Irene FernandoIrene Fernando

Irene Fernando is a Hennepin County Commissioner, community leader, and youth development advocate representing District 2. After moving to Minneapolis at 17 to attend the University of Minnesota, Irene co-founded Students Today Leaders Forever, a nonprofit focused on leadership through service, relationships, and action. She later built a career across nonprofit, corporate, and academic settings before being elected to the Hennepin County Board in 2018, where she became the first Filipino American elected in Minnesota and has served as Board Chair since 2023. Irene is committed to building responsive public systems and expanding access to housing, healthcare, transit, jobs, and opportunity across Hennepin County.