Ella Mitchell serves as a Redevelopment Manager with Ramsey County Community & Economic Development, where she leads initiatives that support efficient land use and equitable development. Her primary responsibility is the advancement of Rice Creek Commons, the redevelopment of the former Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant (TCAAP) site in the City of Arden Hills. She works with public and private partners to prepare for this new community, including implementing its ambitious clean energy and sustainable development vision. She also administers grant programs for the County that incentivize infill and transit-oriented development.
Prior to this role, she worked in affordable housing policy and real estate development, including with Minnesota Housing Partnership providing technical assistance to rural and tribal communities on policy and program implementation; with ECONorthwest and Strategic Economics researching housing and economic development issues; and with MidPen Housing in California managing the development of low-income housing tax credit financed affordable housing.
She started her career in consumer behavior research before finding her way to urban planning. She holds a Master’s in City Planning from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Yale University.