Met Council chair Duininck stepping down
Metropolitan Council Chair Adam Duininck is stepping down after leading the regional planning agency for the past two-and-a-half years.
Duininck is taking a new job as director of government affairs for the North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters, a union that represents 26,000 members. He previously served as legislative director for the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 49.
Gov. Mark Dayton announced Tuesday that he has appointed Alene Tchourumoff to replace Duininck as chair. Tchourumoff is currently the state rail director.
"Alene’s years of experience in planning, rail transportation, and finance will be invaluable as chair of the Metropolitan Council," Dayton said in a news release.
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Dayton appointed Duininck as chair in January 2015 to replace Susan Haigh. He was first appointed as a Met Council member in 2011.
Duininck said leaving the Met Council was a hard decision.
“The time at the Metropolitan Council has been the most rewarding career opportunity I’ve ever been given, and I feel like we’ve accomplished so much here,” Duininck said.
Duininck was the 14
th
chair of the Met Council since its creation in 1967. He was the first to serve in the position full time.
He said serving full time allowed him to spend more time building relationships with local government leaders.
“There are functions that the council performs that are essential services to the region, and trying to get everybody in the entire seven-county metro area to see that is an important part of what I’ve done here,” he said.