St. Louis Park EDA elects new officers for 2025, appoints city manager as executive director

The St. Louis Park Economic Development Authority elected a new slate of officers for 2025 at its Jan. 6 regular meeting, approving Sue Budd as president, Yolanda Farris as vice president and Commissioner Baldwin as treasurer. The authority also appointed City Manager Kim Keller (or her designee) as executive director and Melissa Kennedy as secretary for the 2025 term.

The vote followed a staff presentation explaining the EDA bylaws. Karen Barton, the city’s Community Development Director, told the authority that "the EDA bylaws require that the EDA elect officers annually every year at its first regular meeting in January, which is tonight," and confirmed the city manager or the manager’s designee serves as executive director and assistant treasurer while the city clerk serves as secretary.

A motion to elect the new slate — naming Budd president, Farris vice president and Baldwin treasurer, and to appoint Kim Keller or her designee as executive director and Melissa Kennedy as secretary — was made and seconded and was approved by voice vote. Commissioners present voiced no objections during the roll call or the subsequent vote.

The outgoing EDA president was thanked for her leadership before the board adjourned the EDA portion of the meeting and handed the meeting over to the newly seated president.

The election and appointment preserve the procedural roles prescribed in the EDA bylaws, including the automatic connection of the city manager’s office to the EDA executive director role and the city clerk to the secretary role.