Michael Reeves Selected to Fill Vacant City Council Seat in Lake Elmo

Michael Reeves has been selected by the city of Lake Elmo to fill a vacant City Council seat created by the resignation of Nicole Park.

Reeves, a resident of Lake Elmo for the past 12 years, is a retired business executive and currently serves as a member of the Planning Commission and Lake Elmo’s Speak Your Peace Civility Campaign. 

Reeves spent most of his career as an executive with the DeLuxe Corporation and served in various capacities with the Minnesota Wild. He has served on the General Board of the Greater Twin Cities YMCA and was instrumental in the merger between the Minneapolis and St. Paul YMCAs, which created the third largest system in the nation.

“I am excited to have Mike Reeves as part of the City Council,” Mayor Mike Pearson said in a prepared statement. “He brings a lot to the table from an organizational standpoint, he understands how to build a working atmosphere to make sure we adopt the best policy for our taxpayers, and he adds a level-headed approach to the challenges we face as growing community in the Twin Cites metro.”

Three others also applied for the position:

• Julie Fliflet, a long-time member of the Planning Commission and CFO for the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra;
• Jill Lundgren, a RN Clinician who was active in the city’s recent lakes ordinance development; and
• Gary Fields, a relatively new resident who has over 30 years of experience working with all levels of government in the area of economic development.

“The Council was well pleased with the caliber of candidates and very much enjoyed the review process,” Pearson said. “I can honestly say that the decision was difficult because each candidate had a lot to offer the community, and we hope those not chosen continue to be involved at some level.”

As part of the candidate review process Reeves noted a desire to have Lake Elmo work as a productive partner in key issues facing the region.

“I don’t think we can afford to be isolated from the community and seen as an outlier,” Reeves said. “We (Lake Elmo) can and should retain our uniqueness, but we need to be seen as willing partners in the community of cities in the metro area and the State of Minnesota.”

Reeves will be sworn in at the Council’s August 6 meeting and is anticipated to take part in the Council’s July 26 and July 27 Annual Retreat.  He will serve the remainder of Parks’ term through Jan. 5, 2015.