Parks are so important to kids. And I hope all candidates care deeply about children.
What makes me unique: I'm the ONLY candidate currently parenting young children (MPS). That lived experience allows me to bring a unique perspective and needed voice to the board and provide needed perspective when crafting park policy - I'm invested!
Continual: I'll be a direct voice of Parents on the Board.
I'll focus "Success-Metrics" around Engagement and Connections Built, not just offered/executed.
To Start: I’ll fix online calendars and registration systems.
I'll Build: cost-effective programs for kids/communities following proven approaches (like LetGrow.org's free-play groups).
Healthy habits, confidence, and community start in the parks and the outdoors. (As a parent, I honestly RELY ON PARKS FOR MY SURVIVAL:)
We have such a great parks system, I just want to make it easier for us all to access and use it.
ROADMAP:
1. Don't Miss anything/Make your life a little easier:
a. Fix Calendars/Website/Registration systems
b. RSS Feed: Your local Park(s)' calendar emailed weekly
2. Enusure cost/language isn't a barrier
3. Collaboration across local businesses/cultural groups
After graduating at the UMN in Enviromental Science, where I worked with the fisheries department doing research on local lakes, I worked for the city, helping connect run-off to storm sewers instead of sanitary sewers - and keeping that water out of our lakes!
For the last 3 years I've adopted my neighborhood's drains (adopt-a-drain.org).
I believe in the power of native plants and their ability to filter and hold water. I would strengthen partnerships with the city and work cohesievely on a shared-plan to keep our parks clean!
Safety comes from both presence and community.
My Metrics = Attendance and Connection.
Because REAL SAFETY comes from vibrant, well-used parks. When families, teens, and neighbors feel welcome every day, our parks become safer through community trust and shared responsibility. And when neighbors befriend eachother, this goodwill will spread through the entire area.
For large events, I support clear staffing plans, better lighting, and coordination with city services. It should be easier for groups to plan events with the parks.
telephone
6129267707
Contact Phone
612-926-7707
Investing in our youth is one of MPRB's highest priorities with major commitments to staffing & funding need-based areas by utilizing our equity matrix of community criteria and site specific characteristics for each of our 47 recreation centers. Major funding of our "Closing the Gap: Investing in Youth Initiative" increases staffing, creates youth programming and sports, invests in Spark'd Studios--technology hubs that "go to where kids are at" to increase skill development as well as self-expression, enhances youth employment opportunities as well as nature, gardening & cycling programming, regardless of their ability to pay.
Park activation is critical. We lag in the Trust for Public Land's ParkScore® regarding equity, specifically in north & northeast Minneapolis, areas historically underserved. Through our System Equity Investments, our most recent rec center, River Hub, needs full activation & soon to be completed Upper Harbor Park next year. Advocating for these in our 2026 budget is my #1 goal. An area with the highest concentration of youth in the state, North Commons Park's transformation with enhanced athletic spaces is a game changer. Infused with the largest-ever investment in a neighborhood park through philanthropic & government partnerships, yet, more funds are critical to raise. 8 new alternative revenue sources have been activated in my tenure.
I presided over the activation of the Stormwater Park Board Fee on city water bills to address the MPRB-owned stormwater infrastructure on park property, especially, the bodies of water. The fund will pay for the design & engineering, construction & capital programs to comply with the National Pollutant Discharge & Elimination System permit, regulating non-point source pollution, associated with stormwater runoff, being it was not funded through the former stormwater fee collections. The fund will be allocated using a criteria-based system that incorporates relevant characteristics including equity and condition.
Again, activity in our parks is vital. Safety & security in public spaces is best accomplished through layers--attentive staff, built infrastructure, safety plans, cameras/surveillance. Also, we need macro system improvements around mental health and criminal justice accountability. Following the tumult of 2020, our Community Connections & Violence Prevention was activated to support programming prevention efforts in recreation centers & contribute to creating safe spaces for natural community connections. Additionally, StreetReach was developed to meet people where they are at, connecting Minneapolis’ most at-risk youth and adults to safe places, neighborhood resources and social services.
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telephone
6122421902
Contact Phone
6122421902
Parks provide vital third spaces for youth; inclusive environments to pursue passions without grades. With school ending by 4pm and summer gaps, many youth face unstructured time and homes. I propose: monthly communication with Minneapolis Public Schools to promote park offerings; recruiting retired mentors; partnering on food/transportation/housing barriers; school-year pop-up programming in parks without community centers; continued staff and teen training on inclusive space-sharing. Thanks to the current board for addressing youth funding gaps. I'll dialogue with the Recreation department to identify programming needs and build on their excellent work serving our community's youth.
I would support designing sensory zones and events for our residents who live with autism. I will insist on ADA design when repaving surfaces, and ADA options for restroom facilities, as well as ways to access green spaces off of paved surfaces. Diversity, equity, and inclusion will still be my criteria in making spaces feel safe and welcoming. The recent free and low cost youth programming initiative is a great asset; I want to advertise it first directly to areas of high economic need, and to support the trained staff and volunteers who make those programs happen.
