At a special meeting May 19, the Golden Valley City Council interviewed candidates and adopted a resolution appointing Planning Commissioner Sophia Ginis to fill the spot vacated by Council Member Kimberly Sanberg's resignation.
Other applicants included Roger Bergman, Stephen Ettel, Andy Johnson, and Stephen Merriman.
Ginis has served on the City's Planning Commission since October 2021 and previously served more than a year on the Board of Zoning Appeals. She is the director of community affairs at Metro Transit and holds a master's degree in public policy from the University of Minnesota Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs.
Applications for the vacated Council seat were open April 19–May 7, with City Council review May 8–16. Council Member Sanberg's last meeting was May 16.
According to Article VII, Section 6, of the Constitution of the State of Minnesota, candidates for public office must:
- be an eligible voter in Minnesota
- be 21 years old upon assuming office
- have resided in the district 30 days previous to the application
Ginis will attend orientation and onboarding May 22–June 5 to prepare for the first meeting and remainder of the term. She will take the oath of office and be sworn in as a Golden Valley City Council member June 6. The term of office expires Jan 2, 2024.