Meet Councilmember Gary Hansen

Eagan City Councilmember Gary Hansen was first elected in 2008. He previously served on and chaired the Eagan and Dakota County Planning Commissions. Gary is a charter member of the Eagan Kick-Start Rotary Club. A JD degree graduate of Mitchell Hamline School of Law, he is a commercial arbitrator and is active in the Minnesota State Bar Association. His legal and risk management background informs and guides his decisions on matters considered by the city council.

Gary and his wife Kathy, a retired Eagan High School math teacher, are 42-year Eagan residents. They are long-time members of Mount Calvary Church in Eagan. They have two daughters, Andrea Murphy and Kelly Darwitz; sons-in-law Daniel Murphy and Ryan Darwitz; a son, Tim; and four granddaughters.

Gary has served four one-year terms as acting mayor when needed in the mayor’s absence. He represents Eagan in the regional transportation and transit decision-making process, ensuring that Eagan taxpayers get their fair share of state and federal funding for operations and infrastructure.

Gary has demonstrated regional leadership as Minnesota Valley Transit Authority and Suburban Transit Association (STA) Board chair, Association of Metropolitan Municipalities (Metro Cities) president, League of Minnesota Cities (LMC) Board member, and MN Cities Climate Coalition member. He is STA’s representative on the regional Transportation Advisory Board, which coordinates planning and funding of transportation and transit initiatives with the Metropolitan Council. He also serves on the National League of Cities Transportation and Infrastructure Federal Advocacy Committee. He represented the LMC on an Electric Vehicle Legislative Working Group in 2025-26. Gary is actively engaged in legislative policy development in the interest of municipalities on Metro Cities and LMC legislative policy committees.