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Recognizing Mike Hahm’s career with the City of Saint Paul and congratulating him on his retirement.
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WHEREAS, Mike was born and raised in the City of Saint Paul, Como Neighborhood; and
WHEREAS, Mike started his career in Parks and Recreation when he was 18 years old, and has been a committed, life-long public servant throughout his nearly four-decade career with Saint Paul Parks and Recreation in roles ranging from Recreation Leader, Recreation Services Manager, Special Services Manager, to Director of the Como Park Zoo and Conservatory and culminating with a Mayoral appointment as Director of Saint Paul Parks and Recreation; and
WHEREAS, Mike graduated from Saint Thomas Academy and the University of Saint Thomas with a degree in business administration; and
WHEREAS, Mike has championed capital improvements and expanded education programs to provide a vibrant and welcoming place where school groups and people from all walks of life can enjoy the wonders of the living world. Significant improvements during his tenure included Polar Bear Odyssey, The Ordway Gardens, Gorilla Forest, and Como Harbor; and
WHEREAS, Mike has been a vital asset to the City and an invaluable leader in a number of important initiatives and projects throughout his career, including championing efforts to expand free youth programming in recreation centers, outdoor programming for Saint Paul’s BIPOC community and mobile recreation offerings, and has been instrumental in raising Saint Paul’s profile through his leadership work on several large citywide initiatives and projects, including Frogtown Community Center, Palace Community Center, Arlington Hills Community Center and CHS Field and the Great River Passage; and
WHEREAS, with the Saint Paul Park Conservancy in partnership with Como Friends, Mike has worked to add culturally relevant amenities to the park system, including the nation’s first public Kato courts. His vision for public-private partnership helped grow the Conservancy’s impact through projects at Lilydale, Oxford Fields, Swede Hollow Park and Rice Park; and
WHEREAS, Mike has championed the expansion and growth of the park system, helping to close gaps in park access. Because of Mike’s leadership and partnership with the community, new parks at Highland Bridge, Frogtown Farm and Park, and Midway Peace Park - now serve as places of respite, celebration, reflection, and recreation; and
WHEREAS, Under Mike’s leadership, Saint Paul beat Minneapolis in the 2021 Trust for Public Land annual rankings of parks in the 100 most populated American cities which scored: access, investment, amenities, acreage, equity; and
WHEREAS, Mike is a wonderful and loving stepdad to a Saint Paul Central high schooler Lars, and two college children Haakon and Sawyer and especially loves armchair quarterbacking their ultimate frisbee matches; and
WHEREAS, Mike still maintains strong friendships from all walks of life, including his Northwest Como crew. They can often be found reuniting at various Saint Paul establishments or playing a round of golf at one of Saint Paul’s public golf courses; and
WHEREAS, Mike can be spotted utilizing our great city parks by walking and biking - often while playing Pokémon Go - all over Saint Paul, and traveling to parks abroad as world traveler where he recently visited the other Lake Como in Lombardy, Italy and will soon visit Cape Town, South Africa; and
WHEREAS, Mike is a prolific sauna-taker, having built his own sauna in his back yard which will see increased usage in the coming years of retirement; and
WHEREAS, Mike is a great mentor, an innate feminist, a humble leader, a true partner and an incredibly thoughtful human being; and now therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, the Saint Paul City Council thanks Mike Hahm for his many years of dedicated public service to the people of Saint Paul; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, In honor of Mike’s years of public service to the City of St. Paul, March 5, 2022, will be known as ‘Get Outdoors in Honor of Mike Hahm Day’ in the City of St. Paul.