DMNA 2021 Annual Meeting – Board of Directors Candidates
Jim Bishop – Lives at the Bridgewater
Please describe your experience with nonprofit organizations and/or boards, plus list any previous experience volunteering with the DMNA.
VEAP (basic needs and social services organization whose programs promote access to healthy foods, stable housing and other supportive services) — Served as both a volunteer and on their business advisory board St. John’s University Alumni Board Habitat for Humanity volunteer
Why do you want to join the DMNA Board?
I’ve been a member of the Downtown community since 2014 and absolutely love it. I see this as an opportunity to get involved and give back in an effort to make our various neighborhoods even better.
Abby Larson – Works at the Encore
Please describe your experience with nonprofit organizations and/or boards, plus list any previous experience volunteering with the DMNA.
I volunteered with the DMNA from January 2021 to May 2021 on the Public Safety Task Force. The PSTF reached out to Sherman Associates in hopes to get in contact with rental communities to distribute safety-related surveys to renters in Downtown Minneapolis. I assisted with contacting rental communities to gain contact information and distribute surveys, and later helped explore options to launch social media accounts for the task force.
Why do you want to join the DMNA Board?
As a young residential property manager, I have seen the many changes that the Downtown Minneapolis community has experienced in the last 20 months. It is my hope to be a positive influence as we work toward our goals for a thriving and connected city. Being onsite at Encore each day over the last 2 years, I often receive valuable feedback when listening to my residents express the challenges they are facing and what they would like to see happen in the community. I also have connections to other rental communities and by utilizing these connections, we can broaden the DMNA’s reach and increase involvement among renters in Downtown Minneapolis. It is also my hope to be a representative of Sherman Associates as we have multiple residential, retail, and hospitality investments currently in the Downtown East and Mill District neighborhoods, with future developments in progress as well. I believe that the best path forward involves diverse perspectives that differ from our individual frame of reference, therefore my approach as a DMNA board member would be to bring these diverse perspectives together to fuel positive and creative solutions that better serve our ever-changing community.
Douglas Pearson – Lives at Centre Village
Please describe your experience with nonprofit organizations and/or boards, plus list any previous experience volunteering with the DMNA.
My experience outside of the DMNA with volunteering and non-profits involves being a Boy Scout which entails heavy volunteering with organizations throughout the metro. Additionally, I have done the Boys and Girls Club, trash pickup, etc., outside of the Boy Scouts. That being said, those opportunities were a bit in the past so I would like to highlight my experience with the DMNA. I have joined many of the DMNA meetings and have gotten to know the board members and citizens who are most involved with the DMNA. I know the vision of the DMNA, how it operates, and how people can make an impact on the DMNA (i.e. what a board member vs what a citizen can do). I picked a committee to focus on as a non-board member which is the Civic Engagement Committee. I was involved in virtually every civic engagement committee initiative this past year. This includes being Wendy’s right-hand man on the project that introduced neighborhood and district signage, writing a few bios for the historic building project (due to time and motivation I decided to not continue with this project), providing feedback to the National Night Out planners during regular committee meetings, and leading the venue logistics as well as being a part of the main planning committee for the Ward 3 candidate forum and informational public safety and charter 1 amendment Zoom meetings. I was also the first volunteer at the Mill City Market that was able to give out all the spatulas lol. I am also the secretary of my condo association which involves negotiation, outreach, and taking the opinions of 200 plus people into account when making decisions. If elected as a board member of the DMNA, my majority vote rules and make your case but don’t hold grudges against other board members approach will be utilized.
Why do you want to join the DMNA Board?
One reason I am running for the DMNA is due to requests from the people I have worked with over the last year. While I think the expertise of the board, as well as the cohesiveness, is great, to people on the outside, it can appear top-heavy with members being part of higher-level management at their organizations or being more seasoned. While that experience is great and needed, I would like to get younger people with fresh eyes involved as well. Me being a young person (a little over 30 years old) at the Mill City Market, I have noticed that young people tend to be receptive to learn more about the DMNA/approach the booth which has been great. Also, I have several goals of being a board member of the DMNA. The first is doing the general work that the board does such as being a voice and voting for the budget, helping plan committees, analyzing and modifying governing documents, and working cohesively with the rest of the board members. Second, I will be a part of planning DMNA events. For the new season, I would like to utilize the DMNA’s survey monkey account to get the opinion of homeowners on what their vision of downtown is and what events they would like to see happen. I would like to get more renters and young people involved with outreach. Also, I have been able to develop relationships with Minneapolis City Council members (some of them close relationships), I have talked with and made myself seen at events with other government officials such as park board representatives, mayoral candidates, etc., and I have become friends with the C-Level at the company I work for who is a board member of the downtown council headed by Steve Cramer. These are people I will from time to time get feedback from and collaborate with to help get events planned and promoted, however, they will not be the only voices I listen to when planning events that will benefit and shape the city as a whole! Regardless of if I am elected or not, I am making a promise to be involved with the DMNA. I appreciate your consideration to vote for me as a DMNA board candidate!
Tomek Rajtar (Incumbent) – Lives at The Archie Givens’ Atrium Apartments
Tomek has served on the DMNA Board since 2016.
Tomek moved to Minneapolis in 1985 from the East Side of St. Paul. He has resided at The Archie Givens’ Atrium Apartments located at 314 Hennepin Ave., of the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority since 2002. MPHA owns and manages 42 Low-Income High Rises in Minneapolis, totaling 42 Buildings and 5000 Tenants.
Tomek served 14 years on the Minneapolis High Rise Representative Council as an MHRC Board Delegate, bringing info up to MHRC from the Atrium Apartments Resident Council, and mandatory information back down to the level of the individual tenant while also being a trusted servant of the Atrium Resident Council Officers and the Board or Tenants at-large out of 299 Units/Apartments.
Tomek also chaired the MHRC City-Wide Security Advisory Committee, which has a seat upon the MHRC Executive Committee. These actions/activities have Taught Tomek, to greater appreciate the diversity within the city of Minneapolis, as well as the needs of low-income renters’ or tenants residing within the city of Minneapolis.