We are all connected. Water systems prove that. The Park Board must partner with the City, upstream cities, Hennepin County, and Watershed Districts to insist on best management practices for every stormwater replacement project. As a former Minnehaha Creek Watershed District Community Advisory Committee member, I know coordination is crucial. With Master Plans for Minnehaha, Háhàwakpadan, chain of lakes, and Mississippi corridor, we can build BMPs to mitigate damages from historically overbuilding floodplains. Renewed marshlands at Bde Maka Ska, Nokomis, and Cedar effectively filter waters. I'd consider similar restoration near Lake Hiawatha and near Lake Harriet.
"Park safety is essential for true third spaces open daily for all. Parks need to be prepared for many dangers - extreme weather, falls, health emergencies, and... as we were tragically reminded this month… active shooters. If Emergency Action Plans (EAPs) don't exist, I'll prioritize creating them. Recreation centers with youth programs must post "MPRB Prohibits Guns on these Premises" like schools do. For open parklands, gun prohibition ordinances should be discussed at neighborhood meetings and posted at common area entrances. Before large gatherings, EAPs should include site assessments of high points, whether park police presence is needed as a deterrent and response, in addition to trained park ambassadors around perimeters.
telephone
9528073738
Contact Phone
952-807-3738
This is one of the primary roles of the Park Board; we are and should continue to be a leader in youth engagement. Our ultimate goal should be having enough resources and outreach to be able to activate every Minneapolis youth at allpark hours at all times of the year. We can look to other cities for a better understanding of the benefits we might see if we achieve this ambitious goal. Baltimore boosted their park budget by ~40% and employed thousands of youth in summer work programs. Unfortunately this current board voted to cut critical youth engagement positions, a vote I fought against, we need to start by hiring back these positions. As commissioner I have and will continue to support funds for our youth programs.
By improving our youth engagement and meeting more families where we are we can get more folks to utilize our parks so they feel welcome in these spaces. This will also help improve safety which is a prerequisite to accessibility. Another aspect of safety is quality lighting, we need a strong plan to fully light our parks. We are currently working on an accessibility action plan, when those final directives are brought forth, we need to back them up with funding and board direction to staff. We also need to partner more strongly with metro transit to offer more transit options around our park system, for instance we should have more routes that go onto our parkways. Quality transit access is a key indicator of physical accessibility.
Well we already worked with the city to implement a stormwater management fee onto city utility bills. While it's not the fully amount we need to bring our stormwater management up to par, it is a start and will help us lay the groundwork for future action. We also need to further develop partnerships with governmental organizations like the Minnehaha Watershed District. By working with them we can create regional solutions to water quality, which is a regional problem. I also think that we as a board have to stand up for improving water quality in our own land. Recently this board voted for asphalt/parking over additional greenspace near critical water bodies. We can't make short cited decisions like that and must prioritize water quality.
As mentioned in my first two answers I think we need to focus primarily on youth engagement. After that, I would say that we should focus on infrastructure improvements like lighting, and hardening of spaces/infrastructure updates that allow our officers to better manage large gatherings. Almost every recent shooting in our park system has occured with youth in cars who then speed off, and occured at night/after park hours/with poor lighting. These are common factors that we can manage with better infrastructure, and would optimize the ability of our officers to do their job. Lastly, I think we need to do what we can to combat gun violence. This includes providing gun violence reduction tools in our parks and banning guns in our parks.
telephone
6123898678
Contact Phone
6123898678
From what I’ve heard on the campaign trail, parents and kids are pretty happy with the MPRB’s youth services, but there is some room for improvement in certain areas. One such area is the Recreation Plus childcare program. I’ve had the chance to talk with some RecPlus staff, and they could use more staff and training due to the large and growing interest in the program. The MPRB is also one of the city’s largest youth employers, and I would like to continue that by providing teenagers and young adults with educational jobs and apprenticeship opportunities. The MPRB can also help teenagers by expanding age-appropriate programming and instituting longer community center hours, giving our youth safe third spaces to learn and connect.
To make our park system more physically accessible, the MPRB needs to invest in a lot of different places, including making sure park services and amenities are ADA-accessible and that park staff have the appropriate training to help park participants who need accommodations. I also want to make sure people feel welcome to enjoy our park system, and I plan on putting forward resolutions ensuring that immigrants and members of the LGBTQIA2S+ community are safe and protected while enjoying our parks and programs. Lastly, we need more equitable distribution of green space in our city, and I want to work with diverse working-class neighborhoods to create parks/gardens/etc in their communities that best meet their needs and priorities.
