Commissioner Contact Information
Rafael Ortega (email)
Ramsey County Board Office
Room 220 Court House
15 W. Kellogg Blvd.
St. Paul, MN 55102
Tel: 651.266.8361
Fax: 651.266.8370
Commissioner Assistant:
Ken Iosso (email)
Tel: 651 266-8367
Proudly serving citizens in the following communities (District Map):
District Councils:
Commissioner Rafael Ortega Bio
Rafael Ortega became the first member of a minority group to be elected to the Ramsey County Board and the first Hispanic elected to a County Board in Minnesota in 1994. He has been re-elected comfortably three times since then, most recently in 2006. As commissioner he has focused on providing affordable housing and transit opportunities for Ramsey County residents while making sure that the county provides services in the most cost-effective way possible.
In his current role as Chair of the Facilities Commission, he is taking the lead on making county facilities fuel-efficient and environmentally sound. He has become a recognized leader on transit in the metro area over his time on the County Board, particularly in his role as Chair of the Regional Rail Authority from 2002-2007. He has frequently spoken on MPR and contributed to the Star Tribune and Pioneer Press. His work, and the work of all the communities and leaders who have been pushing for the same thing, has paid off for Ramsey County. It has received $57 Million from the Federal Government to refurbish the Union Depot and turn it into a transportation hub again and $13 Million from the state to start work on the Central Corridor in just the last two years. In June of 2006, the Central Corridor Committee voted 8-0 to support Light Rail as the preferred mode of travel and on June 28 the Metropolitan Council followed suit by voting overwhelmingly for LRT.
Achievements
- Worked with federal and state partners to garner $57 Million for Union Depot and $13 Million for Engineering on the Central Corridor.
- Worked with local leaders and Congresswoman McCollum to keep Ford Parkway Bridge open while it was rebuilt in 2002.
- Funded the building of 4,000 units of housing, including parts of the Gateway in Highland Park, the Upper Landing on Shepard, the American House downtown, Passages on West 7th, and Homes for Learning in Dayton’s Bluff.
- Led County to contribute key funds to improve Humboldt High School Facility.
- Merged 800 Mhz Emergency Dispatch Center with the City of Saint Paul to protect the safety of the county and saved taxpayers more than 6 million dollars.
- Merged county and city public health and jail facilities.
- Reformed County-contracting procedures enabling minority- and woman- owned businesses to get contracts with Ramsey County for the first time.
Background
Rafael grew up in a tough neighborhood in New York City and learned first-hand the importance of transit, education, and libraries in making it possible for everyone to contribute to society. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Fordham University in New York City and came to Minnesota to earn his master's degree in social work at the University of Minnesota in 1978.
He was a front-line social worker for a number of years before becoming an Outreach Director for Minnesota Council of Churches. From 1984 to 1994, Ortega was Executive Director of CLUES (Communidades Latinas Unidas en Servicio), a Twin Cities social service agency that grew under his leadership from a $100,000 organization to one with a $3 Million budget serving more than 15,000 clients.
Family
Rafael has lived in Ramsey County District 5 for more than 25 years. Commissioner Ortega is the proud parent of two children; Gabriela, a student at Cretin-Derham Hall, and Emilio, who attends the Four Seasons A+ Elementary School.
Boards and Commissions
In addition to his professional work, Ortega is very active serving on community and civic boards including the Itasca Project, an effort by business and community leaders to proactively develop the Twin Cities in a way that will strengthen the business climate and increase the quality of life for residents. In the spring of 2002 he was chosen as one of only 32 members of the National Council of La Raza, one of the most important Hispanic groups in the country.
Transportation Committees
Association of Minnesota Counties Transportation Policy Committee
Central Corridor Coordinating Committee
Central Corridor Partnership Executive Committee
Eastern Transportation Alliance - (651) 266-6545
LOCATE Committee
National Association of County Officials Transportation Steering Committee
Post Office Partnership
Robert Street Corridor Committee
Saint Paul Transportation Management Organization
Community Organizations
National Council of La Raza
Itasca Project
Saint Paul Riverfront Corporation
Landmark Center Board
Lifetrack Resources
Rainbow Research Inc.
Former Treasurer – West Side Citizens Organization
Former Boardmember - United Family Practice Health Center
Former Boardmember – YMCA of Greater Saint Paul
Policy Advisory
Joint Property Tax Advisory Committee
Metro Counties Energy Task Force
Ken Iosso, Aide to the Commissioner, has lived in the Mac Groveland area for more than twenty years since he came to Minnesota to attend Macalester College. He has served on the session of the Macalester-Plymouth Church for six years, been a VISTA for the Saint Paul Literacy Project, worked for six years at American Express Financial Advisors, and has been a leader in the DFL for 15 years. His wife is a partner at Faegre and Benson and he is exceedingly proud of his two-year-old son.
