At the 2023 LHiNC Annual Meeting, we heard from the candidates who are running to join the board of the Linden Hills Neighborhood Council. See their bios below.

How to Vote

Voting ended on Tues, Oct 17 at 8pm. The new board will be announced soon.

Meet the Candidates

Noelani Abrams

Please write something about yourself, your interests and why you would like to participate on LHiNC. List any organizations, activities, clubs, etc. in which you actively participate.

I was volunteering at the LH festival with a few lovely ladies that are on the council and they suggested I apply. They said I was a quote-unquote “doer” and they need “doers” on the council. I take that as a great compliment. I had so much fun with them I decided to apply.

I have lived in LH for over 14 years and I love this community, the small town vibe(farmers market, local artists, local musicians)with big city tastes and shopping. While I lived on Beard Ave I started a neighborhood contact list( which included the animals and kiddos) and I updated that every year (13 years) at the National Night out event. I love to build connections and community where I go as the sense of belonging and safety is important to me. I recently participated in a wellness event as SUNU and met so many people in the community I decided to do more volunteering and send in my application for council. I can’t believe I’ve waited this long to do this. I’ve been meaning to do it for quite a while.

Please list your concerns, hopes and goals for the neighborhood: My goal would be to continue to keep the small town vibe with big city tastes and shopping. And to continue the appreciation of local vendors and the wonderful history of LH.

List any special skills you would bring to LHiNC:

Like I said I’m a do-er, so I’m good with various tasks. Volunteer management and recruitment are probably my best skillset. OH, I can lift heavy things too:)

Molly Binger

Please write something about yourself, your interests and why you would like to participate on LHiNC. List any organizations, activities, clubs, etc. in which you actively participate.

Hello! My name is Molly Binger and I moved to Linden Hills in May 2021 with my husband Bryan and my 3-year-old son Simon. Rain, shine, or snow, you can find us outside and enjoying our neighborhood. This is an opportunity for me to become more engaged in and give back to the community that is helping raise my family. Professionally, I’m a policy analyst. I earned my MPP and MPH from the University of Minnesota. I have experience successfully partnering with stakeholders to develop and pass significant policy reform packages in the state legislature. However, I have taken the last year to spend more quality time with my family and finish some projects around our house. These projects required countless walks into the village for more coffee and for advice and supplies from Settergren’s. I am looking forward to getting to know a broader swath of the folks living, working, and spending time in our neighborhood.

Please list your concerns, hopes and goals for the neighborhood: I hope to see Linden Hills continue to be a bustling and thriving neighborhood for residents and visitors to enjoy. We’re fortunate to live in Linden Hills, and I want to ensure that we also support the rest of our city. I also hope to support sustainable partnerships for LHiNC, both within our neighborhood and throughout Minneapolis.

List any special skills you would bring to LHiNC:

Collaborative problem-solving
Stakeholder relationship development
Meeting facilitation
Negotiations
Event planning and fundraising

Erick Borromè

Please write something about yourself, your interests and why you would like to participate on LHiNC. List any organizations, activities, clubs, etc. in which you actively participate.

My name is Erick Borrome. I am a Mexican American living in Linden Hills for 10 years. I hvae walked my dog (chinese Shar-pei) around Lake Harriet hundreds of times. I have attended numerous events in the hills and volunteered at many events, as they are right on my street, (wolf stock , Tilia block party etc)

Please list your concerns, hopes and goals for the neighborhood:

Viewing the Q&A on Youtube a couple of days ago I realized in Linden Hills we do have diversity and I would like to bring my hispanic background into the hills after living here for some time. Not sure how or what I’ll come up with to do so but, I do have some ideas.

List any special skills you would bring to LHiNC:

Some skills I have in my opinion are working with people. In my my life as a 32 year old I started working a paper route for (Sun Current) in Bloomington MN, moving on to work at Ebeneezer working with the elderly. Turning 18 I moved on to a business development role for a small company for 5-6 years later began my role in the healthcare field and at that time I obtained my bilingual interpreter certificate for medical terminology. I’ve been a vip host part time for The Armory in Minneapolis which is a concert venue and have worked numerous part time jobs always. Currently a jeweler at ridgedale Macy’s and have had numerous jobs in retail working in the customer service industry.

Bali Kumar (Incumbent)

Please write something about yourself, your interests and why you would like to participate on LHiNC. List any organizations, activities, clubs, etc. in which you actively participate.

I love the community LHiNC affords – between the board members and amongst the community!

Please list your concerns, hopes and goals for the neighborhood:

I want the neighborhood council to maximize impact and streamline its services.

List any special skills you would bring to LHiNC:

As a lawyer and the current Chair of LHiNC, I hope to continue to use my background in legal and organizational development to further the council’s great work.

Barbara Lunde (Incumbent)

Please write something about yourself, your interests and why you would like to participate on LHiNC. List any organizations, activities, clubs, etc. in which you actively participate.

I have enjoyed serving on the Linden Hills Council since before 2019. I have participated in most of its meetings and many of its activities. I have served on the Community Engagement Committee and the Environment and Sustainability Committee. I made the neighborhood aware of the coming E-line bus route. I am also on the board of the Minnesota Renewable Energy Society and active in my church.

