Healthy Parks, Healthy Community

HI! I’M PAULA.

My name is Paula Chesley, and I'm running for Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board in District 4 because our parks are hugely important to our community, and I want to help them continue to thrive. In my time on the Park Board, I will use my background in research to promote sound policy, maintaining what we do well and listening to constituents while bringing forth new initiatives like a Downtown Conservatory, more community gardens, and making sure our parks make progress toward being more equitable. I would love to have your support!

Where is District 4?

MPRB District 4 includes precincts in Wards 3, 6, 7, and 10. It was recently updated and now includes parts east of the Mississippi. The parks in District 4 are:

GET TO KNOW PAULA

I was raised by a single mother who taught me about the importance of community. Even if we didn’t have much, we would offer whatever we had to those less fortunate.

I am committed to taking action when I see something unjust or discriminatory. In 2020, I was instrumental in successfully pushing for a change in a discriminatory Minneapolis Park Board ordinance that unfairly banned female toplessness. My involvement in this issue began through my own interaction with law enforcement on the matter — after I was cited by park police for simply being topless at a secluded beach. I knew this ordinance disproportionately targeted women, transgender, intersex, and gender-nonconforming individuals, and I refused to let it stand.

I collaborated with community members and spoke at many Park Board meetings. I authored an op-ed in the Star Tribune highlighting the ordinance's discriminatory nature. Ultimately, we achieved the repeal of this outdated policy. If elected, I will continue to make our parks more inclusive and welcoming to all.

I bought my first home in East Isles, next to Hennepin Avenue, in 2020. I love Minneapolis’s walkability, lakes, and of course our parks. During the civil unrest following the murder of George Floyd, I helped the neighborhood board up windows and protect local businesses. I became a Block Captain, organizing National Night Out.

I formed the East Isles Safety Walking Club, a community-based program partnering with police to promote safety and pick up litter. I have also been on the East Isles Neighborhood Association board.

I am a proud childless cat lady and nerd. My two rescue cats are Elvis (10 ½) and Norma Jeane (1 year). In my free time, I love to garden, bike around town, do yoga, go dancing, and hang out with my friends, family, and boyfriend. ❤️

I have a PhD in linguistics and a minor in statistics and have worked as a professor and researcher in academia. My research focused on the interface of language and technology. Data and facts always matter to me — not just when they agree with my ideological position. My research and teaching have been funded by the National Science Foundation, the Fulbright Foundation, the Department of Education, and the Fyssen Foundation in France. I have lived in France, Germany, and Canada for work. I speak French fluently and Spanish conversationally. Let’s just say my German is improving!

At some point in those roles, I began to feel that the basic research I was doing was too abstract for me. I wanted to be making an immediate impact — I wanted to help improve people’s lives and bring them joy. So I pivoted — I now teach yoga and meditation (and sometimes gardening) in a mental health clinic. It is this same spirit of service and community that I wish to bring to the Park Board.

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