2023 MRPA Board of Directors

President: Jerome Krieger, Blaine

President-Elect: Michelle Okada, Woodbury

Past President: Ross Demant, Wright County

Secretary: Annie Olson, Minneapolis

Treasurer: Sonya Rippe, Plymouth

RSC Chair: Scott Heitkamp, Burnsville

East Metro: Andrew Pimental, Eagan

East Metro: Dan Schultz, Rosemount

East Metro: Becky Sola, Shoreview

Northeast Region: Amber Moon Peterson, Nisswa

Northwest Region: Lynn Neumann, Hutchinson

Southern Region: Joey Schugel, St. Peter

West Metro: Mike Ramirez, Brooklyn Park

West Metro: Jenna Smith, Bloomington

West Metro: 
Jason T. West, St. Louis Park

Thank you to the following outgoing members for serving in 2022:

  • Past-President: Chuck Stifter, Maple Grove
  • Treasurer: Ben Boldt, Rochester
  • East Metro Region: Reed Smidt, Woodbury
  • West Metro Region: Nicole Gorman, Edina
  • Northwest Region: Marcia Larson, Bemidji

Thank you to all members who were candidates during this year's election for their support of the Association. Also, thank you to Nominations and Elections Chair, Chuck Stifter, for his leadership throughout the nominations/elections process.



About the MRPA Board

The membership of the Board of Directors consists of persons elected by the professional membership as follows (current board consists of 15 members):

(1) President. The President-Elect from the previous year assumes the duties of President for a one-year term after being sworn in at the Annual Meeting of the Association. The President is the chief elected officer of the Association.

(2)  Vice President/President Elect. Elected by the professional members of the Association for a one-year term as Vice President/President-Elect and serves the following year as President. The Vice President/President Elect assumes office after being sworn in at the Annual Meeting of the Association.

(3)  Secretary. Elected by the professional members of the Association for a two-year term and assumes office for the first year on an even-numbered year after being sworn in at the Annual Meeting of the Association.

(4)  Treasurer. Elected by the professional members of the Association for a two-year term and assumes office for the first year on an odd-numbered year after being sworn in at the Annual Meeting of the Association.

(5)  Immediate Past President. Assumes this position for a one-year term after the Annual Meeting of the Association of the year immediately following his/her term as President.

(6) Regional Directors. Elected from the region they represent by members from that region for a two-year term of office. They assume the directorship after being sworn in at the Annual Meeting of the Association.

(a) East Metro. Representatives from Anoka, Dakota, Ramsey, and Washington Counties.

(b) West Metro. Representatives from Carver, Hennepin, and Scott Counties.

(c) Northeast Region. Representatives from Aitkin, Benton, Carlton, Chisago, Cook, Crow Wing, Isanti, Itasca, Kanabec, Koochiching, Lake, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Pine, Saint Louis, Sherburne, and Wright Counties.

(d) Northwest Region. Representatives from Becker, Beltrami, Big Stone, Cass, Chippewa, Clay, Clearwater, Douglas, Grant, Hubbard, Kandiyohi, Kittson, Lac Qui Parle, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, McLeod, Meeker, Norman, Otter Tail, Pennington, Polk, Pope, Red Lake, Renville, Roseau, Sibley, Stearns, Stevens, Swift, Todd, Traverse, Wadena, Wilkin, and Yellow Medicine Counties.

(e) Southern Region.  Representatives from Blue Earth, Brown, Cottonwood, Dodge, Faribault, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Houston, Jackson, Le Sueur, Lincoln, Lyon, Martin, Mower, Murray, Nicollet, Nobles, Olmsted, Pipestone, Redwood, Rice, Rock, Steele, Wabasha, Waseca, Winona, and Watonwan Counties.

(f) RSC Chair. RSC Chair is elected by the entire membership of the Association for a two-year term and assumes office an odd-numbered year after being duly sworn in at the Annual Meeting of the Association.

Click here to view the historical list of Board Presidents from 1937-present


MRPA election for the Board of Directors and Recreational Sports Commission

The MRPA election for the Board of Directors and Recreational Sports Commission (RSC) begins this week. MRPA will again use the online platform, Election Runner, to ensure the integrity of the election. Election Runner will send an email this week from MRPA titled,
Vote in the Election: MRPA Board of Directors. Watch your inbox for the online ballot, and check your spam folder if you don’t receive this email. Also, if your system is set-up to send emails to your inbox under “Focused” or “Other,” please check the “Other” folder.

Click on the following links to view the Board of Directors and RSC nominee profiles:
President-Elect and Treasurer 
East and West Metro Regions
Northeast and Northwest Regions
RSC Profiles

Please contact Michelle Snider with any questions at snider@mnrpa.org. We hope this format offers an accessible way to vote again this year. Thank you.






Minnesota Recreation & Park Association (MRPA)
200 Charles Street NE
Fridley, MN 55432

(763) 571-1305

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