Who's that in the window? New staff at LHENA

A lot is happening in the Wedge right now. Aside from some of the more obvious developments such as the reopening of Hennepin Avenue, and along with it a resurgence of neighbors on the streets, as pedestrians and patrons, there have also been big changes at LHENA. In the past LHENA has relied on part-time coordinators and active board members to manage our programs, events, and newsletters. Our most recent part-time coordinator Derek Nelson has sacrificed an inordinate amount of time to keep our newsletters going out and our inbox managed, before him Jack O’Shaugnessy and Valerie Blomberg dedicated time, on and off the clock, to do the same. The many responsibilities associated with being a coordinator for a neighborhood association as active and involved as LHENA have also created an amount of work that is hard to do on a part-time schedule. With a new three year budget cycle approaching, and historic funds vulnerable to changes at the City level, LHENA decided to invest in recruiting a full time Executive Director. Having an Executive Director is not all that new to LHENA, many of you may remember Paul Shanefelt who held the position until 2023. Under Paul’s direction, LHENA was able to start and grow many of the programs and initiatives that we still have today. It was LHENA’s hope that bringing back the position of Executive Director would also bring back more capacity to grow the organization.

After a lengthy and involved hiring process led by the board and volunteers from the neighborhood, LHENA hired Alexander Kurt Johnson to oversee the realization of a vision for the next three years of the Wedge. Alexander had spent time on the Board of LHENA while serving as the Chair of Community and Economic Development. Before joining LHENA, Alexander worked on affordable housing and homeownership programs at the Ramsey County Department of Community and Economic Development. Alexander has spent time researching and writing about the history of neighborhood associations in Minneapolis during their studies at the Humphrey School of Minnesota. To learn more about Alexander and their vision for LHENA check out his bio on LHENA’s new website.