Updates

  • May 20, 2024

    Stephen Klimek is named Executive Director of Towerside. Stephen is a strategic organizational leader and city-building professional who advances equitable community & economic development through place-based design and planning, impact-driven projects, and systematic approaches to collective challenges.

  • April 26, 2024

    Towerside adopted an Equity Framework that will serve as the foundation for delivering diversity, equity, and inclusion outcomes within the organization, through our work, and as an influencer among our partners and peers.

  • December 16, 2021

    UMN Masters of Urban and Regional Planning students held a community exhibit today to showcase 10 land use planning projects focused on reconsidering the notion of an innovation district.

  • September 30, 2020

    Green 4th Street Enhancements Completed

  • June 30, 2020

    Metropolitan Council awards $100,000 grant for District Stormwater Phase II

Blog

Growing Towerside’s Leadership

August 22, 2024

Meet our 2024 Board Candidates

Each year in June, Towerside’s Supported Organizations have the opportunity to vote for Board of Director candidates that are recruited and nominated by our Nominations Committee. While this committee is mostly comprised of current board members, we also engage volunteers to help identify and recruit potential nominees. This year’s slate of candidates represent an impressive breadth of experience that will grow key areas of Towerside’s work. We are so excited they are willing to serve!

So, what’s a Supported Organization? We get this question a lot. Most folks don’t know that Towerside was organized to benefit the public, charitable, and educational visions of our partner nonprofit organizations and government entities. A key component of our purpose is to support the work of others in developing this place, bringing together a cohesive vision for strategic and coordinated efforts to grow and evolve an innovation district at the heart of the Twin Cities.

Check out this year’s candidates and don’t forget that Towerside partners are invited to join its Annual Meeting breakfast on June 27th from 8:30-10:00 am at the Pillars of Prospect Park. We will welcome new board members, provide updates on Towerside’s work, unveil our Equity Framework, and enjoy connecting with our community. We hope to see you there!

Del Hampton

Del Hampton is a long-time resident of Prospect Park, an avid gardener, and a community organizer. Born in the Rondo neighborhood of St Paul, the family eventually moved to five acres in Woodbury, MN, which at the time was rural.

Hampton’s first career was in food service. He then went on to become a Business Analyst and project manager in financial services firms. Del currently pursues his passion for gardening, specializing in sharing the joy of growing dahlias. He has held officer positions on the State Advisory Board of the University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardener programs and the board of the Minnesota State Horticultural Society. He is currently Coordinator of the multi-site Prospect Park Community Gardens.

Edward Weinberg

Edward Weinberg is a Senior Consultant Strategic Asset Planning for Xcel Energy. As part of the Corporate Strategy and Planning team, Weinberg has spent six years involved with strategic initiatives, such as Xcel Energy’s vision for providing net-zero natural gas service to customers by 2050 and the strategy for achieving that commitment, otherwise known as the Net Zero Vision initiative.

Prior to joining Xcel Energy, Weinberg worked in the environmental commodities and emissions trading industry for ten years. He has worked with all leading US carbon offset programs, as well as the international Clean Development Mechanism.

Edward has a Master of Science degree in Economics and Business Administration from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands. He also serves on the board of directors for OutFront Minnesota.

Gloria Jeff

Gloria Jeff, AICP, is an experienced transportation executive, civil engineer, professional urban planner, and advocate for solutions driven by those most impacted by decisions. Gloria has previously served as deputy administrator for the Federal Highway Administration, director of the Michigan Department of Transportation, Transportation Programs Manager for the Atlantic District of Parsons Brinkerhoff, and Principal Planner for the Wichita Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, General Manager of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation.

Gloria has served on the Towerside board for three years. She is a member of the Equity Work Group and has been a key voice in Towerside's diversity, equity, and inclusion journey. This would be her second term of board service.

Patrick Mascia

Pat Mascia, Managing Director at the University of Minnesota Foundation of Real Estate Advisors (UMFREA), brings extensive experience in both real estate law and development.

Mascia previously served as Associate General Counsel at Opus and then moved into the role of VP-Dispositions, Finance & Investments. He also spent ten years at Duke Realty Corporation. Most recently, he was the real estate practice leader at Taft, Stettinius & Hollister law firm. While at Taft, Pat was also the Executive Director of Visus, UMFREA’s joint venture with the Pohlad family. In this role he led the master planning work for the East Gateway Project, a real estate development project in the district adjacent to the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus.

Pat has served on the Towerside board for three years and is co-chair of the Technical Advisory Committee. This would be his second term of board service.

Join us!

Are you interested in serving on Towerside’s board, joining one of our committees, or getting more involved? We’d love to hear from you. Contact Stephen Klimek, Executive Director, at sklimek@towersidemsp.org or schedule a meeting with him.