Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board selects officers, committees and external appointments for 2024

Commissioners reelected Meg Forney as President of the Board and Cathy Abene as Vice President

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) held its annual meeting Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024 to select officers for 2024. MPRB Commissioners voted to reelect Meg Forney as President and Cathy Abene as Vice President.

President Forney is in her third term serving as an At Large Commissioner. She first took office in 2014 and this will be her third year as President of the Board of Commissioners. Vice President Abene is in her first term as District 6 Commissioner and has served as Vice President since November 2023.

MPRB Commissioners also voted to select Abene as the MPRB representative on the Board of Estimate and Taxation, District 2 Commissioner Becka Thompson as the MPRB representative on the Minneapolis Planning Commission, Deputy Superintendent 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 Charles Rucker and Becka Thompson, Members Steffanie Musich, Tom Olsen, Elizabeth Shaffer

Legislation and Intergovernmental Committee – Chairs Tom Olsen, Vice Chair Charles Rucker, Members Cathy Abene, Becky Alper, Billy Menz

Operations and Environment Committee – Chair Steffanie Musich, Vice Chair Becky Alper, Members Cathy Abene, Billy Menz, Elizabeth Shaffer

Planning Committee – Chair Cathy Abene, Vice Chair Becka Thompson, Members Becky Alper, Tom Olsen, Charles Rucker

Recreation Committee – Co-Chairs Charles Rucker and Steffanie Musich, Members Becky Alper, Billy Menz, Becka Thompson

Standards and Conduct Committee – Chair Cathy Abene, Vice Chair Elizabeth Shaffer, Members Tom Olsen, Steffanie Musich, Becka Thompson

External Appointments

MPRB Commissioners 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

Internal Audit Committee – Cathy Abene

Lake Street Greenway Partnership – Becky Alper

METRO Blue Line Extension LRT Corridor Management Committee – Meg Forney, Charles Rucker (alternate)

Minneapolis Bicycle Advisory Committee – Jeremy Bergerson, Janice Gepner, Maxwell Singer

Minneapolis Institute of Arts Board – Steffanie Musich

Minneapolis Parks Foundation – Charles Rucker

Minneapolis Tree Advisory Committee – Billy Menz (one year-commissioner appointment), Mary Bolla, Tim Keane, John Kruse, Chris Linde, Giuseppe Marrari, Barbara Schlaefer, Carol Serland (second year of two-year community appointment)

Mississippi Watershed Management Organization – Billy Menz, Charles Rucker (alternate)

Neighborhood Revitalization Program Board – Billy Menz

St. Anthony Falls Heritage Board – Meg Forney, Billy Menz, Elizabeth Shaffer, Paul Reyelts

Southwest LRT Community Works Steering Committee – Elizabeth Shaffer, Tom Olsen (alternate)

Youth Coordinating Board – Charles Rucker

Homegrown Minneapolis Food Council – Michael 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 Board Meetings 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.