Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority

The Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority (MSFA) is the public authority that owns and operates U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was established in 2012 by the Minnesota Legislature as the successor organization to the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission (MSFC), which was established in 1977 to oversee the construction of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome; the MSFC owned and operated the Metrodome in a similar fashion to the MSFA. The MSFA initially oversaw the Metrodome until the stadium was demolished to make way for U.S. Bank Stadium in early 2014. Three of its five members are appointed by the Governor of Minnesota, with the remaining two being appointed by the mayor of Minneapolis.[1]

Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority
Official Logo
PredecessorMetropolitan Sports Facilities Commission
FormationMay 14, 2012 (2012-05-14)
TypePublic body
Executive Director
James Farstad
Chair
Michael Vekich
Parent organization
State of Minnesota
Websitewww.msfa.com

History

Public involvement in stadiums within the Twin Cities area has existed ever since interest in professional sports within the area started to grow in the early 1950s. The cities of Minneapolis and Bloomington formed the Metropolitan Sports Area Commission (MSAC) on August 13, 1954, to oversee the construction and operation of Metropolitan Stadium in the latter city, with the stadium opening in 1956. However, with the Minnesota Vikings dissatisfied by the state of the stadium in the 1970s, plans were devised for its replacement by local and state governments.[2][3]

When the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission was formed in 1977, it absorbed the MSAC and took over the operations of Metropolitan Stadium; it would continue to do so until the end of 1981 with the Metrodome's opening the following year.[3] The commission was composed of seven members, six of which were appointed by the Minneapolis City Council. The chair, however, was appointed by the Governor of Minnesota and could not reside in Minneapolis.[4] The commission was abolished by the Minnesota Legislature as part of legislation that funded U.S. Bank Stadium in May 2012; its assets were transferred to the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority.[5]

On June 14, 2012, Governor Mark Dayton appointed Michele Kelm-Helgen as chair, along with Duane Benson (term end December 31, 2015) and John Griffith (term end December 31, 2016) to the board. Minneapolis Mayor R. T. Rybak appointed Barbara Butts Williams (term end December 31, 2015) and Bill McCarthy (term end December 31, 2016).[6][7] The board named Ted Mondale as Executive Director on June 22, 2012.[8] Benson resigned in June 2015, citing conflict with Kelm-Helgen.[9] Dayton appointed Tony Sertich in August 2015.[10] Dayton declined to reappoint Griffith at the end of 2016.[11] He appointed former Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Kathleen Blatz on January 13, 2017 instead.[12]

On February 16, 2017 both Kelm-Helgen and Mondale resigned over use of U.S. Bank Stadium's suites by people with ties to the state's Democratic Party.[13] Gov. Dayton appointed Blatz as interim chair on February 23, 2017.[14] James Farstad servered as the interim Executive Director until Rick Evans was named Executive Director on March 10, 2017.[15] On July 13, 2017, Dayton appointed Michael Vekich as chair (term ends January 7, 2019) and Laura Bishop as board member (term ends December 31, 2020).[16] On November 17, 2017 Executive Director Rick Evans announced his retirement due to health reasons effective at the end of 2017. [17] At the December 15, 2017 board meeting, James Farstad was named interim Executive Director until a replacement was found.[18] On May 18, 2018 Farstad was named the permanent Executive Director. [19] Bishop left in January 2019 to take the position of commissioner of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.[20] Vekich was reappointed on February 22, 2019, by Governor Tim Walz[21] Angela Burns Finney was appointed by Gov. Walz September 2019[22]

Staff

Current board members
Name (position)Appointed byTerm expires
Michael Vekich (chair)GovernorJanuary 2, 2023
Tony SertichGovernorDecember 31, 2019
Angela Burns FinneyGovernorJanuary 2, 2023
Barbara Butts WilliamsMayorDecember 31, 2019
Bill McCarthyMayorDecember 31, 2020

Executive directors
NameAppointed onTerm ended
Ted MondaleJune 22, 2012February 16, 2017
James Farstad (interim)February 16, 2017March 10, 2017
Rick EvansMarch 10, 2017December 31, 2017
James Farstad (interim)January 1, 2018May 18, 2018
James FarstadMay 18, 2018Incumbent

Chairs
Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority
NameAppointedTerm ended
Michele Kelm-HelgenJune 14, 2012February 16, 2017
Kathleen Blatz (interim)February 23, 2017July 13, 2017
Michael VekichJuly 13, 2017Incumbent
Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission
NameAppointedTerm ended
Dan Brutger19771983
Ron Gornick19831991
Bill Hunter19911993
Henry J. Savelkoul19931999
Kathryn Roberts19992002
Roy Terwilliger20032010
Ted MondaleJanuary 14, 2011May 14, 2012

References
  1. 2012 Minn. Laws Ch. 299, Art. 1, sec. 11
  2. "History". Metrodome. Archived from the original on May 28, 2012. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  3. "Football Stadiums in Minnesota and the Vikings - Minnesota Issues Resources Guides". Minnesota Legislature. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  4. "Ted Mondale to lead Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission". Star Tribune. January 14, 2011. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  5. 2012 Minn. Laws Ch. 299, Art. 1, sec. 24
  6. http://www.mndaily.com/2012/06/14/dayton-rybak-appoint-stadium-authority
  7. "Mayor Rybak Appoints Barbara Butts Williams, Bill McCarthy to Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority". Meet Minneapolis. 2012-06-19. Retrieved 2020-10-10.
  8. "Stadium authority names Ted Mondale executive director". MPR News. Retrieved 2020-10-10.
  9. "Resignation, reaction roil Vikings stadium board". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2020-10-10.
  10. "Dayton appoints Tony Sertich to replace Duane Benson on sports authority". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2020-10-10.
  11. "Critic of U.S. Bank stadium management structure loses appointment to board". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2020-10-10.
  12. "Former Minnesota Supreme Court chief justice headed to U.S. Bank Stadium oversight panel". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2020-10-10.
  13. "Ted Mondale, Michele Kelm-Helgen quit amid criticism of Vikings stadium suites use". Twin Cities. 2017-02-16. Retrieved 2020-10-10.
  14. http://www.kare11.com/news/politics/kathleen-blatz-named-interim-msfa-chair/413374591
  15. http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2017/03/10/msfa-names-rick-evans-new-ceo/
  16. "Dayton names new chair of U.S. Bank Stadium oversight board". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2020-10-10.
  17. "Director of U.S. Bank Stadium's oversight board announces retirement citing health reasons". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2020-10-10.
  18. http://www.msfa.com/content/2017%20Minutes/December%20Minutes%20for%20Website.pdf
  19. "Interim executive director wins permanent U.S. Bank Stadium job". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2020-10-10.
  20. "New environment commissioners talk climate change". MPR News. Retrieved 2020-10-10.
  21. https://www.msfa.com/detail.cfm/page/msfaSite_DMVCRSHB_DGVLLAUB/
  22. "U.S. Bank Stadium authority OKs 60% pay raise for chairman". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2020-10-10.
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