Hennepin County Profile

To learn more about the work of Hennepin County, the District 3 team profiles employees of the county who live in the district. Each month we spotlight a different person from varying departments and occupations. Find out about the day-to-day aspects of occupational fields and work environments at the county, and how each person’s work affects your life.

Angela Conley MFIP Operations Coordinator, HSPHD Eligibility  Work Services Department Kingfield Neighborhood 7 years at Hennepin County

Describe your work.

The Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) is a work first program, and emphasizes how work will pay with the cash assistance programs. I’m the chief contact for the 17 community agencies that provide employment services for MFIP recipients. Between getting the benefits and the work that comes with it I make sure the outcomes are the best for our recipients. For example, we just rolled out an outcome with our community partners that focuses on reducing or eliminating the racial disparities in employment in Hennepin County. I helped design those outcomes and will help monitor and evaluate them.

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What part of your job do you find most challenging?

I wear a lot of hats, but I love a good challenge. The most challenging thing is that I like to see the results of a project, but there are a lot of times where patience is required. I am very passionate about the work that we do and serving our clients (who are experiencing extreme poverty), and waiting for initiatives to develop is frustrating. When people are in crisis, I’m impatient.

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What do you find most enjoyable?

Getting back into the community. I left Hennepin County for 8 years to work as a supervisor of audits at Minnesota DHS, and I really felt disconnected from the people we were serving. When the opportunity arose to come back and work in the community on these issues, I jumped. I’m always the type of person to be on the streets with people and working with partners, and I wanted to get that connection back. What Hennepin allows me to do is be all over the place in different communities, working with our 17 community partners on making our residents’ lives better. I feel more connected when I can be present.

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What is one thing everyone should know about the work you do?

It is hard to narrow it down… I think we all value livability. I think we all value self-sufficiency. The people that we serve in work services share those values, and it is really important to know that the work we do is breaking down barriers for marginalized communities: people of color, people experiencing homelessness, etc. The work that we do provides a bridge for better living in Hennepin County, and it is not just about getting people jobs- it provides a way for clients to be self-sufficient.

Angela is a resident of the Kingfield neighborhood, and is the MFIP Operations Coordinator in HSPHD Eligibility Work Services. The Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) helps families by providing a cash income supplement, helping with food support, child care costs, health care coverage, and employment services. The goal is to reduce long-term public assistance use and to encourage personal responsibility. For more information, click here.