NEWS RELEASE
Nisswa, Minn. – Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD) Administrator, James Wisker, was named 2024 Administrator of the Year by the Minnesota Association of Watershed Administrators at the Minnesota Watersheds’ annual conference on Thursday, December 5, 2024.
Joining MCWD in 2005, Wisker became the District’s first internally-selected Administrator in 2018. Since then, Wisker has led the organization’s realignment around its vision of Balanced Urban Ecology (BUE), which prioritizes integrated land and water planning through partnerships. This award recognizes James’s ability to bring people together and help others meet their goals. “His dedication to building consensus and fostering collaboration has strengthened partnerships across the watershed, driving meaningful progress toward our vision of BUE,” said MCWD Board President Sherry White.
Over the past decade, Wisker has built a coalition of partners in the Six Mile Creek – Halsted Bay Subwatershed, removing 545 pounds of nutrients annually, protecting 124 acres of wetlands, and restoring 2,488 acres of habitat. “James’s dedication to convening others and working in partnership has enhanced Victoria’s natural and community assets, most notably through the restoration of Wassermann Lake,” said Victoria Mayor Debra McMillan. As part of the restoration efforts, MCWD also partnered with the City to create the Wassermann Lake Preserve, a flagship park project in Victoria.
Since 2011, Wisker has led project efforts in the Minnehaha Creek Greenway, along the most degraded stretch of Minnehaha Creek, benefiting the impaired creek and downstream Lake Hiawatha. Under Wisker’s leadership, MCWD has improved water quality, increased flood storage, and expanded and connected public green space, working with public and private partners to integrate nature into the surrounding urban fabric to benefit the environment and community.
Just downstream, this approach was applied in Edina in the restoration of Arden Park. “James’s nature is to be collaborative, and he is a superior problem-solver,” said Edina Mayor James Hovland. “James and his team helped us create one of our town’s great park remodeling projects at Arden Park, working with the community to develop a project built on the concepts of expanding park access, water resource management, and sustainability.”
In Minneapolis, Wisker led the formation of a new partnership with the City of Minneapolis and Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB). The partners adopted a cooperative agreement in 2024, creating a framework for integrated planning and project implementation. “It’s inspiring to see our agencies plan for a sustainable future, and I’m grateful to James for his efforts in creating shared understanding and investment,” said MPRB Commissioner Steffanie Musich.
Over the past year, Wisker also led MCWD as it promoted integrated land use and water planning with its new Land & Water Partnership program, which provides assistance to partner-led projects that deliver significant water resource benefits. MCWD also adopted revised permit rules to increase clarity, streamline processes, and facilitate early coordination with applicants to improve customer service.
Under Wisker’s leadership, MCWD has become an industry leader, receiving state and national recognition in recent years for high-impact projects and community partnerships. A key ingredient for these achievements has been Wisker’s dedication to stewarding a culture of excellence at MCWD, promoting transparency and teamwork. “James’s unwavering dedication to excellence as a leader empowers the entire MCWD team to achieve their best,” White said.
MCWD is now developing its next 10-Year Plan, which will focus on a regional flood adaptation strategy, increasing the watershed’s climate resilience. Guided by the District’s Climate Action Framework, MCWD will convene its 29 communities to develop shared, data-driven goals, policies, and priorities for the next decade.
Minnehaha Creek Watershed District
Contact: Samantha Hoppe, MCWD Outreach Manager
952-641-4518 | shoppe@minnehahacreek.org
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The Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD) collaborates with public and private partners to protect and improve the 178 square miles of land and water within its boundaries, including Minnehaha Creek, Lake Minnetonka, the Minneapolis Chain of Lakes and Minnehaha Falls. Through collaborative planning, aligned investments, streamlined permitting, technical expertise and educating/engaging residents, MCWD seeks to create a landscape of vibrant communities within the 29 cities, two townships and two counties (Hennepin and Carver) that are in the District. For more information, visit www.minnehahacreek.org.