Al Bangoura
Contact
Phone: 612-230-6404 Email: abangoura@minneapolisparks.org
Service
January 20, 2019- Present
Address
2117 W River Road Minneapolis, MN 55411
Background
Bio
Alfred K Bangoura is the Superintendent of Parks for the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB), a nationally acclaimed independently governed park system with a nine-member elected Board of park commissioners. The MPRB encompasses 7,059 acres of parkland and water and serves more than 30 million visits annually to its 185 regional and neighborhood. Superintendent Bangoura runs the day-to-day operations of Minneapolis Parks, ensuring park operations and business are carried out and administered effectively and in alignment with the Board’s policy objectives. Bangoura maintains fiscal stewardship over the MPRB’s 156 million budget in addition to operations of the MPRB’s 14 departments focused on communications, community connections and violence prevention, park police, planning, asset management, environmental management, forestry, planning, recreation, finance, human resources, information technology and visitor services.
The Minneapolis Park system provides places and recreation opportunities for all people to gather and engage in activities that promote health, well-being, community and the environment. Its 55-mile Grand Rounds Scenic Byway, extensive waterfront access, trail system, 49 recreation centers, 79 pool and beach facilities, 121 play areas, 100s of athletic fields and courts, 45 ice rinks, 12 formal gardens, seven golf courses, seven dog parks, six skate parks, five outdoor performance stages and diversified programming have made the park system an important component of what makes Minneapolis a great place to live, visit, play and work.
Bangoura is a strong visionary and respected leader in government affairs at the city, regional and national levels. He is a member of the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) and City Parks Alliance (CPA) and serves as Chair of the CPA Audit Committee and Co-chair of the CPA Development and Membership Committee. He is a Certified Park and Recreation Professional (CPRP) through NRPA. He is also a member of the esteemed American Academy of Park and Recreation Administration (AAPRA). Bangoura is immersed in the Minneapolis community, fostering and developing relationships in the state and national legislature, business, arts and culture, philanthropic and faith-based communities. He is an active board member with the Minneapolis Parks Foundation and serves as co-chair and workstream leader of the Minneapolis Downtown Council and the Minneapolis Downtown Improvement District’s 2035 Vision: Health Care, Human Services and Wellness Committee. Bangoura was recognized by Twin Cities Business as one of their 2023 TCB 100 influencers, thought leaders and key players likely to be making news or driving change in the year ahead. Bangoura is a notable speaker at local and national gatherings, including serving as a panelist on President Biden’s White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health in September 2022.
Bangoura’s energetic and collaborative approach to leadership has transformed the MPRB to become action-oriented, guided by the Board’s vision and strategy. He challenges teams to innovate and develop partnerships internally and across the community, resulting in long-term, sustainable programs, improved community safety and stronger park and community alignments. In his time as Superintendent, he has led a variety of initiatives to enhance data collection, expand services, improve community connections and strengthen public and private partnerships.
Bangoura has 24 years of public service experience with the Minneapolis Parks (1995-2014, 2019- present). From 2015-2019 he served as Superintendent of Recreation in Mecklenburg County, NC. His early Minneapolis Parks experience includes serving as Director of Recreation and in six neighborhood parks across the city. While serving as a Director in Minneapolis and Superintendent in Mecklenburg, Bangoura restructured the recreation departments gaining him a strong reputation for his ability to understand organizational structure and people.
Bangoura earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of St Thomas and has masters studies in youth development from the University of Minnesota.
Roles & Responsibilities
Annual Reports
Every year the Superintendent publishes an annual report highlighting the organization’s accomplishments. Digital copies of the annual report are available on the page linked below. Hard copies of the most recent year is available for public viewing at recreation centers and libraries in Minneapolis.
Past Superintendents
Superintendents
Current and past superintendents have worked with commissioners, staff, and the community to make the Minneapolis Park System what it is today.
Superintendent Emeritus Mary Merrill February 5, 2018 – January 20, 2019
Theodore Wirth Home
The following superintendents have resided in the Theodore Wirth Home and Administration Building, located in Lyndale Farmstead Park:
- Al Bangoura
- Jayne Miller
- David Fisher
- Charles Spears
- Robert Ruhe
- Howard Moore
- Charles Doell