Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board selects officers, committees and external appointments for 2025

Commissioners elected Cathy Abene as President and Steffanie Musich as Vice President

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) held its annual meeting Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 to select officers for 2025. MPRB Commissioners voted to elect Cathy Abene as President and Steffanie Musich as Vice President.

President Abene is in her first term serving as the District 6 Commissioner representing Southwest Minneapolis. This will be her first year as President of the Board of Commissioners. Vice President Musich is in her third term as District 5 Commissioner representing South Minneapolis. This is her first year as Vice President.

MPRB Commissioners also voted to select Abene as the MPRB representative on the Board of Estimate and Taxation, Deputy Superintendent Jennifer Ringold to serve as Secretary to the Board, and law firm Rice, Walther & Mosley as General Counsel. District 2 Commissioner Becka Thompson will continue serving as the MPRB representative on the Minneapolis Planning Commission in the second year of a two-year term that began in 2024.

Standing Committees

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

Administration and Finance Committee – Chair Becka Thompson, Vice Chair Elizabeth Shaffer, Members Becky Alper, Meg Forney, Charles Rucker

Legislation and Intergovernmental Committee – Chair Billy Menz, Vice Chair Tom Olsen, Members Steffanie Musich, Charles Rucker, Becka Thompson

Operations and Environment Committee – Chair Steffanie Musich, Vice Chair Elizabeth Shaffer, Meg Forney, Billy Menz, Tom Olsen

Planning Committee – Chair Meg Forney, Vice Chair Becka Thompson, Members Becky Alper, Charles Rucker, Elizabeth Shaffer

Recreation Committee – Chairs Charles Rucker, Vice Chair Steffanie Musich, Members Becky Alper, Billy Menz, Becka Thompson

Standards and Conduct Committee – Chair Elizabeth Shaffer, Vice Chair Becky Alper, Members Meg Forney, Steffanie Musich, Tom Olsen

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 – Cathy Abene

Internal Audit Committee – Becka Thompson

Lake Street Greenway Partnership – Becka Thompson

METRO Blue Line Extension LRT Corridor Management Committee – Charles Rucker, Becka Thompson (alternate)

Minneapolis Institute of Arts Board – Meg Forney

Minneapolis Parks Foundation – Charles Rucker, Steffanie Musich

Minneapolis Tree Advisory Committee – Meg Forney

Minnehaha Creek Policy Steering Committee –Cathy Abene, Steffanie Musich, Elizabeth Shaffer

Mississippi Watershed Management Organization – Billy Menz, Meg Forney (alternate)

Neighborhood Revitalization Program Board – Billy Menz

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

Youth Coordinating Board – Charles Rucker

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.