Michael Wilson (Minnesota)

Michael Wilson

Nonpartisan

Candidate, Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board At-large

Elections and appointments

Next election

November 4, 2025

Education

Bachelor's

University of Wisconsin–Madison, 2013

Personal

Profession

Higher education administration

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Instagram

Michael Wilson is running for election to the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board At-large in Minnesota. He is on the ballot in the general election on November 4, 2025.^[source]

Wilson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Michael Wilson earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2013. His career experience includes working in higher education administration. He has been affiliated with Twin Cities Democratic Socialists of America.

Elections

2025

See also: City elections in Minneapolis, Minnesota (2025)

General election

The general election will occur on November 4, 2025.

General election for Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board At-large (3 seats)

The following candidates are running in the general election for Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board At-large on November 4, 2025.

		Candidate
		Meg Forney (Nonpartisan)
		Tom Olsen (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Matthew Dowgwillo (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Amber Frederick (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Mary McKelvey (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Adam Schneider (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Averi Turner (Nonpartisan)
		Michael Wilson (Nonpartisan)

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
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Endorsements

Wilson received the following endorsements. To send us additional endorsements, click here.

• Twin Cities Democratic Socialists of America

Campaign themes

2025

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Michael Wilson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Wilson's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My name is Michael Wilson (he/him), I am a lifelong and outdoor recreator, public servant, and democratic socialist. I am running for Park Board At-Large because our parks belong to all of us. It takes a village to raise a child, and as public third spaces seem to disappear, our park system is increasingly that village here in Minneapolis.

I've dedicated my career to public service, from overseeing Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board aquatics programs to organizing for environmental justice in East Phillips. I understand city-wide park operations from the ground up and will bring practical experience, working-class values, and bold environmental action to the Park Board. My commitment to our parks comes from seeing their power to build community, promote public health, and advance environmental justice. I believe that strong parks make strong communities - but only when they truly serve everyone.

Let's work together to build the park system our city deserves!

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Protecting our investment in youth programs and expanding affordable and reliable childcare. MPRB must be the strongest partner possible to our public school system that is facing cuts at the federal level. We need to do our part to make Minneapolis a destination for working families and have strong employment pathways so that MPRB is not only the largest employer of youth, but also the best employer of youth.
• Standing with frontline park workers and fair bargaining with our unions. From the Liuna 363 strike in 2024, to DOGE stripping National Park staffing resources, it is clear to me that frontline park worker stability is community stability, and we are all better off when civil servants are valued with union contracts that protect our middle class and public infrastructure. As someone who organized the full-time lifeguard union with my colleagues at MPRB, I know that quality recreation programs, trustworthy childcare, and a flourishing urban tree canopy all depend on frontline staff retention and investment.
• Better transit connections and calming traffic on Parkways. Minneapolis residents should have affordable and safe options for accessing our park destinations without solely relying on personal cars. I am excited to gather data and rethink how we are using our parkways in ways that build revenue, reduce dangerous speeding/car traffic, encourage public transportation options, and do our part to reach our state vehicle miles traveled (VMT) goals.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Constituent Services

Environmental Stewardship
Workers Rights
Affordable Childcare

Accessible Transportation

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

Minneapolis is the largest municipality with an elected park system in the country. MPRB has over 7000 acres of land, is the largest employer of youth in our city, and has the 5th (or 6th) largest municipal budget in the state of Minnesota. MPRB is a integral part of our intergovernmental reality here in Minnesota, and has a role to play in watershed management, regional transportation plans, recreation infrastructure, habitat preservation, community safety, tax policy, and much more. Park Board Commissioners are tasked with making important decisions for our communities as a key part of local government in Minneapolis!

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

My late Grandmother Catherine Crowley served on the Park District Board of Glenview, Illinois, for 32 years. I was raised on stories about her community-based advocacy and enduring legacy.

My grandma was a social worker, a teacher, mother of 10 children, and wife to a complicated lawyer and war hero. She was among the first women in America to become a pilot, ferrying planes across the country for the war effort. She was a synchronized swimmer in college, a lay leader in her church, and the first woman to run for a seat on the Glenview Park District. Before her successful election in 1973, the Glenview Park Board was all men, all of them lawyers.
Her time on the Glenview Park District Board included five terms as President. In that time, the District more than doubled its parkland acreage, acquiring over 400 acres of land. She saw the Glenview Park District win the Gold Medal Award for excellence in the field of park and recreation management in Class IV from the National Recreation and Park Administration (NRPA) twice in a seven-year period.
She was a key organizer in saving 150 acres of ecologically diverse land in Glenview, referred to as “The Grove", from condo development. Media, petitions, direct action, and votes at the ballot box were some of the tactics used in defending this land. In 1976, The Grove was designated a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior. It is on the National Registry of Historic Places and is a partner of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Chicago Wilderness. The Grove is one of the most popular attractions in the Glenview Park District.
Her colleagues say that whenever a debate was getting far afield, she would refocus the group on what was best for the families of the community. They say that she never fought a political battle but was always on the right side and was able to bring people forward with her.

