Meet your newly elected LHENA board members
Note: at the Annual Meeting, the community opted to appoint all five board candidates by acclamation since there was no competition for board seats. Congrats to our newest board members and those re-elected!
Kris Bigalk
Why do you want to serve on the LHENA board?
Neighborhoods and safer and stronger when we know our neighbors. I want to be a part of strengthening the community and ties between all of us who live here.
What skills, knowledge, and abilities make you uniquely qualified to serve on the LHENA board?
I have experience in fundraising, working with diverse populations, and implementing policies that address goals of the LHENA strategic plan, such as equity, accessibility, and diversity. I have served on the boards of two organizations, one national and one local, and understand the responsibilities of a board member. I am also very involved in the literary and arts community in the Twin Cities.
What difference would you like to make in your community?
I like to bring people together; I'd like to invite everyone to be part of a conversation about the things we all want to see in our community: trust, peace, and safety.
What aims do you have for LHENA as an organization?
I would like to see LHENA advocate for the survival of local businesses, so that our neighborhood can recover from the losses caused by the pandemic and the unrest. I would like to see LHENA continue with its neighborhood events and expand to holding arts events and to creating smaller groups, like book clubs, to create more community.
Neighborhoods and safer and stronger when we know our neighbors. I want to be a part of strengthening the community and ties between all of us who live here.
What skills, knowledge, and abilities make you uniquely qualified to serve on the LHENA board?
I have experience in fundraising, working with diverse populations, and implementing policies that address goals of the LHENA strategic plan, such as equity, accessibility, and diversity. I have served on the boards of two organizations, one national and one local, and understand the responsibilities of a board member. I am also very involved in the literary and arts community in the Twin Cities.
What difference would you like to make in your community?
I like to bring people together; I'd like to invite everyone to be part of a conversation about the things we all want to see in our community: trust, peace, and safety.
What aims do you have for LHENA as an organization?
I would like to see LHENA advocate for the survival of local businesses, so that our neighborhood can recover from the losses caused by the pandemic and the unrest. I would like to see LHENA continue with its neighborhood events and expand to holding arts events and to creating smaller groups, like book clubs, to create more community.
Andre Lambelet
Why do you want to serve on the LHENA board?
Having lived in Minneapolis many years ago, my family and I returned here last year. Although I’m new to the Wedge, I’d like to do my part to help my community flourish. I would like to serve on the LHENA board because I am convinced that cities thrive when residents engage with their communities. People who work with their communities help make their neighborhoods and the city a better place to live, work, and play. I’d like to get to know my neighborhood better by doing my part.
What skills, knowledge, and abilities make you uniquely qualified to serve on the LHENA board?
I’m fascinated by urban life. Cities are locations of cultural, social, economic diversity; cities are magnets of migration; cities are centers of cultural expression; and cities are engines of change. One of the courses I regularly taught as a professor of history and humanities as called “Cities: Capitals of Modernity.” It introduced students to the ways that cities helped create modern identities. We examined the way that new technologies – modern plumbing, gas and electric lighting, mass transit – transformed the way people lived. We looked at the way that cities can be places of opportunity and community life, and yet also be locations of conflict and discord. One important lesson was that cities thrive when people in cities find community, when people find ways of building connections with each other. Neighborhoods in which people can find ways to connect are neighborhoods that help make urban life flourish. I’ve lived in cities around the world – San Francisco, Paris, Brussels, Geneva, Adelaide, Kobe, and, of course, Minneapolis – and visited many more. The experience of living in other cities has given me an appreciation of the wide variety of ways that we can make cities livable, efficient, and fun. One of the things that I’ve learned is that even the biggest cities are built of local communities – villages within the large agglomeration. A big part of what I do as an educator is help others learn to work productively with others. I teach students to think critically but also to understand that diversity of experience, identity, and ideas helps us become better. And I have lots of experience working with collectives: I’ve sat on (and chaired) countless committees, served as the coordinator of the division of arts and humanities at my university, and engaged in community outreach. I think we’re at a turning point for urban life. We’re confronted by a host of challenges: emerging (I hope) from the shadow of Covid; tackling the problems of climate change; and overcoming the deep rifts in our society. I’m hopeful that the work we do in our neighborhood not only makes our lives more enjoyable – but helps build a better city and a better country.
What difference would you like to make in your community?
