Park Board swears in new commissioners, selects officers, committees, representatives for 2014

Posted on 6 January, 2014

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) held its annual meeting Thursday, Jan. 2, and elected its officers for 2014. Commissioners elected Liz Wielinski as President and Scott Vreeland as Vice President. New incoming Commissioner At Large Meg Forney and 5th District Steffanie Musich along with the returning commissioners were sworn in to office by Hennepin County District Court Judge Pamela Alexander.

The Board also elected interim Deputy Superintendent Pam French to serve as Secretary to the Board and Attorney Brian Rice and firm Rice, Michels, and Walther LLP as General Counsel.

Notable elected officials in attendance at the Jan. 2 Board meeting were: Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges, Minneapolis City Council Member Elizabeth Glidden and Minnesota State Senator Scott Dibble.

President Wielinski appointed the following Commissioners to serve on Standing Committees of the Board (one-year terms): 

  • Administration and Finance Committee – Chair Anita Tabb, Vice Chair Brad Bourn, Scott Vreeland, Meg Forney, Jon Olson
  • Recreation Committee – Chair John Erwin, Vice Chair Jon Olson, Brad Bourn, Steffanie Musich, Anita Tabb
  • Planning Committee – Chair Annie Young, Vice Chair John Erwin, Jon Olson, Anita Tabb, Steffanie Musich
  • Operations and Environment Committee – Chair Scott Vreeland, Vice Chair Steffanie Musich, John Erwin, Annie Young, Jon Olson
  • Legislation and Intergovernmental Committee – Chair Jon Olson, Vice Chair Anita Tabb, John Erwin, Meg Forney, Brad Bourn
  • Standards and Conduct Committee – Chair Scott Vreeland, Vice Chair Annie Young, John Erwin, Anita Tabb, Meg Forney

Park Board Commissioners, ten citizens and Superintendent Jayne Miller were appointed to serve on the following external boards, commissions and panels. All terms are one year unless otherwise noted.

  • Planning Commission – Meg Forney
  • Board of Estimate and Taxation – Anita Tabb
  • Neighborhood and Community Engagement Commission (citizen appointments) – Citizen appointment to be determined
  • St. Anthony Falls Heritage Board – Scott Vreeland, Meg Forney, citizen appointee Stephanie Gruver, Liz Wielinski, Jayne Miller
  • Youth Coordinating Board – John Erwin
  • Minneapolis Institute of Arts Board – Anita Tabb
  • Mississippi Watershed Management Organization – Scott Vreeland, alternate Meg Forney
  • John H. Stevens House Organization – Steffanie Musich
  • Minneapolis Parks Foundation – Liz Wielinski
  • Minneapolis Tree Advisory Committee – Scott Vreeland, at large citizen appointment Charley Underwood, district 1 citizen appointment Peggy Booth, district 2 citizen appointment Robert Buck, district 3 and 5 citizen appointment Jeanne LaBore, district 4 and 6 citizen appointment Don Willeke
  • Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership – Scott Vreeland, Meg Forney, John Erwin
  • Minneapolis DID Gate Committee – Liz Wielinski
  • Minneapolis DID Greening Design & Infrastructure Committee – Liz Wielinski
  • Southwest LRT Community Works Steering Committee – Anita Tabb, alternate Meg Forney
  • Bottineau Transitway Policy Advisory Committee – Anita Tabb
  • Minneapolis Bicycle Advisory Committee (two-year term) – Janice Gepner, Matthew Hendricks, Joshua Houdek (term expires May 2014)

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board typically meets at 5 p.m. every first and third Wednesday of each month for regular meetings. Board meetings are broadcast live from 5 to 9 p.m. on the Minneapolis Government Meeting Channel 79 on Comcast cable and online on the Channel 79 webpage.

Meeting agendas and related information are typically posted on www.minneapolisparks.org two business days prior to each meeting.

Contact

Dawn Sommers, Communications and Marketing Manager
Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board
Office: 612-230-6407
dsommers@minneapolisparks.org