Help Young Women and Girls Grow Strong
Growing up, I was lucky enough to find mentors in parks, arts, and recreation programming that helped me grow into the woman I am today. Not every young girl is as lucky as I was. Data shows that girls and young women are often excluded from nature based careers in parks while at the same time rec and competitive sports programs often struggle to find female identifying coaches. This creates a shortage of mentors that can help steer girls and young women into gainful nature based careers and creates barriers to them realizing the health and social benefits of organized sports. I want to build a park system that gives girls, young women, (and all youth) places to come together, feel welcomed, and loved.
Prioritize Investments in Parks that Work for Everyone
As a Northsider, I see a “tale of two cities” in our parks. Everyone deserves the same quality of parks enjoyed in areas like the Chain of Lakes and Minnehaha Falls.
I’ll responsibly manage our budget to invest in parks, programs, and park workers across the city—ensuring youth, families, seniors, and people with disabilities in all of Minneapolis have access to great parks and programs, not just some neighborhoods.
Protect Our Green Spaces and Fighting Climate Change
Climate change is real and our parks should play a bigger role in addressing it.
As commissioner, I’ll champion green policies that keep our river, watersheds, creeks, and lakes clean; build a more resilient tree canopy; and reduce the Park Board’s carbon footprint.
Authentically Engages New Minnesotan, Immigrant, BIPOC, and Indigenous Communities
The Park Board has too often stumbled in serving some of our most important communities.
Excluding culturally specific sports teams in Indigenous neighborhoods or being boycotted by the NAACP isn’t just bad for the Park Board—it’s bad for Minneapolis.
I will be an active listener, building authentic relationships and working together to create policies that truly serve communities that are too often marginalized.