Andrea Jenkins

Biography: Andrea Jenkins has more than 25 years of public service experience as a Minneapolis City Council policy aide, nonprofit executive director and consultant, and Hennepin County employment specialist. She has lived in the Bryant neighborhood for 16 years. From 2001 to 2003 and from 2006 to 2015 she served as policy aide to two different Ward 8 city council members, Robert Lilligren and Elizabeth Glidden. In that role she worked directly with ward constituents to address their needs and concerns, from public safety to property development proposals. One of the highlights of her work as policy aide was the redevelopment of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue. In collaboration with a small group of organizers, she convened neighborhood residents and business owners with a goal of reimagining the intersection, which had for years been plagued by crime and blight. Ultimately the intersection has seen a tremendous renaissance, marked by arts initiatives and small business investments.