Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Headquarters will be rededicated after Superintendent Emeritus Mary Merrill on May 17

On Friday, May 17, 2019, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) will celebrate the remarkable contributions of Superintendent Emeritus Mary Merrill to the Minneapolis park system during a special event at 10 am that will commemorate renaming MPRB Headquarters after her.

Last December the MPRB voted to rename its Headquarters building to the Mary Merrill Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Headquarters in honor of Merrill, who dedicated her life to serving the children and community members of Minneapolis as both an park employee and elected commissioner.

Merrill started her career at Powderhorn Park in 1972 and rose through the ranks of the Recreation Department to become the first woman and person of color to serve as MPRB Superintendent in 1999. She retired in 2003 and later became the first former Superintendent to get elected as a Park Commissioner in 2006. She came out of retirement to serve as Interim Superintendent in 2018.

All Minneapolis park users and members of the public are invited to attend a special ceremony next Friday, May 17, 2019 at 10 am. Light refreshments will be served following a brief program and ribbon cutting.