Rachel Boeke leaves Longfellow Community Council

Rachel Boeke has left her position as executive director of the Longfellow Community Council (LCC).  

She was hired to help lead the organization in the fall of 2021 and her last day on the job was April 16, 2024, after she accepted a position as executive director of LeadMN, which serves and represents the roughly 100,000 two-year public college students in Minnesota. 

“Rachel brought a burst of new energy to an organization that had come through a very hard time with the pandemic and the uprising after the murder of George Floyd,” said LCC Board Chair Lisa Boyd. “Rachel was so good at wearing all the hats an executive director needs to wear – motivating and supervising staff, finances, building partnerships, recruiting volunteers, putting on events, and supporting programs. She got us connected to some very exciting partnerships, and she also led the board through the creation of a solid strategic plan. Rachel has been tenacious and dedicated to this work and always did it with an upbeat attitude and a can-do spirit.”

“I really enjoyed working with Rachel during my time in office,” said former Ward 12 Council Member Andrew Johnson. “She cares deeply about our community, and it showed in the way she showed up, always advocating to make sure residents were heard through some of the most difficult issues. She didn’t hesitate to speak out or hold the city accountable, yet she did so with professionalism and grace. I could always count on her as a partner who worked to find ways for LCC to lead and contribute despite dwindling resources. She earned the respect of peers as a knowledgeable collaborator and reasoned voice. I feel fortunate for the time she gave us Longfellow residents, and wish her all the best in her next chapter.”

“I have nothing but positive things to say about Rachel,” said Russ Adams, Lake Street Council Corridor Recovery Initiatives Manager. “It is a huge loss for the organization. Everything she was doing for the council and the neighborhood was well organized, responsive to everyone’s concerns and catalyzed everyone in a positive way. Her 3rd precinct engagement was huge. She recruited great staff, and it has been a pleasure to work with her. Her events were inclusive, and she consistently showed courageous leadership.”

“Rachel is not only someone with a lot of ideas but is someone who has the ability and passion to bring those ideas to fruition,” said LCC’s Communications Manager Andrea Tritschler  “In the last two years, LCC has grown so much and expanded our reach and support in the community, and I think that’s really a testament to Rachel’s leadership. While we still are working to increase our outreach, I think she’s helped LCC build a really strong foundation.”

“During my time at LCC, I am most proud of the move to intentional engagement focusing on our most underrepresented populations,” said Boeke. “We diversified the ways we gather feedback from community members and we could see the direct increase in young people, renters, low-income folks and from within communities of color responding. My wish for the work that will continue is the push for the city to engage, listen and actually hear residents’ thoughts and concerns about developments and programs that are meant to serve that same community.

“Saying goodbye to the wonderful people across greater Longfellow and the amazingly fun work at Longfellow Community Council was tough,” she said. “The laughter around the staff table every Wednesday was real (and loud). The relationships with community members and council members were genuine and meaningful. The connections will stay with me forever. And it’s not like I’m gone for good – I will be back for LCC’s Trivia Night on May 16, and I challenge anyone to build a team to come beat me.”

LCC is in the process of filling the position.