Meet the New Board President of The Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhood Association
Friday, October 3, 2025 at 9:24AMArticle by Becky Fillinger, photos provided
Dan BrophyA Discussion with Dan Brophy
Dan Brophy recently took on the role as Board President of the Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhood Association (DMNA). He has been a board member since 2023 and an active and engaged downtown resident for 19 years. We talked to him about downtown’s biggest opportunities, strengthening community safety, connecting with all residents and how to participate in the organization.
Q: Congratulations on being selected as President of the DMNA. You’ve been involved in DMNA for a few years in other roles – what do you see as the biggest opportunities for downtown’s growth and revitalization?
A: I think the biggest opportunity is tapping into the stakeholders of downtown Minneapolis. Everyone I speak to has a thought or idea of how to grow and revitalize downtown Minneapolis. Getting these people involved with community organizations to give them a platform to share and work with organizations and other stakeholders is important. Getting everyone involved will help make downtown a downtown that we all love.
Q: What excites you the most about the future of downtown Minneapolis?
A: What excites me the most is the unknown and the chance to make a difference. Who knows what downtown Minneapolis will look like 5-10 years from now. We know that the downtown of 5-10 years ago is not coming back, but that doesn’t mean the downtown of 5-10 years from now can’t be even better.
Q: How does DMNA balance the needs of residents, businesses and visitors downtown?
A: The DMNA makes it a priority to listen to everyone - residents, businesses, and visitors alike. No matter who comes to us, we take the time to hear their thoughts and give them the same attention, effort and energy.
Q: What role do you see DMNA playing in strengthening community safety and livability?
A: The DMNA has a Safety and Security Committee that is always looking for ways to make downtown safer and more livable. The committee activities range from hosting public safety forums throughout the year to working on “one-off” projects. For example, in early 2025 the committee distributed 1,000 safety whistles to residents and employees living and working downtown.
Q: How do you plan to engage more residents - especially renters, who make up a large part of downtown?
A: Engaging renters has been a challenge, and we’re honest about that. One of the biggest hurdles is simply getting information to them. With frequent turnover of managers and staff in rental buildings, reliable contact points change quickly. Still, we’re focused on finding better ways to connect and are constantly working to strengthen our engagement with renters. We are always looking to host pop-up outreach meetings at rental properties to engage and share information about the DMNA. If your building is interested in hosting such an event, please email info@thedmna.org and we’ll be pleased to set up a meeting.
Q: Downtown Minneapolis is home to many stakeholders - businesses, arts organizations, city officials and nonprofits. How does DMNA collaborate with them?
A: The first step is engagement. It’s letting the stakeholders know who we are and that we are here for them. DMNA board members are very active in the community attending events to help accomplish that. Personally, I love networking, and I know the other board members do as well. I have met so many great people that care about our community since joining the DMNA.
Q: What ideas do you have for building stronger connections among residents?
A: We’re focused on creating more opportunities for people to come together – through events such as Neighborhood Day (May), Earth Day Clean Up (April), National Night Out (August) and my personal favorite “Take a Kid Fishing Day” in June. We want to connect with all residents in all housing types to explore both in-person and digital ways for neighbors to connect to make downtown an engaged community where people know and support each other.
At the Mill City Farmers Market
Neighborhood Day
Earth Day Clean Up
National Night Out
Take a Kid Fishing Day
Public Safety Forum
Q: Are there plans to make DMNA a welcoming space for new members and underrepresented voices?
A: Yes! The DMNA has always welcomed anyone who lives, works, or owns property downtown. But beyond that, we’re working to make sure new members, and underrepresented voices feel not just included - but heard.
Q: How may we stay current with DMNA news?
A: So many ways - People can stay updated on DMNA news by joining our e-newsletter. Please send an email to info@thedmna.org to join the email list. They can also follow us on Facebook. We also post our events, activities and news on our website. Finally, they can join a committee. Committee meeting information is on our calendar.
