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    1. Management

    Met Council chair resigns to focus on health

    Nov. 4, 2019
    The council’s vice chair will assume the role of interim chair.
    Both headshots courtesy Metropolitan Council
    Left, Nora Slawik will step down as Metropolitan Council Chair on Nov. 15; right, Met Council Vice Chair Molly Cummings will step into the role of Interim Chair of the council.
    Left, Nora Slawik will step down as Metropolitan Council Chair on Nov. 15; right, Met Council Vice Chair Molly Cummings will step into the role of Interim Chair of the council.

    Metropolitan Council (Met Council) Chair Nora Slawik will step down from her position effective Nov. 15 and Met Council Vice Chair Molly Cummings will fill the role as interim council chair per the Met Council’s bylaws.  

    Slawik submitted her resignation letter to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz citing health reasons caused by the stress of the position. Gov. Walz will be tasked with naming a permanent replacement.

    “My time at the council has been filled with exciting opportunities to connect with Minnesotans around the region and learn more about the region’s economy and infrastructure needs," said Slawik. "The council plays a critical role in the economic engine that is the Minneapolis-St. Paul region and in strengthening the fabric of our communities through transit connections, planning and critical services. I’m proud of the work we’ve done together, and I look forward to seeing this region succeed into the future.”

    A similar situation occurred in December 2018, when former Chair Alene Tchourumoff left for a new position at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis and then-Vice Chair Harry Melander led the council until Slawik’s appointment.

    Slawik was appointed to the chair position in December 2018. One of her first moves as chair was to seek confirmation from the Met Council to name Meredith Vadis as regional administrator and Wes Kooistra as Metro Transit general manager in Minneapolis. During her leadership, the Met Council also saw the execution of a $74.1-million federal grant for Metro Transit’s Orange Line Bus Rapid Transit Line and the awarding of a $194.4-million systems contract for the Southwest Light Rail Transit project.

    "Chair Nora Slawik has been an east metro leader for decades. We share a commitment to ensuring a safe, successful Green Line, plus building a balanced transit system that includes investing in the Gold, Riverview and Rush lines. As Minnesota’s appropriator, I always viewed Nora as a trusted partner as the state seeks to secure federal funding, so this unanticipated departure is certainly a big loss. I wish Nora and her family all the best," said U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum (DFL-MN-4).

    About the Author

    Mischa Wanek-Libman | Editor in Chief

    Mischa Wanek-Libman serves as editor in chief of Mass Transit magazine. She is responsible for developing and maintaining the magazine’s editorial direction and is based in the western suburbs of Chicago.

    Wanek-Libman has spent more than 20 years covering transportation issues including construction projects and engineering challenges for various commuter railroads and transit agencies. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content. 

    She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and serves as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.  

    She is a graduate of Drake University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication with a major in magazine journalism and a minor in business management.

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