Christmas is coming in February for Joanne Milner.

The former Salt Lake City councilwoman and state legislator was announced Wednesday as Mayor Ralph Becker's choice to fill the new position of education partnership coordinator in the mayor's office.

Milner, who has spent the past 13 years working in the Salt Lake City School District, will work on Becker's behalf to build partnerships between public education and the city, the business community, universities, colleges and nonprofit groups.

And she's anxious to get started.

"I haven't felt this much excitement since I was a child anticipating Christmas," she said.

Milner's first day on the job will be Feb. 10, giving her another week at Horizonte School as the nontraditional Salt Lake City high school prepares for the standardized Utah Basic Skills Competency Tests.

As the community relations program manager at Horizonte, Milner has been charged with establishing community partnerships and fundraising, as well as coordinating and scheduling school and community use of the multicultural learning facility.

That experience, combined with her advocacy work for underrepresented ethnic minority populations and her service on the City Council (1996-2000) and in the state House of Representatives (1987-92), makes Milner a qualified choice to fill the new post, Becker said.

"Education is key to improving the lives of our children and their families, and to moving people out of the cycles of poverty and crime," he said. "Joanne has dedicated much of her life to this goal. ... I know, with her help, we can do much to enhance the quality of education in our city."

With Milner's hiring, Becker fulfilled a campaign promise and achieved one of the goals outlined in his 180-day plan for Salt Lake City. The creation of the new position was part of Becker's "Blueprint for Education," which the then-mayoral candidate unveiled in June.

The blueprint also called for a monthly school summit, hosted by the mayor, bringing together school administrators and teachers to discuss ways the city can help address needs and problems. Milner will coordinate those meetings and facilitate other discussions with nonprofit groups, businesses, institutions of higher education and other sections of the community to identify ways to assist public education.

"Our goal is to be able to open up doors and opportunities for our young people," Milner said.

McKell Withers, superintendent of the Salt Lake City School District, praised Becker for his selection of Milner.

"She is an outstanding individual whose background, experience and training uniquely qualify her to assist us as we move forward in addressing the critical issues facing the district," Withers said. "I am looking forward to working with her to develop community-based support to meet the needs of our students and their families."

Milner was appointed by a selection committee comprised of Salt Lake City area educators, administrators, parents and teachers.

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