Mayor's Team

Irene Kao joined the City of Saint Paul in 2026, bringing extensive public sector and leadership experience. Most recently, Kao served on the executive leadership team and led the legal team as General Counsel at the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, which is a state agency that finances the creation and preservation of affordable housing across Minnesota. Kao provided critical legal guidance as Minnesota Housing implemented the historic $1.3 billion statewide affordable housing legislative package in 2023.

Kao has a decade of experience as a municipal attorney serving Minnesota cities. At the League of Minnesota Cities, she led policy and legislative change impacting how cities do their day-to-day work. She did this work in a collaborative manner among cities and stakeholders. Kao is a leader within the broader legal community. She has received recognition from state and national organizations, including the Minnesota State Bar Association and Minnesota Lawyer as well as the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association.

Rick Schute has served as the City of Saint Paul’s Emergency Management Director since 2019, leading citywide coordination for preparedness, response, and recovery efforts across departments and regional partners.

He works collaboratively before, during, and after incidents to align response efforts, support informed decision-making, and maintain continuity of services and public trust. Schute also contributes to regional and national advisory efforts focused on public safety communications, emergency alerting, and geospatial coordination. 
 

Marcus Owens is the Director of the Office of Financial Empowerment for the City of Saint Paul. In his role, Marcus leads the City’s efforts to expand financial stability by connecting residents to financial coaching, safe banking, credit-building tools, and debt reduction support. He also works across city departments and community partners to integrate financial empowerment strategies into programs that impact residents’ economic wellbeing.

Marcus brings more than two decades of experience in community development and economic systems change, with a focus on expanding access to capital and strengthening pathways to long-term financial stability.

Joe Harney brings a depth of experience in both state and local governmental budgeting and finance. His deep and broad work across healthcare and human services budgets at the state prepares him well for the complex municipal finance decisions. Harney has a bachelor’s degree in government and public administration and a Master of Public Administration. Harney has also spent numerous years working with major Midwestern cities budget and finance departments.

Greg Duren was named Interim Fire Chief in December 2025. He previously served as Assistant Chief of Emergency Medical Services (EMS).

Chief Duren began his career with the Saint Paul Fire Department in July 1994 and has proudly served in nearly every role within the organization. He is also one of the longest-serving paramedics in the history of this department. Throughout his career, he has consistently demonstrated dedication, operational expertise, collaborative leadership, and a deep commitment to both our members and the community we serve.

Andrea Ledger serves as Interim Director of HREEO, overseeing procurement and contract compliance. Ledger and ger team manage the City's purchase of goods and services. She previously served as Procurement Manager and Deputy Director for HREEO. 

Maureen Hartman has served as director of Saint Paul Public Library (SPPL) since 2023. She leads a team of more than 230 staff members dedicated to providing equitable and responsive library services across 13 library locations, the Mobile Library, and online through sppl.org.

Hartman is passionate about equity, inclusion, and belonging in libraries and the important role libraries play in city infrastructure. She especially values opportunities to engage with community members about the evolving role of public libraries and to mentor library leaders at all levels. Hartman earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Macalester College and a master’s degree in library and information science from Simmons College in Boston.

With a passion for helping young people overcome adversity, Toy Vixayvong is well known across Saint Paul as a devoted advocate for our communities. After coming to Minnesota as a refugee from Laos at six years old, he learned the value of community from his parents, who helped arriving refugees build new lives here. Before Mayor Her appointed him to lead the Office of Neighborhood Safety, Vixayvong served as a Saint Paul police officer for 25 years, most notably as a school resource officer. In that role he partnered with Minnesota Trades Academy to help Saint Paul young people build lifelong skills and explore careers in the trades. He also developed a new program to connect youth with specialized addiction treatment programs and medication-assisted treatment.

Greeted warmly across the City as “Officer Toy,” Vixayvong brings uniquely deep relationships with local schools, community organizations, and individual neighbors to the work of leading ONS.  

Andy Rodriguez is a lifelong public servant who has spent more than 20 years with Saint Paul Parks and Recreation in roles ranging from recreation leader to director. Following his appointment in 2022, he has championed expanded youth programming through cost-free initiatives, strengthened outdoor recreation, and advanced major capital projects, including the North End Community Center, the Como Park Zoo and Conservatory geothermal project, and Pedro Park, while addressing deferred maintenance across the system.

Melanie McMahon has worked for the City of Saint Paul since 2017 and joined the Department of Planning and Economic Development in 2024. She has served as interim director since last year.

McMahon is an attorney with extensive public sector experience. In her roles within Planning and Economic Development, she has guided the city through complex legal, regulatory, policy, and political environments to deliver results for Saint Paul businesses and residents.

Chief Axel Henry has led the Saint Paul Police Department since 2022. He oversees approximately 800 employees, including 575 sworn officers. Chief Henry is a Saint Paul native who has served with the department for over 25 years. He led the City’s body-worn camera program with more than 20 years of experience as a trainer and use of force expert. 

Deb Barber brings a mix of public and private sector expertise to her role as Director of Saint Paul Public Works. She received her bachelor’s degree in biomechanics and her master’s degree in engineering mechanics. She serves as the District 4 Representative and Transportation Committee Chair on the Metropolitan Council and served as the Interim Chair until Robin Hutcheson was appointed. Barber has a depth of knowledge on transportation and transit issues that she brings to the Public Works leadership team and staff across the department. 

Ia Xiong joined the City of Saint Paul in 2026, bringing more than 25 years of public-sector leadership experience overseeing complex transportation, infrastructure, regulatory, and operational systems. Xiong previously served as Director of Transportation Initiatives and Transit and Parking Director for the City of Rochester. She led Rochester’s $38 million DMC-funded infrastructure program and helped advance the LINK Bus Rapid Transit project. She championed fleet electrification initiatives, managed transportation grants and compliance programs, and guided the evolution of Transit and Parking.

Xiong has held leadership roles with the Metropolitan Council, where she established the Council’s Real Estate Office, and with Hennepin County, where she directed Road & Bridge Operations. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Marquette University and has been a licensed Professional Engineer in Minnesota since 2000.

Kamaria Kassim is a seasoned Human Resources executive with more than 15 years of leadership experience driving workforce strategy, organizational transformation, labor relations, and talent management across complex public and nonprofit organizations. She has served as Director of Human Resources for multiple Minnesota state agencies, leading teams of up to 90 HR professionals and supporting workforces of thousands of employees. Known for advancing equity-centered people strategies, she partners with executive leaders to strengthen organizational effectiveness, foster inclusive workplace cultures, and align talent initiatives with strategic business objectives.

Jaime Wascalus has served as the Director of the Office of Technology and Communications (OTC) since 2022. She previously spent over 10 years in multiple technology leadership roles at the University of Minnesota. Under her leadership, OTC completed a comprehensive organizational redesign to better position the office for the future, and is driving the City's transition toward modern, enterprise-wide systems that improve efficiency and service delivery. 

Wascalus led the City's coordinated response to the July 2025 digital security incident, guiding containment, system recovery, and critical decision-making under prolonged disruption. She is currently leading a large-scale network and infrastructure modernization initiative.