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Our Board

The Union Park District Council is governed by a volunteer board.  Our Board of Directors is comprised of 21 community volunteers – 11 are elected to positions based on geography or business representation, and 6 are appointed from institutions and organizations. The community votes for elected members at our annual fall meeting to serve staggered two-year terms, so that approximately half of the seats become available each year.  Mid-term appointments can also be made to open seats.

Anyone who is 18 or older and lives, owns property, or is the owner or designated representative of a business within the Union Park district boundaries can serve on our Board.  Serving on our board is a great way to give back to the community and to ensure that Union Park continues to be a wonderful place to live.  Contact us if you’re interested in applying.

 

Our meetings

Meetings of the Union Park Board are open to the public. Community members are encouraged to attend!  The Board meets on the first Wednesday of every month at 7:00 p.m. at Episcopal Homes, in Otto Hall. We usually start with a voice from our community, hear reports from our committees, discuss issues of interest to residents, and take actions important to the successful operation of our organization. You can review recent board meeting agendas here. And recent board meeting minutes can be found here after approved by the board.

 

Our board members

The District community is divided into 11 grid sections, with a board member elected to represent each section.  We also have one elected nonprofit representative, one elected business representatives, two at large representatives, and six members appointed by institutions and legacy neighborhood organizations. 

 

 

Grid 1
Jilla Nadimi

Jilla grew up as an immigrant and so community became an essential resource her from an early age. Throughout her youth, Girl Scouts nurtured this passion as she learned about community service and earned her Gold Award. After receiving her bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota in French and Global Studies, she continues to build community both at home and abroad. Currently, as the Global Quality & Results Officer the Twin Cities based NGO, Alight, she supports teams in providing aid to refugees and internally displaced people. As the 2018 St. Paul Winter Carnival Queen of the Snows, Jilla was honored to have the opportunity to proudly represent the city she loves locally and abroad. Here in the Union Park neighborhood, you can find Jilla tending her garden with her feisty cat, Chimera.

Grid 2
Mark Martinez

Mark has been a home owner in Grid 2 since 2015. He lives in the Merriam Park neighborhood with his wife Christine and their two dogs. Mark is currently the Executive Director at South Washington County Telecommunications Commission (SWCTC). Originally from southern California, Mark has also lived in NYC. He’s an avid music and sports fan. He enjoys traveling in the US and abroad and loves the great outdoors.

Grid 3
Rob Vanasek, Vice-President

Rob has owned a home in Grid 3 since 2005.  He enjoys the outdoors and traveling, when he’s not restoring his house or advocating at the state capitol.

Grid 4
David Rasmussen, Secretary

David has lived in Merriam Park near Snelling and University since 2005.  He has been to all 50 states and is currently an Area Governor with Toastmasters. 

Grid 5
Daniel Jambor

Daniel has lived in Union Park for over 25 years, first as a St. Thomas student and since 1992 as a homeowner. He has one son currently in college—and two dogs. He serves as President of the Ramsey County Chapter of Pheasants forever, and is concerned with habitat, water quality, conservation and engaging youth in the outdoors. His hobbies include decoy carving, bicycling, canoeing and fly fishing.

Grid 6
Josh Capistrant

Josh and his wife Laura have lived in Merriam Park since 2002.  He is on Land Use, WSNAC, and the Neighborhood Involvement Committee. He runs Crows Nest Design, building and designing architectural projects in his office in Lowertown.  He is also a printmaker, and has recently been the printer at the Renaissance Festival.

Grid 7
Sarah Dvorak

Sarah has lived in Merriam Park with her family since 2002. She received her J.D. from UST and works for Wolters Kluwer as a legal quality analyst. Sarah volunteers on two non-profits that foster community engagement and programs that serve youth in the community. In addition to volunteering Sarah is passionate about running and yoga.

Grid 8
Noelle Jacquet-Morrison

Noelle has lived in Merriam Park for over 30 years.  She is interested in working with residents to accept change and welcome diversity, and to promote the safety of children and their families.  She was born in France and was raised in France and Senegal.  She and her husband, John, raised three children who are bi-cultural and multilingual. 

