Cronk begins to make mark in high-stakes city job

Spencer Cronk moved home to Minnesota after nearly a decade of career-building in California and New York with an impressive public-service résumé — and zero job prospects.

The kid from Hopkins who had grown up to be a rising star in the office of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg knew he could do big things in the Twin Cities. But without any local connections, the prospect of snagging a coveted position in state or local government was unlikely.

So Cronk started making appointments with local movers and shakers. He showed up at their events. He paid close attention to changes happening at the Capitol and made sure his name was on the right lists. Four years later, after serving in a top administrative role under Gov. Mark Dayton and newly sworn in as the city coordinator of Minneapolis, Cronk has made the leap from unknown to big deal.

"If you get the opportunity to work with Spencer Cronk, you work with Spencer Cronk," said Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges.

Cronk takes over a high-stakes position at an important time for Hodges, who is less than a year into her first term and whose goals and priorities are only now beginning to take shape.

The role of city coordinator, much like Cronk's last position as commissioner of the state Department of Administration, isn't particularly well understood by the general public. It's not a straightforward city manager position — the mayor and council have control over setting policy and finalizing a budget — but it does come with oversight powers for several key city departments. It's Cronk's job to make sure the 911 system and emergency management operations are running smoothly. He helps craft the budget, supervises department directors and oversees major city projects.

Cronk said he knows his primary task is to ensure the city is running, period.

It's the kind of high-profile mayoral appointment that comes with a well-appointed office and heavy responsibility — and doesn't typically go to someone still building a career.

Cronk, who has the lanky height of an NBA forward, stands out as a commanding presence. But at 34, he is decades younger than some of the officials he supervises.

It's the same kind of situation he was in at the state, where he oversaw more than $2 billion in public purchases each year and supervised major projects, like the restoration of the State Capitol. And it's what he encountered in New York. Fresh out of a competitive public policy fellowship program, he was hired by Bloomberg in 2006 to serve as a senior adviser in the Department of Small Business Services and then promoted to direct a division in that department, all while still in his 20s.

Cronk is well aware of the pitfalls of moving up the ladder so quickly. It can be easy, he said, to try to cover up inexperience by trying to be a "bulldog."

Instead, he said he's always tried to reflect on challenging, formative experiences — a year studying in Kenya, telling family and friends he was gay, a first job far from home in California — and remind himself to be open about what he knows and what he doesn't.

Tina Smith, Dayton's former chief of staff and now the governor's running mate, said Cronk impressed colleagues because he did his homework but didn't try to show off.

"Spencer has a way about him that is just extremely approachable," she said. "He's very open-minded, very accessible and just friendly — and I think, as a result, he doesn't threaten people and he's smart enough to listen really hard to people with a lot of experience."

In his first month on the job at City Hall, Cronk said he's been deliberate with his time and attention, trying to make sure he understands how things are working before trying to make any big changes. He said he's excited about working with a mayor who has made equity a key part of her goals.

As city coordinator, Cronk said he wants to find more ways to ensure the services he manages are accessible and available to all residents, not just certain groups.

Cronk said he's glad he took a risk in following his now-husband, actor Brendan Bujold (you may have seen him recently in Leinenkugel ads) back home to Minnesota to help lead a city he says is on the rise.

Erin Golden • 612-673-4790