Hennepin County Profiles

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To learn more about how Hennepin County works for you, the District 3 team has started a profile series with employees of the county who live in the district. Each month will 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.

ThatcherThatcher Imboden
Principal Planning Analyst, Transit-oriented Development Program Manager
Housing, Community Works, and Transit
Kenny Neighborhood, lifelong District 3 resident
1 year at Hennepin County

 

Describe your work.

I manage a funding program that advances real estate development near transit, as it enhances the tax base, efficiently uses land, encourages active and healthy lifestyles, and leverages our transit investments. We aide local government agencies and for- and non-profit developers by funding primarily infrastructure that supports development. I also work on economic development issues and opportunities, including those associated with the Southwest and Bottineau LRT projects.


What part of your job do you find most challenging?

One challenging part of the job is trying to promote development in areas where the market isn't there to support it yet. There are a lot of factors working against economic development, like high construction costs, low rental rates, and limited financial resources to make projects happen. For example, some communities have a high concentration of affordable housing and the community wants to see more income diversity, but the rents aren't able to justify the costs of new construction and there aren't many financial resources available to achieve that goal.


What do find most enjoyable?

Working with my colleagues and partner agencies is great. There are a lot of great development staff that are committed to their jobs and their communities. Seeing the outcomes from our assistance out on the sidewalk is pretty satisfying.


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

Hennepin County is a significant funding partner for building additional transit infrastructure, such as light rail, and the work we do in economic and housing development leverages that transit investment. Staff members work to identify strategies that make it easier to safely access transit, develop station area plans with cities and communities, identify needed station area infrastructure not included in transit projects, and develop strategies to promote the desired growth in station areas. 


Thatcher Imboden is a Transit-oriented Development Program Manager in the Housing, Community Works, and Transit department at Hennepin County, which strengthens communities by developing quality, affordable housing and creating healthy built environments that provide transportation choices and community connections, attract investment and create jobs. Thatcher grew up in Uptown, and currently resides in the Kenny neighborhood. Thatcher recently celebrated his first year at Hennepin County.