Hennepin County Mentorship Program

The Hennepin County Mentorship Program matches each Humphrey Fellow with a Hennepin County department head, director, or senior staff member with similar areas of interest and expertise. Mentors and mentees have the opportunity to share best practices in areas of professional work and build international colleagueship.  The mentors have included county administrators, county attorneys, several department directors, and other county officials with expertise in human resource management, transportation, finance, public relations, community corrections, research and planning, taxpayer services, public health, social services, environmental services and other areas.
Begun in 2008, the mentorship program creates opportunities to leverage and exchange knowledge of public management in local government and establishes the transference of ideas and best practice across international borders.

Program Elements

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Mentee: Jeyhun Atayev, Azerbaijan
Mentor(s): Ms Carolyn Marinan & Mr. Mark Chapin

Ms. Carolyn Marinanhas served as the Public Affairs Director for Hennepin County government since 1998. Hennepin County is the largest of Minnesota's 87 counties, with about one quarter of the state's population and has more than 8,000 employees. Prior to that, Carolyn spent nearly 20 years in television news and promotion, working for WCCO TV, KSTP TV and KARE 11. She's also done some talk radio and produced and hosted a local travel show on TPT. Carolyn graduated from the University of Minnesota with a BA in Speech-Communication and guest lectures at the U of M School of Journalism in both television reporting and public relations. She has won numerous awards, including an Emmy, a New York Film Festival award, Telly Awards, Best of Gannett and AP. She is on the National Association of County Information Officers (NACIO) Board of Directors. Carolyn volunteers with several nonprofit and charitable organizations in a public relations/communication capacity.

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Mentee: Samuel Coker, Sierra Leone
Mentor(s): Mr. German Alvarado & Mr. Jim Grube

Mr. German Alvarado is an Internal Consultant for Organizational Development with Hennepin County in the Human Resources Department as of January 1996. Prior to Hennepin County, served in the public sector with the City of Saint Paul, Minnesota; City of Reno, Nevada; City of Topeka, Kansas; Douglas County, Kansas; and in various nonprofit organizations spanning 22 years. His MBA is in Government with the University of St. Thomas, a BA in Political Science with the City University of New York City, and Certification in Creative Leadership with the University of Minnesota Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, and as of September 2008 as an Ordained Minister.

Mr. Jim Grube, Director of the Transportation Department - From October 1994 to present, serving as Director of the Transportation Department for Hennepin County, Minnesota. In 2004 was appointed as County Engineer. From July 1985 to October 1994 served as Public Works Director and City Engineer for the City of St. Louis Park, Minnesota. From February 1980 to July of 1985 served as City Engineer, Assistant City Engineer and Project Engineer for the City of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. From July 1977 to February 1980 served as Assistant City Engineer for the City of Fairmont, Minnesota.

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Mentee: Ada Gallegos, Peru
Mentor(s): Mr. Richard Johnson & Ms. Pam Haats

Mr. Richard Johnson is the County Administrator for Hennepin County. Over the last 25+ years, he has served as Finance Director and City Manager of a medium sized suburb and the Finance Director of a growing suburban county of 300,000 people. He has also been the Chief Financial and Operating Officer of a Metropolitan Agency serving the entire twin cities area for regional planning, transit service and waste water treatment. Hennepin County is a large urban county with over 1.1 million residents. He has advanced degrees in Public Administration and Economics.

Ms. Pamela Haats, Manager in the Research, Planning and Development (RPD) Department manages the Hennepin Results program responsible for increasing awareness and understanding of strategic management throughout Hennepin County government. Ms. Haats joined Hennepin County Medical Center in 1979 and has held a variety of administrative and managerial positions in Labor Relations, Human Resources, Human Services, and Business Intelligence before her most recent position in RPD. Ms. Haats earned a Bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota in Business Administration, Psychology and Sociology.