Please list your concerns, hopes and goals for the neighborhood:

My concern is about crime and the schools. My hope is that the crime rate continues to improve and that the schools continue with their high level of performance and parental involvement. I also. want us to do what we can to protect the environment and mitigate or adapt to climate change.

List any special skills you would bring to LHiNC:

I have some experience in marketing, taxes, landscaping, writing, computer expertise, and volunteer management.

Zach Metzger (Incumbent)

Please write something about yourself, your interests and why you would like to participate on LHiNC. List any organizations, activities, clubs, etc. in which you actively participate.

My name is Zach and I am a Linden Hills community member. I have always loved the area, as my father & grandfather are both from the neighborhood. I was most recently a legislative aid for a Minnesota state representative and an organizer & advocate for injustices anywhere! I would like to participate to be a voice for those who may not be able to speak up for themselves. I feel if I don’t do it, who will? It is a responsibility, a duty to be a blessing and help to continue creating a safe and abundant place for all of us!

Please list your concerns, hopes and goals for the neighborhood:

My goals are to create a better linden hills, one that is more inclusive where I continue to help residents here and in greater Minneapolis.

List any special skills you would bring to LHiNC:

I have high level organizing skills, having organized thousands of people throughout the country for injustices over the past couple years. I am a profound speaker and aspire to inspire the youth and our elders. I have expertise with creating campaigns as I was a field organizer for the house DFL and have worked on multiple different local elections. I also have a strong understanding of social media, outreach and pr as I have a large social media following, garnering a million accounts reached monthly.

Ally Seal (Incumbent)

Please write something about yourself, your interests and why you would like to participate on LHiNC. List any organizations, activities, clubs, etc. in which you actively participate.

I can’t believe it has been two years on the council, and I am so excited to be running for my second term as a board member on the Linden Hills Neighborhood Council. I’m interested in this role for a variety of reasons, but my primary goal is to deepen my connection with the community and continue to make Linden Hills an amazing place to be.

My personal interests haven’t changed much — I still love exploring the neighborhood and trying the great restaurants and coffee shops in the area. During our nicer Minnesota days, I enjoy walking my two dogs, Penny and Pepper, around the lakes or reading a book outside on the patio. I also enjoy baking, yoga and spending time with friends.

Professionally, I am a product manager for U.S. Bank, and enjoy the challenges of developing mindful strategies focused on the needs of my clients. I’m also a yoga teacher at Corepower Yoga in both St. Louis Park and Edina.

Please list your concerns, hopes and goals for the neighborhood:

My primary concern with the neighborhood is how we can continue to foster connection and growth, even while our community members and council are asked to do more with less. As such, my goals are to ensure we can still work toward a community we can all be excited to be a part of.

My goals are centered around one word – sustainability. I’d like to ensure the initiatives we as a council undertake are sustainable, so community members can enjoy the benefits for many years without overusing the resources we have. I’d also like to focus on sustainably evolving our neighborhood events so we can meet the needs of our neighbors, even as those change too.

My hopes for this neighborhood have not changed. I hope to empower and enable our neighbors to pursue growth opportunities for the benefit of our community.

List any special skills you would bring to LHiNC:

Beyond my two years of council experience, I feel my professional experience in project management, marketing and communications can be useful to the board. I hope to use those skills predominantly to help optimize our fundraising and outreach efforts in the coming years.

Daniel Wenger (Incumbent)

Please write something about yourself, your interests and why you would like to participate on LHiNC. List any organizations, activities, clubs, etc. in which you actively participate.

I have just finished my first two-year term on the council and hope to continue serving for another two years. During my time on LHiNC, I have chaired the Environment & Sustainability Committee, Co-Chaired the Trolley Path Advisory Committee, and recently took on the role of council Vice-President. I’ve enjoyed working with neighbors on various issues and events, such as the SW Minneapolis Tech Dump, How To Go Solar At Home, and expanding the Trolley Path Naturescape, and I hope to continue to use my place on the council to pursue initiatives which benefit our neighborhood and city.

Please list your concerns, hopes and goals for the neighborhood:

My largest goal for next term is to successfully expand the Trolley Path Naturescape through the Zenith/Abbot block. We’re lucky to have a stretch of city-owned land running through Linden Hills, which has been designated as a potential park. Community interest and city government support seem to be aligning for incremental improvements on this section of the Trolley Path, so I’m excited for the opportunity to create improvements that will positively impact many in our community. Over the past year, I have facilitated community outreach and planning for a revitalization of the Zenith/Abbott block. This effort would expand what is currently a two-block naturescape path onto a third block, providing a better maintained, more natural, and safer pathway from Abbot to Zenith. I hope to continue leading this initiative as we work towards implementing our proposed changes over the next two years!

List any special skills you would bring to LHiNC:

I hope to use my background in finance to assist LHiNC as we adapt to more limited city funding. I will ensure we manage our current resources responsibly while also evolving our organization to continue serving Linden Hills with reduced city funding.