The Board of Directors of the Nokomis East Neighborhood Association (NENA) is thrilled to announce to our neighbors the hire of new Executive Director Brandon Long. He will begin full-time on April 25, 2022.
Brandon moved to the Highland neighborhood of Saint Paul from Iowa with his wife in 2012 to begin his Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy at St. Kate’s. He began work at the Minnesota Autism Center as an occupational therapist in 2015. Brandon served as an elected At-Large board member of the Highland District Council on their engagement committee and helped found the neighborhood non-profit Sustain Ward 3 (now Sustain Saint Paul).
Prior to serving as NENA’s new Executive Director, he served in the same role with the Union Park District Council. Brandon is also a graduate of Neighborhoods Now!, the grassroots organizing training program through the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA) at the University of Minnesota.
With a history of proactive leadership and community involvement, we are confident that Brandon will help to further NENA’s goals to promote neighborhood connections and implement our 2022-2024 Strategic Plan. The Board has also authorized Brandon to hire additional staff, including a community organizer in 2022.
Brandon will be introduced to our neighborhood at NENA’s Annual Meeting and Community Meal on April 28, 2022. This will also be an opportunity to thank outgoing executive director Becky Timm, for her seven years of service to Nokomis East.
