Meet Marion
I serve as the Hennepin County commissioner representing the 3rd District, which includes Southwest Minneapolis and the entire city of St. Louis Park. I am also the Chair of the Board, elected unanimously by my board colleagues each of the last four years.
I’m running for re-election because I have witnessed firsthand how, with the right leadership, Hennepin County can make a difference in housing, climate action, and race equity, to improve the lives of our residents and build a region in which everyone thrives.
As chair of the board, I play a unique role in county leadership. I am the point-person for state and federal relations, and I am responsible for advancing a regional point of view and partnerships. I balance this with the just-as-important work of advocating for District 3’s needs and priorities, and delivering services when and where our community needs them most.
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of county services and our role as regional safety net. I served on the Association of Minnesota Counties’ Blue Ribbon Committee, to ensure that counties across Minnesota were supported in our work to help residents as soon as we can and as much as we can, without unnecessary red tape. In this work I drew on my previous experience as a state legislator, to communicate, coordinate, and collaborate with state agencies and state, local, and federal government partners. These improvements are critical to the effectiveness and accessibility of the many supports we provide to our residents.
It’s an honor to serve District 3 as Commissioner on the County Board. This is a wonderfully engaged district, and I relish our many communications (emails, letters, phone calls, virtual meetings, and social media). Your comments, suggestions, requests, and encouragement fuel my pursuit of a more equitable, stable, and connected Hennepin as we continue to maneuver through truly unprecedented times.
In this moment, we have an unprecedented opportunity to build on Hennepin’s groundbreaking work in housing, climate resiliency, and transit that will make the county more connected, accessible, and equitable for everyone who lives, labors, and learns here. Thank you so much for your investment District 3. I am running for another term and I look forward to earning your support.
My best,
More About Marion:
Marion lives in the East Bde Maka Ska neighborhood of Minneapolis with her husband, Bart, and their rescue dog Indi. Her stepdaughters Ellie and Mia live and work in Germany and Colorado, respectively.
Marion served in the legislature, and was chief author of legislation to fully fund all-day kindergarten in Minnesota, and co-author of legislation to establish the Minnesota Health Exchange, now MNSure. Before running for public office, Marion was active in her community and worked in the private sector in health care policy and marketing. Marion has a BA and an MBA. Marion’s parents served our country overseas, and she grew up in India, Morocco, Brazil and Pakistan.