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Mentee: Jun Kim, S. Korea
Mentor(s): Ms. Chester Cooper & Ms. Deborah Huskins

Mr. Chester H. Cooper, III has served as an Area Director with Hennepin County Community Corrections and Rehabilitation since August 2008. Under general direction, he participates in the overall management of the areas of Administrative and Adult Services with the Department of Community Corrections and Rehabilitation. Mr. Cooper has a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Minnesota. Chester Cooper began his career with the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office in 1985 as a Detention Deputy working in the Adult Detention Division. He was subsequently promoted to Deputy Sheriff in 1990 and served in that capacity while being assigned to the Adult Detention Division, Court Security, Narcotics and Sheriff's Administration. In November 1994, Chester was awarded the Medal of Honor by the Minnesota Public Safety Service Awards Committee. During his career with the Sheriff’s Office Chester was promoted to Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain and Inspector. In April 2000 he attended the prestigious FBI National Academy., a three-month management course hosted by the FBI and held in Quantico, Virginia.

Ms. Deborah Huskins is an Area Director in the Hennepin County Human Services and Public Health Department. Her purview includes child welfare and protective services; programs providing mental health, cash, food, and health care benefits for low-income people; and Child Support enforcement. Before taking this position 11 years ago, Deborah worked at the state level for 20 years, first as legislative counsel to Senate health and human service committees, then as Assistant Attorney General to the Departments of Human Services and Health; and finally as Assistant Commissioner for Economic and Community Supports in the Minnesota Department of Human Services. She was involved extensively in the development and implementation of the Minnesota Families Investment Program, which is Minnesota’s welfare reform program for families.

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Mentee: Veerendra Mishra, India
Mentor(s):Mr. Charles Ballentine & Mr. John Mbali

Mr. Charles Ballentine has served as the Senior Administrative Manager for the Hennepin County Transportation Interchange Project Office since January 2010. The Transportation Interchange Project Office plans for the space where people arrive near the ballpark by train. Previously Chuck served as
the Deputy Coordinator for the Hennepin County Ballpark Project Office that handled responsibilities for the $350 million investment by Hennepin County in the ballpark and related infrastructure. He also directed Housing, Community Works & Transit for Hennepin County from October, 2003 to
September, 2006. The Department administers Community Development Block Grant Funds for suburban Hennepin County; carries out community development projects designed to enhance tax base and grow employment; and plans for and manages county corridors acquired for transit development.

Mr. John Mbali is a Principal Planning Analyst in the Human Services and Public Health Department, Financial Analysis and Accounting. Mr. Mbali began his career in the investment banking and insurance industries before joining the public sector in 1992. He has served three levels of local government; city, independent boards and county government in the area of financial management for the last 19 years. In addition, he currently reviews local government budgets on behalf of the Government Finance Officers Association Distinguished Budget Presentation Award Program. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Finance from Bemidji State University and a Master’s Degree in Management and Administration from Metropolitan State University.

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Mentee: Thulani Mkhaliphi, Swaziland
Mentor(s): Ms. Saleem Karmaliani & Mr. Rex Holzemer

Mr. Saleem Karmaliani has been leading the Hennepin County E-Government Initiative since 2010. In this role he is responsible for enabling departments use electronic transactions as the primary means to deliver county services. Prior to this appointment Saleem served seven years in Information Technology, most recently as Business Integration Architect. Saleem has worked in the Information Technology Department, Human Services and Public Health Department and Resource Planning and Development (formerly known as Office of Planning and Development) where he has held various analyst and program management positions. Saleem is a Humphrey School of Public Affairs alum with a graduate program (MPP) in Public Policy and a Bachelor in Management of Information Systems.

Mr. Rex Holzemer is the Area Director for Protection and Assessment Services in the 2,700-person Hennepin County Human Services and Public Health Department. Rex started as a Senior Social Worker in the department in 1977 and worked for 17 years in direct client services as a social worker and unit supervisor. He developed the department’s first children’s shelter diversion and adolescent home-based services programs. Rex moved into management in 1994 and initially managed the development of community partnerships. In addition to his current role as Area Director for Protection and Assessment Services, Rex is directing the development and implementation of the department’s new integrated Client Service Delivery Model and the move of direct services staff into community-based sites throughout the county

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Mentee: Huong Nguyen, Vietnam
Mentor(s): Mr. Curt Haats & Mr. Dave Lawless

Mr. Curtis Haats, Area Director and Chief Financial Officer for the Human Services and Public Health Department (HSPHD). In addition to his responsibility for the day-to-day management of the department's $500 million annual budget, he also directs the Contract Management Office which contracts with 700 providers of human services, and he manages the department's Operation Resources and Support division which is responsible for the department's strategic planning, project management and cross-departmental service efforts. Mr. Haats has served as the CFO since December 2000. His prior county experience includes work in Hennepin County's Office of Budget and Finance and Department of Environmental Services. Prior to working for Hennepin County, Mr. Haats worked in residential and commercial real estate finance. He holds a Master in Public Administration from the University of North Dakota and a Bachelor of Science degree from Minnesota State University-Mankato.

