Seeking folks to join the Our Streets Minneapolis Board of Directors
Our Streets Minneapolis is looking for applicants for its Board of Directors (see below for more information on what it means to be a Board member and the types of people and skills we are seeking). Joining the Board is a great way to connect to other civic-minded people who want to make a real difference in the city by advocating for safe and comfortable places to bike, walk, and roll.
If you are interested in applying, please send up to one page that addresses the following questions and include a resume if you have one available to Clark at [email protected]:
- Why are you interested in serving on the Board? How have you been involved in promoting or advancing biking, walking, and/or rolling in Minneapolis?
- What areas of expertise and experiences would you bring to the Board?
- What contributions do you feel that you can make on the Board?
- Please express which of the following Our Streets committees or work groups interest you the most:
- Committees: Fundraising, Finance, Nominations, Personnel, Board Development & Engagement
- Work Groups: Advocacy, Downtown Bikeways, Pedestrian, Bike Encouragement/Bike Month, Walk Promotion, Fun/Events, Communications, Open Streets Planning, Bike Month, Northeast Biking & Walking, Park Board Biking & Walking, U of M Biking & Walking, Equitable Vision Zero.
Application Deadline: Friday, October 5th.
Process
A Nominations Committee of the Board will review applications, interview candidates as needed, and make a recommendation to the full Board to consider at the November Our Streets Board meeting. All candidates will receive final word in mid-November.
What it means to be an Our Streets Board member
The Our Streets Minneapolis Board of Directors is responsible for governance, oversight, strategic direction, and for hiring, managing, and evaluating the Executive Director.
Board members are expected to be meaningfully engaged in the organization and spend a personally significant amount of time supporting its work. Board members make governance decisions and perform tasks in the best interest of the organization in fitting with the mission, vision, and core values. Directors perform at least the following tasks:
- Regularly attend a Board meeting once every other month (likely to continue to be on the first Tuesday from 6-8pm) and review related materials;
- Actively participate in at least one committee or work group beyond the standard Board meetings;
- Make a financial contribution that is personally significant and support Our Streets fundraising in some way;
- Work to help implement the Our Streets strategic plan;
- Support key Our Streets initiatives as needed (those include our internal and external priorities); and
- Offer personal outreach as appropriate to stakeholders and generally further the reputation of the organization.
Board members serve two-year terms, with an option for a one-year term upon request. Terms will begin at our January 8, 2019 Board meeting.
Specific Demographics and Skills Our Streets Minneapolis is Seeking
The organization is looking for people who have a positive passion for bicycling, walking, and rolling in Minneapolis and are ready and willing to get to work. We are actively working to diversify our entire organization--including the Board--to better reflect the diversity of Minneapolis. We try to maintain a diversity of skills, experiences, and perspectives.
Some perspectives, skills, and connections we are especially looking for at this time include:
- Black, Indigenous, People of color
- women and transgender people
- residents from Northeast and North Minneapolis
- experience advocating for pedestrian issues
- people living with disabilities that affect mobility
- nonprofit and board experience
- human resources/personnel experience
- experience with finance, accounting, and fundraising
- connections to immigrant communities
- connections to low-income communities
- interest in serving in a leadership role on the Board at some point in the future
If you have any questions, please contact Maria Wardoku, Board President, at [email protected] or Amy Brugh, Interim Executive Director, at [email protected]. Thank you for your interest!
