NEWS RELEASE
Minneapolis, Minn. – The Minneapolis Parks Foundation (MPF) announced that its Board of Directors elected four new members at its November meeting. The new Directors are Sarah Duniway, Gray Plant Mooty; Dayna Frank, First Avenue & the 7th St. Entry; Steve King, Landscape Structures, and; Riff Yeager, ERM (Environmental Resources Management). The new directors start three-year terms in January 2016.
MPF brings visionary leadership, philanthropic investment, and private sector expertise to support innovation and equity throughout the whole Minneapolis Park system. Founded in 2003 to support the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, which stewards the city’s 6,790 acres of parkland and water, MPF has expanded its mission to partner with a variety of additional organizations that have a shared interest in excellence for Minneapolis parks and public spaces.
“Sarah, Dayna, Steve, and Riff bring to the Minneapolis Parks Foundation exceptional legal, community relations, park building, and public affairs expertise, as well as a passion for parks and the role they play in our vibrant city,” said Tom Evers, MPF Executive Director. “They round out an already outstanding 21-member Board of Directors, which is ready to magnify our impact on the quality of life in Minneapolis through our expanded mission and continued commitment to transformative initiatives, including RiverFirst.”
2016 MPF Board of Directors
Duniway is Managing Partner and a Director of Gray Plant Mooty, where she counsels leaders at nonprofit organizations, social enterprises, and health care providers facing legal challenges or obstacles. Frank is Executive Vice President of First Avenue, which has recently been named a Top 3 Big Rooms by Rolling Stone, one of the Top 10 “Must Plays” concert venues by Billboard Magazine. King is Founder and Chairman of the Board of Landscape Structures, where he created the continuous play concept and has been a leader in establishing Federal safety and quality standards for the playground industry. Yeager is a Partner at ERM, where he is responsible for creating and implementing a public affairs policy that will help grow ERM’s footprint.
Sarah Harris, Managing Director, University of Minnesota Foundation Real Estate Advisors, will Chair MPF’s 2016 Board of Directors, which includes the following members who are continuing current terms: Sue Bennett, Community Leader; Dorothy Bridges, Senior Vice President, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis; Robert Bruininks, President Emeritus, University of Minnesota; John Crosby, Community Leader; Caren Dewar, Executive Director, Urban Land Institute Minnesota; Tom Fisher, Director of Metropolitan Design Center, University of Minnesota College of Design; Joseph Gibbons, Senior Vice President, Merrill Lynch Global Wealth Management; Shawntera Hardy, Deputy Chief of Staff, State of Minnesota; Elizabeth Hawn, Community Leader; Tom Paul, Community Leader; Thomas Pohlad, Senior Vice President, Carousel Motor Group; R.T. Rybak, Executive Director, Generation Next; Tene Wells, Principal, Tene Wells Consulting; Frank Wilkinson, Community Leader. Liz Wielinski, President, and Jayne Miller, Superintendent, serve as ex officio members from the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board.
About the Minneapolis Parks Foundation
The Minneapolis Parks Foundation brings visionary leadership, philanthropic investment, and private sector expertise to support innovation and equity throughout the Minneapolis park system. We co-lead the RiverFirst Initiative with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, responsible for private fundraising and implementation of the Water Works and 26th Ave N to Ole Olson projects. We support innovative projects in Minneapolis parks through equity funding and champion world-class design through our Next Generation of Parks™ Lecture Series. Get involved at MplsParksFoundation.org.
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Major Funding for MPF is Provided By:
The McKnight Foundation | The Minneapolis Foundation | General Mills
George Family Foundation| Curtis L. Carlson Foundation