10 residents throw hats into ring for council appointment

Ten applicants have stepped forward to fill the Waconia City Council seat vacated by Steve Yetzer at the end of June.

The application period closed last Friday, July 5, and the candidates were slated to be interviewed by the rest of the council this Wednesday, July 10.

The open seat is for the term that expires at the end of the year and is up for election this fall. Applicants include former city council and mayoral candidates, past and current planning commission members, business professionals, policy advocates, and community volunteers. They are:

• Jacob Coleman, former firefighter and state director for policy group Americans for Prosperity;

• Dan Gieske, financial planner and past chair of the Edina park board;

• Troy Graham, project manager for Fairview Health Services and a former Waconia planning commission member;

• James Lohan, recently retired business leader with firms such as Terex Corporation, Toro and Honeywell;

• Tim Litfin, long-time executive director for Minnetonka Community Education and active volunteer;

• Simon Malinski, director of Bremer Bank equipment finance, fire department member and active volunteer;

• Joe Polunc, former law enforcement officer and current planning commission member;

• Joseph Satre, Carver County IT manager with a background in public administration;

• Nicole Skaro, leader of non-profit and public policy groups, and analyst and advocate on global socio-economic issues;

• Mark Tregarthen, sales manager, teacher and baseball coach at various levels.

Following application reviews and interviews, the council will make a recommendation for appointment to be considered at its meeting next Monday, July 15.