Human Relations Commission elects Ben Tran chair; executive slate confirmed after roll-call votes

The Metro Human Relations Commission elected its 2025-26 executive committee at Thursday’s meeting, naming Commissioner Ben Tran chair and filling the remaining posts by roll-call vote.

The nominations committee presented a single recommended slate with multiple names listed for some positions; commissioners then voted position by position. Ben Tran was confirmed as chair; the commission clerk recorded one abstention from Tran on his own election.

The competitive race for first vice chair resulted in Commissioner Jeff Teague receiving five votes and Commissioner Darren Johnson receiving two votes; there were one or two abstentions recorded in the roll call. Dakota Galvin was elected second vice chair, Darren Johnson was later confirmed as secretary, and Todd McKinney was elected treasurer after the slate’s internal adjustments were resolved.

Commissioners discussed process details before the votes, including that nominees must have served at least one calendar year on the commission to be eligible and that the chair traditionally does not vote on officer selections. The nominations committee clarified that legally only one recommended slate may be presented, even if multiple names are recommended for the same office; the commission then chose among the names on that slate.

Voting was conducted by roll call. The nominations chair and staff administered the votes and announced results after tallying. The commission did not discuss changes to officer term lengths; staff clarified terms are one year and a commissioner may serve two consecutive one-year terms in the same position.

New officers will assume their roles immediately and commission staff will reflect the change in official records and public-facing materials.