At their meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024, Commissioners for the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) approved a policy to confer the title of “superintendent emeritus” on past superintendents who served the organization for five or more years.
The title is awarded by a majority vote of the board in recognition of years of valued service and to encourage and maximize the inclusion of these superintendents as active participants in the life of the MPRB community to the extent they are willing and able.
“We are grateful for all our superintendents’ professional leadership. In addition to serving as stewards for a world-class park system, they work hard to ensure Minneapolis parks benefit all residents, plus millions of nearby and faraway visitors,” said MPRB President Meg Forney. “The emeritus title honors former superintendents for their contributions to MPRB’s legacy.”
At the same meeting, commissioners enacted the new policy to honor several previous MPRB leaders with the superintendent emeritus title:
- Robert Ruhe (posthumous), served January 1966 to July 1978
- Jon Gurban, served January 2005 to 2010 and as interim superintendent throughout 2004
- Jayne Miller, served November 2010 to February 2018
The trio joins Theodore Wirth, Christian Bossen, Charles Doell, Howard Moore, David Fisher and Mary Merrill, who had already been named superintendents emeriti. Highlights of their many accomplishments follow.
Superintendent Emeritus Robert Ruhe reinvigorated a then-80-year-old park system in the 1960s and 70s, in part by building new park and recreation facilities at more than 30 locations throughout Minneapolis that still stand today. Much of how we identify the park system today, from neighborhood recreation centers to the design of the Grand Rounds parkway and trail system, can be linked to Ruhe.
While some parkland was lost to freeway expansion during Ruhe’s tenure, more land was gained or improved because of his tenacity with the Minnesota State Highway Department and others who sought to expropriate public parkland for transportation purposes. He was a forceful and outspoken voice and had a vision for the Minneapolis park system that stood the test of time.
Superintendent Emeritus Jon Gurban was instrumental in identifying the need for long-term funding strategies at Hiawatha Golf Course, many of which have now been implemented. Noting an emerging trend of people moving to denser neighborhoods without park resources, he led an effort to establish a parkland dedication fee for new development, which is fundamental to meeting recreation needs in a city converting industrial land to residential and where overall density is encouraged.
He also oversaw the transformation of concessions at Bde Maka Ska, Lake Harriet and Minnehaha regional parks that enhanced revenue generation; and stood strong against efforts to abolish the independence of the MPRB.
Superintendent Emeritus Jayne Miller helped coordinate emergency responses to the devastating straight-line winds through North Minneapolis in 2010 and initiated the replanting of more than 1,000 trees. She developed the 20-Year Neighborhood Park Plan (NPP20) to reverse decades of underfunding for neighborhood parks, and a related, groundbreaking equity ordinance to prioritize funds for parks based on quantifiable equity measures.
She also worked closely with the Loppet Foundation on a public/private partnership to ensure winter recreation and add to year-round recreation in Theodore Wirth Regional Park and other park system locations.
Find out more about the roles and responsibilities of the MPRB Superintendent.