Collins was appointed as the City’s Interim Community Development Director in March following the resignation of Paul Bilotta, who accepted a similar position with the City of Corvallis, Ore.

In her time as the City’s Interim Director, Collins has taken the lead on several significant priorities for the City, including expanding economic development efforts and focusing on quality of life issues in Southeast Roseville. She has also helped the City navigate several land acquisition cases and served as part of a multi-jurisdictional task for advocating for the revitalization and reinvestment of the Rice/Larpenteur corridor.

“Kari has done an exemplary job since moving into the role of Interim Community Development Director six months ago,” said Trudgeon. “She has taken the lead on several significant priorities for the City and has demonstrated that she is the right person to serve as Roseville’s Community Development Director moving forward.”

Collins earned a master’s degree in urban studies from UW-Milwaukee and worked in the Community Development field with the City of Milwaukee prior to coming to Roseville in 2012 to serve as Assistant to the City Manager/City Clerk.

While with the City of Milwaukee, Collins was the Zoning Administrator for the City’s Board of Zoning Appeals. The Board processed thousands of variances and appeals each year, and Collins oversaw the department’s operations, staff, and budget.

Collins is a Twin Cities native who grew up in Maplewood. She attended North St. Paul High School and received her bachelor’s degree from Augsburg College.