All nine Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) seats are up for election this November. Eight people are running for three at-large seats on the board.
Meg Forney and Tom Olsen are the incumbents. Charles Rucker, the third seat to open, is not seeking reelection.
Matthew Dowgwillo
www.matt4mpls.org
Matthew Dowgwillo is a 25-year Minneapolis resident and father of two, holding degrees in environmental science and economics from the University of Minnesota. He has yet to announce endorsements.
“I’m running to ensure parents with young children are represented by an at-large park commissioner,” and to provide “more access, more connection, less divisiveness and more joy in every season,” Dowgwillo said.
“We are the greatest winter city in the world. Let’s embrace it and let the world know.”
His priorities center on youth programs, “because healthy habits, self-confidence and connections are formed through teams, outdoor free play and community gardens.” He advocates for better event and programming coordination and better community engagement. He wants more “premiere park offerings” and connections to local cultural initiatives.
He plans to use his experience as a father registering for activities to improve park processes.
Meg Forney
www.megforney.org
Meg Forney lives in Southwest Minneapolis. She formerly worked for YWCA and Project for Pride in Living. She has been on the board since January 2014.
Forney is endorsed by the Minneapolis Firefighters union, as well as Mayor Jacob Frey; councilmembers Linea Palmisano, Michael Rainville, and LaTrisha Vetaw; state legislators Scott Dibble and Jamie Long; and the DFL Senior Caucus.
Forney wants to address inequities and make parks accessible for all families; to broaden the tree canopy in areas with heat islands, poor air quality and health disparities; and to diversify park board revenue sources to reduce property taxes.
She is especially concerned about funding for the Graco and Upper Harbor parks. “It is paramount that these under-parked areas have full activation of these new parks, especially in light of the recent killings at Boom Island and Folwell,” she said.
Amber Frederick
www.amberfrederick.com
Amber Frederick, who previously ran for city council in Ward 5, calls herself a “third-generation social worker” who has recently been working as a youth homelessness prevention specialist.
She lives in the Near North neighborhood and has been endorsed by the MinneapolisDFL, Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation and the state Service Employees International Union (SEIU).
Frederick prioritizes the environment, youth and workers. She worries that the park board has shifted away from youth investment and strong relationships with workers. “Our parks already play a vital role in youth employment, childcare and connecting residents to resources,” Frederick said. “A city as great as ours deserves park board commissioners who honor our progressive values and stand proudly with working families.”
Mary McKelvey
www.maryforparks.org
Mary McKelvey works as a Loppet Foundation coach at Theodore Wirth Park and teaches ESL in the Minneapolis Public Schools. She has experience as a PTA president and a Parents United board member. She has served on the Parks for All advisory committee and the Minnehaha Creek Watershed committee; she sits on the city’s Pedestrian Advisory Committee.
“The Board can achieve more through strategic partnerships that expand youth programming and improve environmental health through invasive species removal and ecological habitat restoration,” said McKelvey.
She supports fair wages, benefits and safety for MPRB workers and said communication with unions during last year’s negotiations “was inadequate, leaving park staff feeling undervalued despite a mostly fair final contract. As commissioner, I will build relationships with park employees and engage unions early before the next contract negotiation.”
She is endorsed by Nasrieen Habib, founder of Amanah Rec and Hiking Hijabie, and Abdi Bile, a decorated Somali athlete.
Tom Olsen
www.olsenforparks.org
Tom Olsen, who was first elected in 2021, works for the Minnesota House DFL as a communications specialist. He graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College with degrees in environmental studies and political science. He previously served on the city’s Community Environmental Advisory Commission and worked at the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy.
Olsen is endorsed by the Minneapolis DFL, the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation, the state SEIU, state legislators Jamie Long, Sydney Jordan, Mohamud Noor, Scott Dibble, Fue Lee, Katie Jones and Aisha Gomez; city councilmember Katie Cashman, Hennepin County Commissioner Marion Greene; and park board member Becky Alper.
Olsen wants parkways to be pedestrian-oriented spaces and to convert underutilized fields into fields for sports and other uses. He prioritizes safe and structured environments for youth no matter the activity, free programming for all youth, climate justice goals, anti-racism training and increasing where and when drinking alcoholic beverages is allowed in parks.
Adam Schneider
www.adamformplsparks.com
Adam Schneider, a Southwest resident and community organizer, is endorsed by the 5th Congressional District Green Party (5CDGP), the Twin Cities Democratic Socialist of America (TCDSA) and Our Revolution Twin Cities (ORTC), as well as Samantha Pree-Stinson from the Board of Estimate and Taxation, city councilmembers Robin Wonsley, Katie Cashman and Aisha Chughtai, and school board member Adriana Cerillo.
Schneider’s priorities include environmental justice, support for workers and local businesses, improving youth services and focusing on neighborhood parks. He supports increasing solar power on park buildings, expanding community gardens and the urban tree canopy, and investing in the city’s Green Zones and Cultural Districts and establishing an urban agriculture resource center. He advocates for better working conditions for park workers, updating rules for food trucks on park property, bolstering staffing for childcare programs and expanding community center hours and youth employment opportunities.
“I believe the MPRB’s first and foremost priority should (be) our neighborhood parks.”
Averi Turner
www.averimturnerformplsparks.org
Turner lives in the Cleveland neighborhood. She has over six years of experience in K–12 education and is supported in her run by Forney and Ward 4 Council Member, and former Park Board Commissioner, Latrisha Vetaw.
Major themes of her campaign include: Park accessibility for all residents; environmental resiliency; and financial sustainability.
“One of the biggest challenges I see … is the lack of advocacy for full accessibility across our park system,” said Turner. “Only a portion of our parks and amenities are truly ADA-accessible… Accessibility is not just a legal requirement; it is an equity issue.”
She advocates for investment in universal access on pathways, playgrounds and water entry points.
“We need proactive strategies to protect natural resources, maintain year-round recreation and preserve these spaces for future generations.”
Michael Wilson
www.michaelforparks.org
Michael Wilson is endorsed by the Minneapolis DFL, the TCDSA, Our Revolution Twin Cities, the LiUNA labor union, the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation and AFSCME Council; the Stonewall DFL; city councilmembers Aurin Chowdhury, Robin Wonsley, and Jason Chavez; school board member Greta Callahan; and state representative Samantha Sencer-Mura.
Wilson has overseen the parks aquatics programs and has organized in East Phillips. “I understand city-wide park operations from the ground up and will bring both practical experience and working-class values to the Park Board,” he said.
Wilson prioritizes investing in youth programs and expanding affordable childcare “so that MPRB is the strongest partner possible to our public school system.” He is committed to standing with park workers and supports fair bargaining with unions as well as better transit connections and traffic calming parkways. “Minneapolis residents should have affordable and safe options for accessing our park destinations without solely relying on personal cars.”
Election Day is November 4. To locate your local polling place, visit https://vote.minneapolismn.gov/voters/where-to-vote/.