Why Vote for Me?

I value the expertise and experiences of the people within our community. I am committed to fostering an environment where every person is valued, heard, and represented.

My goals are to:

Improve awareness of council agendas and community activities,
Grow collaborations with schools, businesses, and community organizations,
Offer services to help seniors remain active and in their homes,
Continue our journey of creating a resilient and welcoming community.

Inviting Everyone into the Conversation

‍As an election judge, I am deeply passionate about everyone having a voice in government. Timely and meaningful communication is essential to giving an equal voice to all. I think we can improve awareness of council and community activities by:

- Increasing the frequency and timeliness of city communications so more people know about opportunities and impactful decisions.

- Working with Community Services, our schools, local businesses, and community organizations to foster better communication across all generations, backgrounds, and perspectives.

As a Council member, I will:

- Seek out expertise within our community and engage diverse voices to provide insight on important issues.

- Host regular opportunities to engage with you, listen to your ideas, and answer questions.

This election is an opportunity to shape a more representative and transparent St. Anthony. I am genuinely committed to being a representative of your ideas.

Please vote for me, Lona Doolan for City Council.

Endorsements of Lona for City Council

"I have seen the committed and caring way Lona engages with our youth. Lona’s expertise and motivation to improve our environment and engage our community is unmatched. She always brings her ideas and also a plan on how to get the resources to make change happen."

Kristine Schwintek

SAMS Science Teacher

"We’ve known Lona for a number of years and have found her to be extremely active in the community, especially with youth and bettering the environment.  And she is always willing to help – just ask her!  She is dedicated to St. Anthony to continue to make it a special place to live."

Bill and Duffy Sauer

Neighbors/Former City Council Member

My Professional Experience

I am a business analyst with a versatile skillset in strategic planning, financial management, and data analysis.
‍
I have a Bachelors of Science degree in Business Planning, Analysis, and Process Improvement from the University of Minnesota.

My 40-year career at Ameriprise Financial, Inc. spanned multiple roles and departments:

  • Financial Analyst: 10 years in Strategic Planning, prioritized $35M in annual technology investments.
  • Roadmap Architect: organized the separation of 1,100 technology assets into a 2-year delivery roadmap and monitored deliverables for $875M program to ensure business continuity and compliance with contractual and financial regulations.
  • Process Analyst: 5 years in Global Reengineering, delivered $8M in savings without eliminating any positions.
  • Enterprise Program Management: performed cost benefit analysis, produced benchmark reporting, created executive-level reporting for CIO, and evaluated $150M in projects during stock market decline to determine which to defer based on return on investment.


I've used my professional skills to bring in over $100,000 in grants for St. Anthony schools, churches, pollinator pathway, and our popular organics collection site.

Serving My Community

Parks & Environmental Commissioner

I serve on St. Anthony's Parks & Environmental Commission, helping evaluate and recommend park improvements and environmental actions.

We are currently partnering with City Council and WSB to develop a Climate Plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen community resilience to climate-related impacts and natural disasters.

Public Works collaboration to clean up plantings

MWMO Citizen Advisory Commissioners

Mississippi Watershed Mangement Organization Citizen Advisor

I serve as a Citizen Advisor to the Mississippi Watershed. We review the annual operating budget and make recommendations on the selection of capital grant requests.

Village Gardener

I work alongside some incredible volunteers! Some of our Village gardeners have served our community for over 30 years!

We maintain the gardens in Trillium Park and along St. Anthony boulevard. Last summer we partnered with Public Works to refresh the gardens at City Hall.

Village Gardeners at Trillium Park

Earth Day clean-up at Silverwood

Trimming trees with Hennepin County tree stewards

Master Naturalist

I am actively involved in volunteer opportunities in Hennepin County to remove invasive species, plant trees, monitor wetlands, and restore natural habitat. I'm trained as a Master Naturalist, Master Gardener and a Tree Steward.

Monitoring Wetland Health

Head Election Judge

I've served as an election judge since 2000, and for the last 10 years as Head Election Judge in Hennepin Precinct 2.

Last year, I partnered with Ramsey County Elections, Community Services, and city administration to create greater awareness about the voting process.

Planting a pollinator garden at Nativity Church

Village Fest Educational Booth

Citizens for Sustainability

I joined Citizens for Sustainability when it first started in 2013. We work to create awareness of climate challenges, bring opportunities (like the Organics Collection site) before City Council, collaborate with regional partners to host events to create awareness in the community, organize Earth Day cleanup,  and work with local churches and youth groups to care for our natural spaces.

Youth Mentor

I have volunteered in our schools for 20 years, teaching kids about nature and creating opportunities for students to get involved in community service.

I've taught Ecology Club for 3rd & 4th graders since 2013. Each Spring I help 2nd graders discover the magic of seed germination.

In 2016, I arranged for band students to team up with the city's Pollinator Pathway Project to plant new gardens in exchange for donations for a band trip. Students earned $1,100 and 15 homeowners got new gardens planted.

In 2019, I arranged for middle and high school Green Teams to speak with MN State Senator and Representative during the Youth Climate Justice Summit.

In 2020, I organized a tour for ISD 282 administrators, teachers, and students to see how Forest Lake High School uses rooftop solar to generate energy and educate students.

I have served as an advisor on three Eagle Scout projects that:
1) installed bike racks at Wilshire Park,
2) installed raised gardens at Wilshire Park, and
3) installed a pollinator garden at our Organics Collection site.

This summer I worked with the middle school garden club to plant a new garden near the middle school entrance, and I helped facilitate a Student Climate Action Plan workshop to give students the opportunity to provide input to the city's Climate Plan.

Planting with Ecology Club at Wilshire Park

Planting with Middle School Garden Club

Planting pollinator gardens with band students

With students at Youth Climate Justice Summit

About Me

I grew up in a small town in Eastern Montana at a time when kids spent their summers outside playing and exploring and getting 4-H projects ready for the summer fair. It was also a time when there were few opportunities for girls to participate in sports or careers and we were just starting to learn about oil pollution killing fish and birds. I was passionate about both injustices and eager to do something about it.

My mother instilled in me a love of service and desire to make a difference in the lives around me. She organized 4-H service projects, took us visiting friends in the nursing home, had us picking up litter along city streets, mowing lawns and shoveling snow for our next-door “grandmas”.

I moved to Minnesota after I graduated high-school. I got my first job at IDS (now Ameriprise Financial), worked my way through college, met my husband (Bob) there, and spent my entire career at the same company, taking on new challenges, and learning skills that I now use to help make a difference here in our community.

I still feel like that same 10-year-old, ready to do my part to make a difference in the world around me. I am passionate about helping seniors in our community, helping kids discover and care for nature, and taking care of the natural world around us.

I have been blessed with good fortune throughout my life; loving parents, a safe home, family and friends that encouraged me, a job that afforded me the opportunity to care for the things that matter most to me, a wonderfully supportive partner, and our daughter, Annie who brings us great joy.

How to Vote for Lona

Early Voting Starts September 22nd.

Request an Absentee Ballot

Election Day is November 7th, Polls are Open 7:00 am - 8:00 pm

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