Established 1931
DPIA
Desnoyer Park Improvement Association
Image: Neighborhood Tug-of-War at Town and Country Club during the 1917 St. Paul Winter Carnival
Our Mission
The Desnoyer Park Improvement Association (DPIA) was established in 1931. Its mission is to look out for the neighborhood’s interests, and contribute to projects & activities that help make the Desnoyer Park neighborhood a safe and healthy urban community across generations.
NEIGHBORHOOD COMMUNICATION
DPIA coordinates communication with the neighborhood through the Desnoyer Park Newsletter that distributes to our email list. If you are not registered to receive that newsletter, sign up here. We also communicate events via the NextDoor and Facebook social media platforms. As always, we believe that a face-to-face conversation at the park or across the backyard fence still works best when possible!
Board Members
The DPIA is a small, volunteer board. DPIA holds elections at the annual late fall meeting for board positions. Any neighbor is welcome to join the board. You do not have to be a board member to join any of the DPIA quarterly meetings.
- David Tierney - Chair
- Marita Bujold
- Jessica Erickson - Merchandise/Ice Rink Crew Liaison
- Julie Fredrickson
- Susan Gatto - Secretary
- Patrick Murray - Treasurer
- Allen Saunders - Representative to UPDC
Board Meetings
The next DPIA meeting will take place on December 9th, 2025. All neighbors are welcome to join us as topics will include an update from the City of St. Paul on the Pelham Reconstruction Project and the Desnoyer Park Renovation projects. This meeting will be via Zoom rather than in-person at Town & Country Club. The meeting registration link was sent out in the most recent neighborhood newsletter.
The board typically meets quarterly at the Town and Country Club from 7- 8:30 pm, located at 300 N Mississippi River Blvd in St. Paul. All neighbors are welcome at any meeting of the DPIA. Even if you don’t have a topic you want discussed at a meeting, the board encourages you to come to a meeting and just see what the DPIA does. If you would like to join a future meeting, just show up, or contact us and we will make sure you have the date/time and location sent to you.
Roles of the DPIA
- Coordinates and fundraises for the regular social activities you see in our neighborhood such as the annual summer picnic, fire & ice winter event, halloween parade, bingo night, movies in the park, etc.
- Communicates with the neighborhood through the Desnoyer Park newsletter that goes to neighbors that have registered for the DPIA email distribution list. Sign up if you haven't already.
- Coordinates in association with the volunteer Desnoyer Park Ice Rink Crew and the City of St. Paul, the fundraising for, and maintenance of, our neighborhood ice rink each winter
- Works with the Union Park District Council (UPDC) where DPIA holds a permanent board position to officially move forward initiatives and recommendations from the neighborhood to the City Council
- Hears and supports neighbor concerns and ideas that align with its mission
FUNDRAISING & NEIGHBORHOOD DUES
DPIA collected annual neighborhood dues from the time of its formation until the late 2010s. The neighborhood organization then decided to ask neighbors to donate when they were able in any amount that was possible. Some neighbors continue the tradition of recurring contributions via PayPal, others contribute when they are skating at the rink and can scan the QR code on the rink donation signs, some at the summer picnic, and some make a one-time donation. Anything is great and goes towards broad neighborhood activities and improvements. When the board identifies a large expense in the future, it will try and fundraise specifically for that expense with a targeted fundraising event instead of holding a large balance in its fund for future expenses.