I’d like to do my part to make this neighborhood a welcoming, safe, and flourishing neighborhood. More specifically, I’d like to work to make our streets friendly to pedestrians; I’d like to help the community think about ways in which our neighborhood can become environmentally friendlier. I’d like to see what we can do to improve the quality of our infrastructure. Most importantly, I'd like to see us be a little kinder, more inclusive, and more generous.
What aims do you have for LHENA as an organization?
Neighborhoods develop and maintain their own character and their own culture; I think LHENA can help us build an environment in which culture—art, literature, and other forms of cultural expression—flourish. More prosaically, I’d like to see LHENA continue to think about the strategic planning process, and to continue to work to anticipate the challenges and changes the neighborhood will face. Neighborhood organizations flourish when they get input from the community, so I’d like to see continued efforts to involve people from all parts of the Wedge community in the organization.
Having lived in Minneapolis many years ago, my family and I returned here last year. Although I’m new to the Wedge, I’d like to do my part to help my community flourish. I would like to serve on the LHENA board because I am convinced that cities thrive when residents engage with their communities. People who work with their communities help make their neighborhoods and the city a better place to live, work, and play. I’d like to get to know my neighborhood better by doing my part.
What skills, knowledge, and abilities make you uniquely qualified to serve on the LHENA board?
I’m fascinated by urban life. Cities are locations of cultural, social, economic diversity; cities are magnets of migration; cities are centers of cultural expression; and cities are engines of change. One of the courses I regularly taught as a professor of history and humanities as called “Cities: Capitals of Modernity.” It introduced students to the ways that cities helped create modern identities. We examined the way that new technologies – modern plumbing, gas and electric lighting, mass transit – transformed the way people lived. We looked at the way that cities can be places of opportunity and community life, and yet also be locations of conflict and discord. One important lesson was that cities thrive when people in cities find community, when people find ways of building connections with each other. Neighborhoods in which people can find ways to connect are neighborhoods that help make urban life flourish. I’ve lived in cities around the world – San Francisco, Paris, Brussels, Geneva, Adelaide, Kobe, and, of course, Minneapolis – and visited many more. The experience of living in other cities has given me an appreciation of the wide variety of ways that we can make cities livable, efficient, and fun. One of the things that I’ve learned is that even the biggest cities are built of local communities – villages within the large agglomeration. A big part of what I do as an educator is help others learn to work productively with others. I teach students to think critically but also to understand that diversity of experience, identity, and ideas helps us become better. And I have lots of experience working with collectives: I’ve sat on (and chaired) countless committees, served as the coordinator of the division of arts and humanities at my university, and engaged in community outreach. I think we’re at a turning point for urban life. We’re confronted by a host of challenges: emerging (I hope) from the shadow of Covid; tackling the problems of climate change; and overcoming the deep rifts in our society. I’m hopeful that the work we do in our neighborhood not only makes our lives more enjoyable – but helps build a better city and a better country.
What difference would you like to make in your community?
I’d like to do my part to make this neighborhood a welcoming, safe, and flourishing neighborhood. More specifically, I’d like to work to make our streets friendly to pedestrians; I’d like to help the community think about ways in which our neighborhood can become environmentally friendlier. I’d like to see what we can do to improve the quality of our infrastructure. Most importantly, I'd like to see us be a little kinder, more inclusive, and more generous.
What aims do you have for LHENA as an organization?
Neighborhoods develop and maintain their own character and their own culture; I think LHENA can help us build an environment in which culture—art, literature, and other forms of cultural expression—flourish. More prosaically, I’d like to see LHENA continue to think about the strategic planning process, and to continue to work to anticipate the challenges and changes the neighborhood will face. Neighborhood organizations flourish when they get input from the community, so I’d like to see continued efforts to involve people from all parts of the Wedge community in the organization.
Daniel Martelly
Why do you want to serve on the LHENA board?
To help my community and get to know it better.
What skills, knowledge, and abilities make you uniquely qualified to serve on the LHENA board?
I've done some bicycle advocacy work when I lived in Boston 3 years ago and have learned to work with community members and government. Additionally I try to learn about what makes for resilient communities particularly by learning from "Strong Towns". Lastly, I try to listen to others and really understand them even when I end up disagreeing with them.
What difference would you like to make in your community?
I would like to see our community continue to prosper and feel neighborly which I think can be accomplished through social events and the built environment (zoning/buildings/streets).
What aims do you have for LHENA as an organization?
