St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman has chosen a replacement for former spokesman Joe Campbell, who recently went on to become marketing director for MNsure, the state health insurance exchange.
The Scoop half expected (well, maybe 65 percent expected) Coleman to choose someone from within City Hall to represent him to the masses, but Tonya Tennessen’s professional and DFL credentials are hard to ignore. Tennessen, of the marketing firm Weber Shandwick, is a former spokesman (spokeswoman? spokesperson?) for Mark Dayton when he served as U.S. Senator (not Governor).
She was a communications director for the Kelly Doran for Governor campaign, to boot. Here’s the official release from the mayor’s office.
Mayor Coleman appoints Tonya Tennessen as Communications
Tennessen brings private-sector communications experience to the Mayor’s office
SAINT PAUL – Mayor Chris Coleman announced today that he has appointed Tonya Tennessen
to serve as communications director for the City of Saint Paul. Tennessen has 12 years of
communications experience, most recently serving as an account director for global public
relations firm Weber Shandwick where her clients included Fortune 500 companies and federal
government agencies. Prior to Weber Shandwick, Tennessen held communications positions in
federal government and statewide electoral politics.
“I am excited for the mix of high-level private sector and government communications
experience Tonya will bring to my administration,” Mayor Chris Coleman said. “Saint Paul is in
a vital period, with the Green Line opening, a vibrant and growing downtown and crucial
educational initiatives, and Tonya will be an asset as we focus on the future of the city.”
Tennessen’s areas of expertise include developing public education campaigns, issues and crisis
management, digital communications and strategic partnerships.
“I am honored to be joining Mayor Coleman’s team,” said Tennessen. “I have long admired the
Mayor’s focus on economic development, his collaborative approach with the business
community and his advocacy around education policy issues. I look forward to supporting these
key initiatives and engaging residents and stakeholders through effective communications
strategies.”
Tennessen’s political experience includes serving as managing communications director for the
state Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party, press secretary for then-United States Senator
Mark Dayton and communications director for the Kelly Doran for Governor campaign.
Tennessen holds bachelor’s degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and was named
one of the Twin Cities’ “40 under 40” by the Minneapolis/Saint Paul Business Journal in 2013.
Tennessen’s official start date is April 30, 2014.
Tennessen’s twitter handle is @TTennessen.
Attachment: Tennessen file photo