Move Minnesota and Move Minnesota Action Announce New Leadership
Following a robust local and national search, Move Minnesota and Move Minnesota Action are happy to announce that MJ Carpio will become our next executive director on March 17! She is returning after serving our organizations as political director and campaign manager from 2022 to 2024.
“MJ has been a consistent champion for public transit and for our movement. We are incredibly excited for her to bring her deep understanding of our work and knowledge of the state and local landscape, alongside her values and lived experiences, as our new executive director. MJ has been integral to Move Minnesota and Move Minnesota Action securing our historic wins for transit, biking, walking, and rolling at the State Capitol in recent years. She’s already proven she is a motivated and capable leader who can move our mission forward. Now, we are thrilled to work with MJ and staff to bring our advocacy, education, and community engagement to a new level,” said Move Minnesota’s board chair, Eric Moran.
“We are very enthusiastic about our future under MJ’s leadership,” added Alex Tsatsoulis, board chair for Move Minnesota Action. “With her strengths and experience in grassroots and political organizing, MJ successfully championed our nation-leading climate policy and dedicated funding for public transit at the Minnesota Legislature with fellow staff, advocates, and coalition partners. She’s committed to tangibly raising awareness about the importance of public transit for all families and communities, demonstrated through her past leadership on Transit Equity Day and mobilizing voters for transit through our electoral advocacy program. We’re excited to see her strategic and relational approach to change-making enhance our amazing staff team as she steps into this new role.”
In her most recent role away from Move Minnesota and Move Minnesota Action, MJ expanded her in-depth knowledge of public policy and local government as a policy aide at the Minneapolis City Council working at the intersection of transportation and other essential issues. Her work today is informed by a breadth of past experiences–from organizing candidate and issue campaigns, to conducting research at a neuroscience lab and working in restaurants, among others.
MJ is a lifelong public transit rider—from jeepneys and tricycles, to the New York City subway, and Metro Transit—and sees the expansion and reimagining of multimodal transportation systems as integral to improving everyday lives, connecting communities, and adapting to climate change. Outside of work, she enjoys biking, reading nonfiction, and cooking for and sharing food with people.
“Expanding public transit access and building community resilience are personal issues for me, which is why I’m so excited to join Move Minnesota and Move Minnesota Action as executive director,” MJ shared. “Given the local and national threats to transit and climate progress we’re facing today, it’s all the more important to defend and grow our ability to build sustainable infrastructure and mobilize a greater representation of people who care about equitable access to transportation. I’m honored to be leading a team of dedicated and caring people who remain hopeful and committed to racial, environmental, and mobility justice as we continue creating better communities and futures for all of us.”
Move Minnesota and Move Minnesota Action extend sincere thanks to Elissa Schufman for serving as our interim executive director throughout this transition. Elissa will resume her role as our director of strategic partnerships later this month, and we are grateful to have her continued support on our team as we move forward into this new chapter.
A meet-and-greet event on Thursday, March 20, will give partners and supporters an opportunity to connect with MJ in person once she’s officially back at Move Minnesota and Move Minnesota Action later this month. Event details will be released soon. Check our events calendar and sign up for Move Minnesota emails to stay updated!