing an uptick in youth violence. Since then, the group has hosted more than 600 meetings where people from all walks of life — incarcerated youth, police officers, judges, college students, activists and more — could share their stories and listen to others.