The first step is to invest in what I like to call “small-but-mighty infrastructure.” These are small and (relatively) affordable features that can help us keep our parks safer, cleaner, and more accessible, such as water fountains, repairing light fixtures, or, for the sake of this question, more and better-maintained trash receptacles and pet waste stations. We also need to invest in more natural solutions like rain gardens and boulevard trees that filter out contaminants and pollutants before they enter our stormwater system. Additionally, the MPRB needs to reduce and ultimately eliminate the use of pesticides in our parks, which would mitigate both water and soil pollution.
My top priority when it comes to public safety in our parks is to expand the MPRB’s StreetReach team, a community ambassador-like program with a proven track record of addressing disruptive and violent behavior by forming community connections and getting people the help they need. Otherwise, my approach to public safety is based on “policing by consent,” where the authority of public safety officers comes from public trust rather than fear. A good first step towards this approach would be to instruct officers to get out of their vehicles when they’re on patrol (which is a common complaint I hear), form connections with community members through small acts like passing out water on a hot day, and make their presence known and trusted.
The Park Board plays a vital role in reaching youth by providing safe spaces, recreation, and programs that extend learning beyond the school day. Parks are often where young people finish their day after starting it in school, making them essential to youth development. I propose stronger partnerships with Minneapolis Public Schools and charter schools to align programming so youth have seamless opportunities for learning, play, and leadership. This includes after-school programs connected to classroom learning, internships in conservation careers, and opportunities for school staff to also work in parks which ensures continuity with trusted, familiar faces.
To make our parks more accessible, I will prioritize universal design in every project so residents of all abilities can enjoy trails, playgrounds, and water access. Accessibility must include physical access, but also cultural and financial access. That means removing barriers such as inadequate ADA infrastructure, language gaps in communication, and program costs that exclude families. I will advocate for investment in accessible pathways, inclusive recreation programs, and community input processes that center voices from historically underserved neighborhoods. Parks belong to everyone, and accessibility must be woven into every decision the Park Board makes.
As a Park Board member, I would partner with the City to address stormwater runoff through environmentally resilient and financially sustainable solutions like rain gardens, permeable trails, and native plantings that filter water naturally. I would ensure every park project includes smart water management from the start, preventing costly fixes later. Because I am an educator and community leader, I see the value in youth and community education around water stewardship, creating pathways for young people to learn conservation skills. Protecting clean water is about equity too. Every resident deserves equal access to safe, healthy lakes and rivers, and I will work to keep this a core priority of our park system.
Safety in our parks must be rooted in accessibility, community trust, and resilience. I would recommend increasing safety at large public gatherings by expanding the Park Ambassador program and ensuring staff and volunteers reflect the communities they serve. As an educator and community leader, I know familiar and trusted faces create a sense of belonging and deter unsafe behavior. I would also strengthen partnerships with schools, youth programs, and neighborhood organizations so safety is proactive, not just reactive. Finally, investing in infrastructure like improved lighting, clear signage, and environmentally sustainable design can make parks safer while keeping them welcoming and financially sustainable for the long term.
telephone
5073397228
Contact Phone
5073397228
A significant challenge we face is the decline of third spaces and a lack of youth opportunities in our society. It takes a village to raise children, and MPRB is increasingly that village here in Minneapolis. We have one of the best park systems in the country, but our public schools need us to step up and provide wraparound programs in, with, and between schools and recreation centers. The city of lakes needs swim lessons for all 3rd graders and reliable childcare options so that Minneapolis can be an affordable destination for working families raising their kids. Additionally, MPRB is the largest youth employer in the city, but we can do more to strengthen frontline worker rights and retention to become the BEST youth employer as well.
Everyone deserves to safely reach our parks, whether by foot, bike, transit, or car. We should encourage multiple transportation options to meet the diverse needs of park users, and work with city, state, county, and regional partners to cooperate on transportation plans that our residents and our environment need. I will champion traffic calming on parkways, expanded bike infrastructure, improved transit connections to our park system, and an approach to operating and maintaining parkways that is data-driven and prioritizes the safety and convenience of pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit riders over that of motorists.
A common management approach to unspecified park space centers on grass turf. However, MPRB has a role in mitigating stormwater runoff that includes more native plantings and wild areas to make the soil permeable and act as a sponge rather than a stone during heavy rains. The recent stormwater fees are a positive program, and I would further publicize the Adopt-A-Drain program. I will also support the conservation efforts of the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District and advocate for zero-waste with local partners. I will advocate for a reduction in fertilizer and winter road salt usage. The chain of lakes is one of the city's most effective stormwater treatment tools, and I would support a ban on pesticides along the chain of lakes.
As a former lifeguard, I know that safety is 99% prevention. To improve public safety in our parks, I believe we should prioritize full and long-term staffing of frontline workers who build meaningful relationships with the communities they serve. We are all safer and healthier when youth are in our parks, building healthy habits and positive relationships. Youth programming is a crime prevention measure, and it is also more humane and cost-effective than threats or a display of force. Connections to our neighbors and co-stewardship of shared spaces, neighborhood by neighborhood, not only verifiably reduce crime but are also foundational to a thriving human experience in the world.