As newer resident (I've been here for 1 year), I'm still learning LHENA's place, but I hope LHENA can help facilitate events and projects between neighbors and the city government.
To help my community and get to know it better.
What skills, knowledge, and abilities make you uniquely qualified to serve on the LHENA board?
I've done some bicycle advocacy work when I lived in Boston 3 years ago and have learned to work with community members and government. Additionally I try to learn about what makes for resilient communities particularly by learning from "Strong Towns". Lastly, I try to listen to others and really understand them even when I end up disagreeing with them.
What difference would you like to make in your community?
I would like to see our community continue to prosper and feel neighborly which I think can be accomplished through social events and the built environment (zoning/buildings/streets).
What aims do you have for LHENA as an organization?
As newer resident (I've been here for 1 year), I'm still learning LHENA's place, but I hope LHENA can help facilitate events and projects between neighbors and the city government.
Kevin O'Hara
Why do you want to serve on the LHENA board?
Our neighborhood is a unique mix of renters, homeowners and small businesses, in a walkable bikeable vibrant area. I look forward to helping build on the assets that our neighborhood has developed in fostering inclusive community driven programming. In my time in the board I’ve learned much in helping our community advance key priorities like safer commercial corridors and promoting events that bring people together despite the challenges of the pandemic.
What skills, knowledge, and abilities make you uniquely qualified to serve on the LHENA board?
I bring a track record of committed engagement to the Wedge, and an understanding of how to best support our staff and volunteers to keep help us get things done.
What difference would you like to make in your community?
Make Lyndale and Hennepin more pedestrian and bike friendly, support and foster new small business growth, and increase our engagement with renters and new community members.
What aims do you have for LHENA as an organization?
Diversity our volunteers and revenue streams to ensure long term success.
Our neighborhood is a unique mix of renters, homeowners and small businesses, in a walkable bikeable vibrant area. I look forward to helping build on the assets that our neighborhood has developed in fostering inclusive community driven programming. In my time in the board I’ve learned much in helping our community advance key priorities like safer commercial corridors and promoting events that bring people together despite the challenges of the pandemic.
What skills, knowledge, and abilities make you uniquely qualified to serve on the LHENA board?
I bring a track record of committed engagement to the Wedge, and an understanding of how to best support our staff and volunteers to keep help us get things done.
What difference would you like to make in your community?
Make Lyndale and Hennepin more pedestrian and bike friendly, support and foster new small business growth, and increase our engagement with renters and new community members.
What aims do you have for LHENA as an organization?
Diversity our volunteers and revenue streams to ensure long term success.
Jordan Peacock
Why do you want to serve on the LHENA board?
I have been able to bring value to discussions and am excited about the possibilities of the project at LynLake.
What skills, knowledge, and abilities make you uniquely qualified to serve on the LHENA board?
I am a parent (x4), home owner, business owner (x2), and have been the treasurer and then secretary of LHENA since May 2020. I am skilled at identifying patterns and distilling problems to their crux.
What difference would you like to make in your community?
I want to see our community flourish, but not by papering over problems or disagreements. I think I am able to help draw attention to shared values without ignoring core disagreements. I would like to see the Wedge exemplify a liberal community-mindedness, where people can collaborate with their neighbors without feeling like they need to agree on every minutiae to do so.
What aims do you have for LHENA as an organization?
I was originally elected in a temporary seat in May 2020. While the last couple years have been very difficult, I've been able to see the board rise to meet the occasion, and I believe the next couple years will allow for actions that are moving beyond crisis management toward supporting the flourishing of our community.
I have been able to bring value to discussions and am excited about the possibilities of the project at LynLake.
What skills, knowledge, and abilities make you uniquely qualified to serve on the LHENA board?
I am a parent (x4), home owner, business owner (x2), and have been the treasurer and then secretary of LHENA since May 2020. I am skilled at identifying patterns and distilling problems to their crux.
What difference would you like to make in your community?
I want to see our community flourish, but not by papering over problems or disagreements. I think I am able to help draw attention to shared values without ignoring core disagreements. I would like to see the Wedge exemplify a liberal community-mindedness, where people can collaborate with their neighbors without feeling like they need to agree on every minutiae to do so.
What aims do you have for LHENA as an organization?
I was originally elected in a temporary seat in May 2020. While the last couple years have been very difficult, I've been able to see the board rise to meet the occasion, and I believe the next couple years will allow for actions that are moving beyond crisis management toward supporting the flourishing of our community.