Elected Officers of the Highway 55 Corridor Coalition for 2009 are (left to right) Jack Russek, vice-chair; Liz Weir, secretary-treasurer and, Marvin Johnson, chair.

The Highway 55 Corridor Coalition recently re-elected city of Independence Mayor Marvin Johnson as its chair.

Wright County commissioner Jack Russek was elected vice-chair and Medina city councilor Liz Weir was re-elected as secretary.

Johnson is a long time city of Independence city councilor and mayor. He has been involved in the city since 1973 - serving on the planning commission from 1973 to 1975, then as a councilmember from 1976-1979 and from 1979 to present (30 years), as mayor.

During this time, Mayor Johnson has served on numerous regional, state and national committees and organizations. He has been vice chair of the League of Minnesota Cities and a member of the Metropolitan Radio Board. Mayor Johnson has been an active member of the Highway 55 Corridor Coalition.

Vice-Chair Russek lives in Delano and has farmed near there. He has been a Wright County commissioner since 1992. Prior to his election as commissioner, he served eight years as a Franklin Township Supervisor. Russek serves on many county committees and is a representative of Wright County on three joint powers boards, including the Highway 55 Corridor Coalition board. During his farming career, Jack was a member and delegate on the Mid America Dairymen's Association

Weir is serving her second four-year term as a Medina city council member. From 1997 to 2004, she was a Medina Planning Commission member, and she chaired the commission from 2001 to 2002. She represents Medina at the Highway 55 Corridor Coalition, Healthy Communities Committee and the Lake Independence TMDL Task Force. She trained as a nurse in England and worked as a registered nurse in Cape Town, South Africa and in Minneapolis. She has written for weekly newspapers and reviewed theater for Talkinbroadway.com.