Edina City Council Selects Lori Hokinen for City Manager Position – September 10, 2026

The Edina City Council met at 1:00 p.m. on September 10, 2026, in the Edina City Hall Community Room to consider the finalists for city manager. The council heard panel reports on Lori Hokinen and Jason Waddell, discussed their strengths, held a written ballot, and voted unanimously to offer the position to Hokinen.

Consent Calendar

• Council unanimously approved the meeting agenda by roll call vote.

City Manager Finalist Selection Process

• Deputy City Manager Ari Lenz and DDA Human Resources consultant Lisa Donabauer reviewed the search process: about 150 community members and 45 staff helped develop the city manager profile; 63 candidates applied; 16 advanced to video interviews; 6 semifinalists were selected; 4 moved forward; 1 withdrew; 3 underwent psychological leadership assessments and background checks; and the council subcommittee advanced 2 finalists, Lori Hokinen and Jason Waddell.
• Candidates also completed a work personality index. The finalist interviews on Sept. 10 used three panels composed of council members, community members, and executive leadership team members. Topics included community well-being, politically sensitive issues, crisis leadership, financial management, innovation, trust, and vision.

Panel Report-Outs

• Panel 1 described Hokinen as thorough, process-oriented, visionary, people-first, and self-aware; her growth areas included making difficult people decisions and learning Edina's complexity. Waddell was described as methodical with an engineering background and strong service-side experience; his growth areas included visionary leadership and creativity when no playbook exists.
• Panel 2 reported no red flags and no consensus, saying the city would be in good hands with either candidate. Hokinen was praised for candor, collaboration, communication, an innovative service-review 'mock trial' tool, and steady handling of AI. Waddell was praised for self-awareness, curiosity, budgeting, addressing aging infrastructure, a water-treatment negotiation saving about $6 million per community, and public-safety modernization; some panelists noted it took time to warm to him and questioned how quickly he would build confidence in contentious community settings.
• Panel 3 said both finalists were extremely capable and the choice was largely about style. Hokinen was seen as a visionary storyteller and connector, with AI innovation and an open, collaborative style; her growth area was avoiding over-detail and burnout. Waddell was seen as a systems thinker with very broad experience (MBA, engineering, planning, community development) and deep operational knowledge; his growth area was relationship-building and initial connection. The mayor added that the community members on the panels preferred Hokinen.

Council Deliberation and Ballot

• After panel reports, council members wrote their preferred candidate on ballots. The ballots were read aloud and resulted in four votes for Hokinen and one for Waddell.
• Council members who supported Hokinen cited her long-term vision combined with ability to handle acute issues, her communication instincts, and the immediate trust she inspired. The council member who voted for Waddell said he loved both finalists and found the choice very difficult.

Key Outcomes

• Councilmember Agnew moved, and Councilmember Jackson seconded, a motion to offer the Edina city manager position to Lori Hokinen and to direct Councilmembers Carolyn Jackson and James Pierce to negotiate the terms of an employment agreement with her. The motion passed unanimously, 5-0.
• Jackson and Pierce were asked to make the offer and begin negotiations. If accepted, a special council meeting was scheduled for September 22, 2026, at 5 p.m. to consider and approve the contract; the timing was set so Councilmember Pierce could attend after his flight.
• Council noted that the preliminary levy action is required by the end of September, with the September 15 meeting referenced as the relevant deadline.