Excelsior City Manager Selected as Finalist for Hopkins Position

Excelsior City Manager Kristi Luger is a finalist for the open city manager position in Hopkins.

Hopkins city council members on Tuesday narrowed down a list of six semifinalists to Luger and St. Anthony City Manager Mike Mornson for further consideration. Council members will decide by Friday whether second interviews are needed, said acting city manager Jim Genellie.

Luger, the city manager in Excelsior for three years, says she spent a lot of time in Hopkins while growing up and sees Hopkins as a good fit for her and her family. She called Hopkins a “highly-respected community in the government world,” adding that it was an active city at both the community and government levels.

“I do like it here, I do enjoy it and I would miss it if I got the job,” Luger said of Excelsior. “But as much as I like working here in Excelsior, I do see Hopkins as being a great opportunity and was something I had to go for.”

City council members liked Luger’s communication and cited positive traits such as, "straightforward, direct, easy-to-read, positive energy and creative."

"She's personable and I think she could motivate the staff to get things done," Councilwoman Kristi Halverson added.

Hopkins’ next city manager will have some trying times in the years ahead. With a budget that needs tweaking, departments that warrant attention and a growing community, the city manager will have his or her hands full.

Luger said it’s a set of tasks she’s ready for.

“They’re known for being on the ball and really having their act together,” she said of Hopkins. “It’s a community that actively plans and is one I really admire. There’s not too many communities in the metropolitan area that have a sense of place. I think Excelsior is one of them, and I think Hopkins is one of them. Beyond Stillwater, I can’t think of too many more in the metropolitan area. It’s already a great community, but I’d like to help it be even better.”