I seek to honor her legacy by centering working families here in Minneapolis

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

The most important characteristic for an elected official is a willingness and a proven track record of showing up to do the hard work of democracy. The democratic process is discursive, time-consuming, and has the potential to be frustrating. A great public servant knows how to meet people where they are at, widen the table of conversation, and continually look for ways to make government provide the greatest good for the greatest number of residents who are impacted.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The core responsibilities of an MPRB Commissioner are to uphold the MPRB mission and to represent the democratic will of our Minneapolis constituency and to understand that the value of parks and rec is in public service.

Thoughtful engagement in meetings, understanding agenda packets, familiarity with established rules of order, knowledge of Park Board operations, and engaging with community members about key issues.

What legacy would you like to leave?

There will never be news articles or parades for sickness, hurt, and tragedies, that were prevented due to upstream public health investment. I hope to be part of our shared legacy in Minneapolis where we take care of each other.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I was in 6th grade on September 11th, 2001, and that was a very memorable historical event. My parents were also getting separated around that time, and I remember grappling a lot with how the world works, and also how it ought to.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I started bussing tables and washing dishes at a local brewery and restaurant when I was 15. I also started lifeguarding around that same time, which was the start of my career in aquatics!

What is your favorite book? Why?

Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas

I read it at a really special time in my life. And it also has always resonated with me how Edmond Dantes uses his wealth and power to create elaborate plans because he is so hurt, but ultimately he understands the it is the human relationships around him that are the most meaningful and give his life depth and shape. The people who he thought he was using to pursue revenge, over time and through complicated struggle, truly were the people he ultimately grew to care about.
It is also just really well written and it is a very exciting read.

Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut is maybe worth bringing up too. "You are who you pretend to be" is something that always sticks with me.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Riley's imaginary Canadian boyfriend in "Upside Down".

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

I have a history of having a stutter, which I have put a lot of work into dealing with. I think we all have things in our life that feel like reasons not to use our voice. But even when I'm having a bad day with my speech, I have become a lot more comfortable knowing that the things I have to say are worth a little bit of struggle.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

Yes! MPRB manages the largest urban tree canopy in the country. That means all of the street trees in Minneapolis are maintained by MPRB.
The MPRB President also sits on the 6-member Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET). This body sets the maximum property tax levy for the city, which is very important for making decisions on how we fund services in Minneapolis

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

I think it is beneficial for Park Board Commissioners to have community connections and a history with local neighborhood associations, advocacy groups, or other organizing experiences that interface with local government. Experience in an elected office or other political roles can be beneficial if it broadened one's understanding of local conditions and community needs. But there are many paths that candidates can take towards earning authentic community trust and strong relationships.

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

MPRB Commissioners should have multiple overlapping hard technical skills as well as and soft social skills. A great board member can do the code switching necessary to translate community feedback into policy language and formal resolutions and perform proper advocacy within Robert's Rules of order. A great board member should understand dialectics and know that multiple things can be true at once, how to be with uncertainty, and that there is an ever- evolving process of co-creating the better world we all deserve. A great board member answers emails, picks up the phone, does the reading, shows up in community, and leads with compassion, grace, and curiosity.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the local government?

MPRB is a very direct service provider in our city. Decisions made in "higher" bodies of government concerning drowning prevention, diabetes prevention, water quality, transportation goals, etc. often include MPRB as the entity that puts those decisions into practice. The work that MPRB does is very visible in the community and is not abstract. That makes it even more important for Park Board Commissioners to show residents that their elected government is not simply some inaccessible body taking tax dollars, but instead is a tangible face to the often complicated and abstract governmental decisions that take place in the background of people's day to day lives.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Twin Cities DSA

Minneapolis DFL
Stonewall DFL
Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation
Liuna MN & ND
Minneapolis Federation of Educators
Minneapolis Building And Construction Trades Council
AFSCME Council 5
SEIU MN
Our Revolution
Run For Something
Take Action MN

US Congresswoman: Ilhan Omar
MN State Representative: Samantha Sencer-Mura
MN State Representative: Anquam Mahamoud
Hennepin County Commissioner: Angela Conley
Mpls Ward 12 Councilmember: Aurin Chowdhury
Mpls Ward 2 Councilmember: Robin Wonsley
Mpls Ward 9 Councilmember: Jason Chavez
Mpls Ward 1 Councilmember: Elliott Payne
Mpls Ward 6 Councilmember: Jamal Osman

Mpls School Board: Greta Callahan

Candidates hear many personal stories from voters. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching or memorable?

I am increasingly hearing stories from around the country of unmarked masked men abducting people from public parks, holding them in detention without due process, sending them to detention facilities or someplace offshore just because they might be an immigrant.
I want to ensure that our parks are safe and healthy places for all people to enjoy and build community. In most election years that might sounds like a platitude. This year, it means I will do everything I can to keep fascists from coming to our parks to send our friends and neighbors to concentration camps.

What is an accomplishment that you are proud of?

Running a marathon during my first summer after college when I was living in Alaska was a major accomplishment! But what was more memorable to me was that same summer I was in great shape and I ended up winning a 10k run at Musk Ox farm near the Matanuska glacier where I was guiding for the summer.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board At-large

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