Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board selects officers, committees and external appointments for 2022

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) held its annual meeting Monday, Jan. 3, 2022 to select officers for 2022. Park Commissioners elected Meg Forney as President and Alicia D. Smith as Vice President.

President Forney is beginning her third term serving as an At Large Commissioner. She first took office in 2014 and this will be her first year as President of the Board of Commissioners. Vice President Smith was elected to her first term in office in November as an At Large Commissioner.

Commissioners elected District 3 Commissioner Becky Alper as its representative on the Minneapolis Planning Commission, District 1 Commissioner Billy Menz as its representative on the Board of Estimate and Taxation, Jennifer Ringold to serve as Secretary to the Board, and law firm Rice, Walther & Mosley as General Counsel.

Standing Committees

President Forney appointed the following Commissioners to serve one-year terms on MPRB Standing Committees:

  • Administration and Finance Committee – Co-Chairs Elizabeth Shaffer and Becka Thompson, Members Billy Menz, Tom Olsen, Alicia D. Smith
  • Legislation and Intergovernmental Committee – Co-Chairs Cathy Abene and Tom Olsen, Members Billy Menz, Alicia D. Smith, Becka Thompson
  • Operations and Environment Committee – Co-Chairs Steffanie Musich and Tom Olsen, Members Cathy Abene, Becky Alper, Elizabeth Shaffer
  • Planning Committee – Co-Chairs Cathy Abene and Becky Alper, Members Tom Olsen, Elizabeth Shaffer, Alicia D. Smith
  • Recreation Committee – Co-Chairs Billy Menz and Alicia D. Smith, Members Cathy Abene, Becky Alper, Becka Thompson
  • Standards and Conduct Committee – Co-Chairs Billy Menz and Elizabeth Shaffer, Members Becky Alper, Steffanie Musich, Becka Thompson

External Appointments

MPRB Commissioners, staff and Minneapolis residents were appointed to serve on the following external boards, committees and organizations. All appointments are one-year terms unless otherwise noted.

  • Cedar Riverside Partnership – Becky Alper
  • Homegrown Minneapolis Food Council – Leslie Modrack
  • Internal Audit Committee – Cathy Abene
  • Lake Street Greenway Partnership – Elizabeth Shaffer
  • METRO Blue Line Extension LRT Corridor Management Committee – Becka Thompson, Tom Olsen (alternate)
  • Minneapolis Bicycle Advisory Committee – Jeremy Bergerson, Janice Gepner, Kadence Hampton
  • Minneapolis Institute of Arts Board – Elizabeth Shaffer
  • Minneapolis Parks Foundation – Becka Thompson
  • Minneapolis Tree Advisory Committee – Steffanie Musich, Peggy Booth, Tim Keane, Guiseppe Marrari, Susan Olmstead, Carol Sersland
  • Mississippi Watershed Management Organization – Becka Thompson, Billy Menz (alternate)
  • Neighborhood Revitalization Program Board – Alicia D. Smith
  • Anthony Falls Heritage Board – Meg Forney, Tom Olsen, Elizabeth Shaffer, Al Bangoura, Sally Grans Korsh
  • Southwest LRT Community Works Steering Committee – Elizabeth Shaffer, Becka Thompson (alternate)
  • Youth Coordinating Board – Alicia D. Smith

Board Meetings

The MPRB usually meets at 5 pm every first and third Wednesday of each month for regular meetings. MPRB meeting agendas and related information are posted on the MPRB Meeting Portal page, usually the Friday preceding each Wednesday Board meeting.

Board meetings are broadcast live on the Minneapolis Parks YouTube channel, where videos of past meetings are also posted. Live meetings are also viewable on the Minneapolis Government Meeting Channel, SD channel 14 or HD channel 799 on Comcast.