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Don Samuels was first elected to the City Council in February 2003 in a special election for the 3rd Ward. Don was re-elected to the 5th Ward in November 2005 reaching out to a diverse Northside community. Before joining the City Council, Don served as a community activist, ordained minister and a Fortune 500 business executive.

As a Council Member, Don Co-chairs the Executive Committee of the Empowerment Zone Board that helped bring over $1 million dollars to North Minneapolis, is vice chair of the Public Safety and Regulatory Services Committee, the only Northside representative of the Community Development Committee and sits on the board of the Greater Minneapolis Convention and Visitors Association. Don was a deciding factor in the hiring of Chief McManus, led the fight against predatory lending, authored the loitering ordinance, and co-authored the Northside Housing Moratorium and other key council decisions.

Don is the Founder of the PEACE Foundation (Public Engagement and Community Empowerment) to enrich and challenged communities. He also founded the African Americana Economic Development Committee, to steer the development of African American businesses in the city. With his wife Sondra, Don also founded the Institute for Authentic Dialogue on race, which guides executives and leaders in conversations and relationships across race with unprecedented clarity and mutuality.