Meet Jeanette Colby

Woman with blonde hair wearing black-rimmed glasses, pink dress with white floral pattern, and a colorful necklace, standing outdoors near a body of water with trees in the background.

Hi! I'm running for Park Board in District 4 because I want to continue our current commissioner’s legacy of thoughtful stewardship of resources, responsiveness to constituents, and collaboration with others.

Like you, I love and rely on our award-winning parks for fun, exercise, and connections with nature. I'm committed to protecting and improving them for everyone. Minneapolis parks have been a big part of my life  — from playing sports as a kid at Luxton Park (thanks to the incredible volunteer coaches!) to daily walks around the Chain of Lakes as an adult.

We are adding exciting new spaces and amenities using an important equity matrix as a guide to investments. But the Minneapolis Park Board will face complex challenges in coming years.

We need commisioners who will:

  • listen closely to the community,

  • understand budgets and policy, and

  • do the hard work of reading, researching, and responding thoughtfully to the issues.

With my experience in community leadership, policy advocacy, and data-informed decision-making, I’m ready to do that work — and honored to step up for our parks and the people who rely on them.

I’m a lifelong Democrat and have been proud to serve our community in a variety of roles — among others, with the Kenwood Neighborhood Organization, the SWLRT Community Advisory Committee, and the Cedar Lake Park Association. Recently I was employed by the Edina Parks and Rec Department in arts administration Having just stepped down from that position, I was excited to say YES when friends from around Minneapolis asked me to consider running for District 4 commisioner.

I hold a bachelor's degree in government from Georgetown University, a master's equivalent from the University of Brussels and have pursued graduate studies in Program Evaluation at the University of Minnesota. I'm also a ceramicist, and have served as a guide at the Minneapolis Institute of Art for 17 years.

A team of eight rowers and a coxswain in a racing shell on a river, under a bridge with University of Minnesota logos, with trees and city buildings in the background.