Mr. David Lawless, as Director of Budget and Finance, is the Chief Financial Officer for the County. Mr. Lawless reports to the County Administrator and is responsible for coordinating and directing budgetary and financial planning and analysis as well as management of the County's cash and investments. Mr. Lawless joined the County in 1989. Prior to being named Director of Budget and Finance, Mr. Lawless had been the County's Investment/Debt Management officer since 1997, before which he was a Senior Financial Management Analyst in the Office of Budget and Finance. Prior to working at Hennepin County, he held various positions with Control Data Corporation. Mr. Lawless has an MBA from the University of St. Thomas and a BS degree in business from the University of Minnesota.

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Mentee: Phuntsho Norbu, Bhutan
Mentor(s): Mr. Carl Michaud & Ms. Paula Haywood

Mr. Carl J. Michaud has over 32 years’ experience in environmental management and is currently the Director of the Department of Environmental Services at Hennepin County. As Director, he oversees the County’s programs for solid and hazardous waste management, clean-up of contaminated lands, air quality and energy including the operation of the County’s district heating and cooling plant and municipal waste combustor, and natural resource management. Prior to his employment with the County, Mr. Michaud worked in the Environmental Planning Division at the Metropolitan Council, the regional planning agency for the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area. He received his undergraduate degree in Biology from Illinois Wesleyan University and a Master’s degree in Environmental Health from the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota.

Ms. Paula Haywood works with Human Services Area Manager-Regional Site Manager. She is currently assisting the Human Service and Public Health Department in the development of Client Service Regional Sites in North & Northwest Regions of Hennepin County. Paula has worked for Hennepin County for 25 years; her career includes work in Community Services Area, Adult Behavioral Health, Community Outreach, Children, Youth & Families, Adolescent Parent Services, Corrections (Juvenile & Adult). She has a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Minnesota and is currently participating in the Humphrey Institute Masters of Public Affairs and Leadership Program.

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Mentee: Hari Paudel, Nepal
Mentor(s): Mr. Fred Bryan & Ms Stella Whitney-West

 

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Mentee: Rosilda Robinson Vega, Panama
Mentor(s): Ms. Luanne Laurents & Ms. Debra Brisk

Ms. Luanne Laurents is the Organization Development Manager for Hennepin County Human Resources. She oversees organization development consulting services including individual and workplace assessment, coaching, team building, mediation, change management, service improvement and strategic planning. For the past year, she has been involved with the implementation of PeopleSoft for Human Resources. She received her Ph.D. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from the University of Minnesota and has been with Hennepin County Human Resources since 1989.

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Mentee: Naqibullah Salarzai, Afghanistan
Mentor(s): Mr. Bill Peters & Ms. Sara Wahl

 

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Mentee: Kalpana Shrestha, Nepal
Mentor(s): Ms. Monica Long & Mr. David Hough

Ms. Monica Long is currently the Diversity Manager for Hennepin County and works in County Administration. Previously, Ms. Long worked in Human Resource as a Generalist and provided support to some of the county's larger departments. She has always worked in the public sector, most recently for the State Department of Corrections (DOC) as a correctional officer, supervisor of correctional staff, diversity and finally the training manager for DOC.

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Mentee: Magteld Smith, S. Africa
Mentor(s):Mr. Todd Monson & Mr. Ji, Ra,maraine

Mr. Todd Monson is the Area Director for the Adult Behavioral Health, Aging and Disability Services, Housing, and Public Health Protection service areas within the Hennepin County Human Services and Public Health Department. He began county employment as the nursing supervisor for the Red Door Clinic in 1979. In 1983, he began managing a county program that helped the elderly and persons with physical disabilities live in their own homes rather than go to nursing homes. It was one of the first efforts in Hennepin County to create a program that encompasses services from two different county departments – public health and social services. He has a BS in Nursing and a Masters in Public Health Administration from the University of Minnesota, as well as a BA in History also from the University of Minnesota.

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