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.
Abene was nominated by previous President Meg Forney. Here the text of her nomination:
“The peaceful transfer of power happened las night at the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Annual Meeting—District 6 Commissioner Cathy Abene took the gavel! This was sitting President Meg Forney’s nomination speech for her: On our U.S. Presidential election day, with hi own personal reluctance, our oldest U.S. President had handed the torch to our 60 year old Vice President Kamala Harris. Today on our Park Board election day, as the oldest elected president of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, I, hereby, enthusiastically pass the torch our 60 year old Vice President Cathy Abene. And I do so because of skill sets we all admire, yet, are rare in any elected official: When she explains, we understand-distilling complex concepts in layperson language. When she disagrees, we feel respected, not rejected. She laughs at herself, not others. I, hereby, whole-heartedly nominate District 6 Commissioner Cathy Abene as our next President of the Minneapolis Park and recreation Board.”
– Meg Forney, At-Large Commissioner, former MPRB President
Watch the nomination and vote above.
Thanks for this update. It’s difficult to find news on the park board.