Patch Candidate Profile: Alicia D. Smith​ For Minneapolis Parks

MINNEAPOLIS — This fall, Minneapolis residents will vote in several important local elections. Among the offices on the ballot is the mayor and city council seats, as well as the Minneapolis Park Board. Early voting in Minneapolis has already started.

Alicia D. Smith is running for one of the three at large Minneapolis Park Board Commissioner seats.

Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles over the coming weeks.

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Are you running for office in Minneapolis? Contact William Bornhoft at william.bornhoft@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate profile and submitting campaign announcements to Patch.

Age (as of Election Day): 40

Town of Residence: Minneapolis

Position sought: Minneapolis Park Board Commissioner At Large

Party Affiliation: DFL

Family: Sons Walter III age 12, Alonzo age 8

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? No

Occupation: Executive Director, 10 years

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: None

Why are you seeking elective office?

The simple answer to be the change that I desire to see! The more retrospective answer is to influence and create change to systems that is key to our future and the lives of future generations!

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

There is. Or one single most pressing issues however we may start with the issues of access. I intend to partner with my fellow commissioners to improve the quality of our parks to ensure that access is available to all in the communities in which they live.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

The difference between myself and the others is our experiences. I am mother of two boys who utilize the parks daily and I grew up in the parks in an area that was riddle with crime and our parks were under-resourced.

How do you think local officials are performing in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

I believe that local officials are performing poorly as it relates to the covid 19 response. I would have partnered with local organizations and leaders to address the gaps and needs in communities that were already suffering prior to covid to ensure that they fall behind even further during the pandemic.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Intergenerational programming, People and Safety

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I am a neighborhood executive by day and if you look at my work in my community you will see collaboration, problem solving and innovative programming in partnership with community that shows you that I am able to handle and succeed in the job as At Large Park Commissioner.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Be yourself don’t die being someone else

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am committed to truly improving the parks and leveraging the resources all around us to provide a high quality experience in every interaction with the parks from people to property. My campaign is truly a partnership with community, without you I am guessing at what you need and I don’t want to guess I need to know!