Saint Paul -- Governor Tim Pawlenty today announced that he has accepted two finalists recommended to him by the Metropolitan Council Nominating Committee for an unscheduled vacancy on the Metropolitan Council in District 15, which includes the Dakota County cities of Burnsville, Inver Grove Heights, South St. Paul and the northern portion of Eagan, north of Cliff Road/County Road 32. The vacancy occurred as a result of the resignation of Tom Egan, who was elected to the Dakota County Board of Commissioners last November. Six people applied for this position. The finalists are Roy Wallace and Daniel Wolter.

Wallace, of Eagan, is the principal of The Wallace Group, a public relations and marketing communications firm. He is currently a member of the President's Council of Inver Hills Community College, and has served as a member of the State Board of Technical Colleges until its merger and became MnSCU, the Dakota County Workforce Development Council, the Eagan Planning Commission, and chair of the Dakota County Planning Commission.

Wolter, of Eagan, is the special assistant to the Governor's Health Cabinet and previously served as communications director for Governor Pawlenty. He has also been the director of speechwriting for the United States Department of Agriculture, director of public affairs for the Minnesota House of Representatives office of the Speaker and Majority Leader, a senior account executive for Weber Shandwick Worldwide, and deputy communications director to Iowa Governor Terry Branstad.

The seven-member Metropolitan Council Nominating Committee, which recommended these candidates to the Governor, conducted a public hearing on January 19th in Eagan to accept statements from, or on behalf of, applicants for the position. The Metropolitan Council Nominating Committee members who made these recommendations were William Pulkrabek, Chair, Sherry Broecker, Mike Burton, Dave Clark, Cyndee Fields, John Pacheco, and Mark Schiffman.

The Metropolitan Council coordinates planning and development in the seven county metropolitan area and directly operates several regional services. The Metropolitan Council consists of 16 metropolitan citizens appointed from geographically defined districts in the seven county metropolitan area and a chair. All 17 members are appointed by the Governor to four-year terms that are co-terminus with the Governor.