NRP Policy Board Candidates at a Glance


Cam Gordon

Occupation: Teacher
Address: 914 Franklin Terrace (55406)
Neighborhood of Residence: Seward
Years in Neighborhood: 14 years
Years in Minneapolis: 47 years
Phone: 612-296-0579
E-Mail: gordo030@umn.edu


  1. How have your life experiences prepared you to be a neighborhood representative?
    As past Seward Neighborhood Group co-chair, board member and chair of its NRP committee, I learned a great deal and developed many of the skills needed to represent people effectively.

    As Neighborhood Representative on the Policy Board last year, I gained a deeper understanding of the City and NRP. I also learned a great deal about City government and the challenges that face our city and neighborhoods as a past chair of the Minneapolis Green Party, member of the Mayor Rybak's Transition Team and Ethic's Task Force.

    As a long time activist I believe that I have shown my commitment to improving our community.

  2. What do you consider to be the strengths and weaknesses of the NRP?
    NRP has shown enormous strength bring people together to address common concerns and reach common goals. Groups and agencies throughout the city have had to listen to and cooperate with individuals and neighborhoods,--- as well as with each other--- to implement improvements.

    I believe that NRP can be more inclusive, efficient and accountable. Sometimes NRP has not included all the people it could and sometimes it has asked more of the neighborhoods than they have had the capacity to deliver. Clearer expectations of NRP and neighborhoods can be developed and agreed upon and neighborhoods must have the support they need to be successful.

  3. How have you participated in your neighborhood organization and its NRP process?
    I served on the board of my Neighborhood Association for several years and as its co-chair for two years. I was also involved in virtually all aspects of our Phase I NRP process. I served on our first NRP committee and helped draft our Participation Agreement. I was chair of our Social Environment Committee and served on the Steering Committee that drafted our Action Plan and for five years I served as chair of our Implementation Oversight Committee.

  4. How do you plan to maintain a relationship with the neighborhoods you would represent if elected?
    In general I will continue to work to maintain open and effective lines of communication. I welcome phone calls, letters and emails and try to respond to them in a timely manner.

    I will continue to use electronic, person-to-person and print methods of communication and call for community meetings when appropriate. Next year, if elected, I would like to attend more neighborhoods meetings and provide more regular written reports to Neighborhood Association Boards. Additionally, I will work to insure that the Policy Board and NRP as a whole makes communication with neighborhoods a top priority.

  5. Name one thing you would like to work on if elected.
    Now that many of the concerns about the future of NRP's second phase have been resolved, I will work to make certain that it is as effective as possible as a neighborhood-driven tool to improve our city. To do so, I will work to facilitate greater collaboration and cooperation with the City's overall planning process while making better use of the neighborhood organization as a fundamental vehicle for citizen participation and empowerment. I will encourage the Policy Board to look at what has and hasn't worked in the past and at how we can all make NRP more inclusive, more efficient, more accountable and more successful in the future.

  6. Why are you running for a neighborhood representative seat on the Policy Board?
    I care deeply about our city and its neighborhoods and am convinced that NRP offers an enormous opportunity to improve both. I believe that I have represented the interests of neighborhoods and residents of Minneapolis well this year and that I have the experience, skills and values needed to continue to be an effective representative next year. I am eager to use what I have learned to help make the Policy Board and NRP even more effective in the future.

  7. Please list any community-based organizations with which you are currently involved.
    The Seward Neighborhood Group (member and volunteer)

  8. Please list all current paid and unpaid affiliations.
    • Neighborhood Revitalization Program Policy Board Revitalization Neighborhood Representative
    • River's Edge Children's House (the child care, music education business I co-own)
    • Green Party of Minnesota (I am an unpaid party official)
    • Jola Publications (published my book "Together with Montessori.")