As we look to the year ahead, we’re excited and inspired by the many people and organizations who care for and champion the parks. Because of this, we will be expanding our Community Profiles blog series, in which we highlight different members of the community who are supporting the Minneapolis park system with a featured interview every month.
This month, we’re interviewing incoming Parks Foundation Board Chair, Jasmine Russell. Jasmine first joined our Board of Directors in January of 2019. While previously serving as the People for Parks Fund Advisory Committee Chair and Vice Chair of the Board, her expertise has been felt on a multitude of levels. Now, Jasmine will begin her two-year term as Board Chair.
In her day job, Jasmine is Co-founder and Lead of Monicat Data, a St. Paul-based provider of strategic marketing, technology development and design. If you don’t find Jasmine presenting on strategies for marketing industry best practices, or writing in her spare time, you’ll likely find her outdoors. Jasmine is an avid outdoors person and hiking enthusiast, who says once she starts walking, it’s hard to get her to stop. We were lucky enough to catch up with Jasmine to talk about her upcoming role as Board Chair.
What are you most looking forward to as you begin this new position as Board Chair?
Definitely the development and fruition of North Commons Park. It’s been quite the road to get here. We’re almost ready to break-ground, and I’m excited to see the community rally around this project and celebrate what it means for them. After all of the fundraising, after all the work that went into it, we’ll get to see people on the structures and in the buildings and really start to understand the generational impact this project has.
Secondly, I’m really motivated by our partnership with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. The newly created endowment agreement is monumental because it will create a legacy approach to how we fund the parks. The addition of an endowment will give community members more agency in their giving, providing a way for them to support future park initiatives. It will allow individuals to feel more connected to the incredible work being done in our parks today and build a sense of security that this work will continue for generations to come.
What makes you particularly energized to work with and lead the talented and passionate Board of Directors we have at the Parks Foundation?
I’m continuously impressed by the work that our board members do, both for the Foundation and in their respective fields. We all come from different professional backgrounds – some of us are transplants and some of us have called Minneapolis home for a long time – but when you have all of those perspectives across cultures and different generations, it brings a really fun and interesting board conversation where we can get into the meat of what’s important. When we’re trying to make key decisions, we need that diversity to be able to say, “this is what I’m passionate about. This is my point of view based on my experience,” and then be able to make an informed decision based on those viewpoints.
What are some of your favorite Parks Foundation events or programs you’re excited to attend this year?
I especially love the Posters for Parks show and the experience of that event. It’s energizing to see so many people over at Sea Salt and being able to highlight the local artists that way is really rewarding. I’m also looking forward to the Next Generation of Parks events this year. It’s always inspiring to have renowned thought leaders come in from all over the world and share what they’ve done for their parks and how they’ve affected their communities or changed policy. It gives the audience an eye into the work that goes into maintaining our parks, but also highlights some of the disparities that we still need to work on. It helps us start thinking about what our parks need and how we can participate in that process.
As we look forward to breaking ground at North Commons Park, what are you eager to see this year as we hope to close out the campaign and begin to see the physical impact of this project come to life?
I want to make sure we acknowledge the tremendous amount of time and energy that so many people have put into this project. I’m excited for everyone to see what their commitment and donations have been in support of – to see the impact and longevity of what they’ve given to this park and to this community. Our work at North Commons Park also brought an opportunity for us to reflect on how we are engaging with parks that support multiple communities in ways that we haven’t before. The more that we are able to engage with and start to have close relationships within the communities we are working with, the better the outcome will be.
What’s something you’d like people to know about the Parks Foundation that they may not know already?
I’d say probably the work that we do is people-centered, from start to finish, it really is. Even down to the People for Parks Fund grants that we offer, where we’re able to support community-focused programs like free swim lessons or free sailing days on Bde Maka Ska, it’s always about what can benefit the individuals who are using these spaces every day.
I think it’s so important that the community knows they can engage with us. A lot of foundations can sometimes feel a little distant, but I hope that’s not the case with the Parks Foundation. I’d like people to know we are a resource and we’re here to support them. There are so many ways to engage and volunteer with the Parks Foundation, whether it’s with the People for Parks Fund, at one of our events, or how to connect with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, we can also be a resource for that.
I’m looking forward to connecting with community members in this chair position and also connecting with board members and leaders in the community that are ready to elevate and support the health and longevity of parks.