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Commissioner Charles A. Zelle
Charles A. Zelle was appointed Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Transportation on Dec. 15, 2012 by Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton. He began the job on Jan. 15, 2013.
MnDOT is the Minnesota state agency charged with managing and maintaining the state’s multi-modal transportation system.
Zelle came to MnDOT from Jefferson Lines, an intercity bus company with routes in 13 states. He worked there for more than 20 years, and served as Chair and Chief Executive Officer. He is a Board Member and Chair of the Policy Committee of the American Bus Association in Washington, D.C.
In 2012, Zelle served on the Governor’s Transportation Finance Advisory Committee, which made recommendations on state transportation funding to the Governor in December. He also served on the Executive Committee of the University of Minnesota Center for Transportation Studies.
Zelle’s community and civic activities have included:
- Chair of the Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce
- Member of the Corridors of Opportunity Policy Board
- Member of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
- Chair of the Board of the Jerome Foundation
- Founding member of the working group of the Itasca Project
- Co-chair of the project’s Transportation Task Force
- Board member and President of the following boards:
- Minneapolis Club
- Guthrie Theater
- Meet Minneapolis
- St. Paul Academy
Born and raised in St. Paul, Zelle received a BA from Bates College and a MBA from the Yale School of Management.