One of three finalists for Minneapolis Park Board leader steps aside

November 14, 2018 at 3:46AM
Joseph "Nicholas" Williams, director of Parks, Recreation and Youth Development in Oakland, California
Joseph "Nicholas" Williams, director of Parks, Recreation and Youth Development in Oakland, California (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

A candidate for the Minneapolis Park Board superintendent dropped out of the race Tuesday, leaving two others still in the running.

Interim Superintendent Mary Merrill said that Nick Williams, the Parks and Recreation director from Oakland, Calif., is in the midst of critical restructuring and rebranding at his current job and feels committed to stay.

"He remains focused on providing equitable programs, services and transformational opportunities for Oaklanders, with a specific emphasis on Oakland youth," Merrill said in a statement.

Williams, an Oakland native, served as Minneapolis' assistant superintendent of recreation for three years before heading back to lead his hometown parks system in 2016.

Williams was one of the three finalists picked to interview Tuesday in front of the Park Board and community members.

The others, Seve Ghose, the Metro Parks and Recreation Department director in Louisville, Ky., and Alfred Bangoura, the recreation superintendent for Mecklenburg County (which includes Charlotte, N.C.) Parks and Recreation, answered questions in a packed meeting.

about the writer

about the writer

Karen Zamora

See More

More from Minneapolis

card image

From small businesses to giants like Target, retailers are benefitting from the $10 billion industry for South Korean pop music, including its revival of physical album sales.