Subcommittee unanimously appoints Sonia Reyes as executive director of Minnesota Council on Latino Affairs

Senator Sandy Pappas presided over a Legislative Coordinating Commission subcommittee meeting by Zoom on the appointment of an executive director to the Minnesota Council on Latino Affairs. After interviews and a review of a multi-stage recruitment process, the subcommittee voted unanimously to appoint Sonia Reyes.

The subcommittee heard from Michelle Urich of LCC staff, who summarized the recruitment: the position was posted from June 5 to July 9 and drew 20 applicants; five applicants advanced to the initial interview stage, five were invited for further consideration, and three finalists met the full council on Sept. 2. One finalist later withdrew, and leadership advanced the candidate now before the panel.

“I'm really excited to apply for this position. I have been working for and with the Latino community for over 25 years,” Reyes said during her remarks to the subcommittee, outlining a multi-sector background that included serving as director of the Iowa Commission on Latino Affairs and as a regional director for a nonprofit serving migrant and farmworker communities.

Lawmakers pressed Reyes on priorities and strategy. She said she intends to focus MCLA’s work on providing accurate, community‑based information to legislators, strengthening ties between communities and the Legislature, and empowering local leaders to engage with the capital. Reyes described prior initiatives in Iowa — including a statewide Latino Day on the Hill, an Iowa Latino Professionals Association, a Latino Hall of Fame, and a Spanish-language hotline established during the COVID-19 pandemic — as examples of methods she plans to adapt for Minnesota.

Representative Maria Issa Perez Vega moved the resolution to appoint Reyes and to authorize the LCC director to work with the Department of Administration on the terms and conditions of employment and to inform the council of the appointment. The motion carried by unanimous voice vote; the committee recorded no roll-call tally.

Members asked about Reyes’s transition timeline. Reyes said she plans to relocate to Minnesota and begin full-time work around April and that she will give notice to her current employer and continue supporting the council on a part-time basis until then.

Representative Perez Vega and Representative John Kosnick both expressed support and said they would work with the new director on nonpartisan legislative priorities, including cultural projects such as the proposed Minnesota Latino Museum and outreach to Latino business owners across the state. Reyes said outreach to agencies with potential funding and continued coordination with local leaders are part of her short-term agenda.

Michelle Urich’s presentation emphasized that the executive director position is an executive-branch appointment made in consultation with the Department of Administration, and that the Legislative Coordinating Commission establishes the subcommittee that considers the appointment.

The subcommittee adjourned after completing the appointment and brief transition discussion. The LCC director will finalize terms with the Department of Administration and notify the council of the appointment.