Grid 9
Lucas Miller

As a proud St Paulite, I have called Merriam Park home for the past four years. I am a renter who strongly believes that community councils are the backbone of our civil society. As a person who enjoys the walkability and transit options of this neighborhood, I look forward to working with my friends and neighbors to increase the liveability of our district. This would include increasing housing options and creating an even more walkable community by increasing the visibility of the right-of-way for cyclists and pedestrians. I would also like to see more investment in public art that celebrates the history of this district while creating unique experiences for those intrepid pedestrians exploring our streets. We live in a vibrant community that should be enjoyed by everyone who calls this place home while making space for others who wish to become our neighbors. My vision for Union Park is to be one of the most walkable, vibrant, and livable communities in the Twin Cities.

Grid 10
Caitlin Magistad

Caitlin is a renter in the Snelling-Hamline neighborhood. She lives with her husband and 2 cats. She is a lifelong St. Paul resident who grew up on the East Side, and has called Union Park home since 2004. She is a social worker and public policy advocate, with more than 10 years of experience in a variety of affordable housing programs. She currently works for the Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers (MCCD), an association of nonprofit affordable housing and economic development organizations. Her professional experiences prior to joining MCCD include Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, the Wilder Foundation, and the YWCA St. Paul. She is passionate about increasing community engagement and involvement in public policy and community decision making, particularly for people who are most impacted by the issue. 

Grid 11
Dan Elenbaas, President

Dan has been living in Grid 16 of the Lexington-Hamline neighborhood since 2006.  He’s a Civil Engineer and enjoys restoring his historic home that was designed by Franklin Ellerbe.

Other Elected Seats

At Large Business

This seat is currently open! Please email brandon@unionparkdc.org if you are a business owner interested in a seat on our board!

Non-Profit
Mike Robertson

Mike Robertston is a long time St. Paul resident, restoration carpenter, and cycling enthusiast. He is Program Manager for the A Brush with Kindness program at Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, which provides painting and repair services for low-income homeowners throughout the metro area. He––along with his wife and two daughters––is currently living through his fourth St. Paul old-house restoration adventure on Laurel Avenue.

At Large
Ellen Fee

Ellen Fee is a writer, teaching artist, and youthworker focused on creative writing and arts education. A Union Park renter since 2016, Ellen is interested in fostering deeper neighborhood engagement and building a creative community that meets the needs of its residents.

At Large
Henry Parker

Henry Parker lives in Merriam Park with his wife and looks forward to raising a family in their new home. He was raised in the Lex-Ham neighborhood and recently returned to Minnesota after serving in the Army. Prior to his military service he worked for Congresswoman McCollum in DC and in St. Paul. Henry is currently pursuing his Master of Public Policy at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs and also serves on the board of the St. Paul DFL. 

Appointed Seats

University of St. Thomas
Amy Gage

Amy Gage is director of neighborhood relations at the University of St. Thomas. She and her husband, David Studer, moved to Merriam Park after raising their two sons in Northfield. A multi-modal advocate who walks to work, Amy writes and edits for Streets.mn. She also co-chairs the West Summit Neighborhood Advisory Committee (WSNAC), which works on collaborative town-gown issues in the neighborhoods around St. Thomas.

Concordia University
Adrian Perryman

Adrian serves as the Assistant Director of Academic Advising at Concordia. He is also on the City of Saint Paul's Planning Commission, served on the board of the Hallie Q Brown Community Center, and was a member of the Snelling Midway Community Advisory Committee addressing redevelopment issues. He was born and raised in Saint Paul, and owns a home with his wife and two cats.

Macalester College
Jack Acomb

 

Skyline Tower
Seat Currently Vacant

Please email brandon@unionparkdc.org if you are a Skyline Resident or staff who is interested in filling this seat!

 
Lexington-Hamline Community Council
Jeremy Lostetter

Jeremy lives in the Lexington-Hamline neighborhood of Union Park with his wife and young daughter. He chairs Lex-Ham's Community Fund Task Force, and served as Lex-Ham Community Council Treasurer for two years. Jeremy works for Hennepin County and enjoys many different running paths in Saint Paul. 

Desnoyer Park Improvement Association
Gregg Gridley

Gregg has lived in Desnoyer Park for five years with his wife Linda and dog Gracie. He has served on the DPIA board for three years, and manages the Desnoyer Park website, Facebook page and email newsletter. He especially enjoys the activities that involve the people in the neighborhood, like the Desnoyer Park Summer Picnic, and hopes to support more activities in the future.