CNH Architects Senior Associate and Architect, Al Tsai, finds many ways to get involved in his community outside of work. One of those ways is working the Dakota County Public Arts Citizens Advisory Committee.

Here, he tells his story about being involved with the organization:

Earlier this year, I took inspiration from my role models toward community service and the arts and applied for an open position for the Dakota County Public Arts Citizens Advisory Committee. I was excited to find out that I was appointed to one of the At-Large positions at the May County Board meeting.

Once I started, I found a welcoming group: a combination of Dakota County citizens (business owners, artists, students, etc.) and county staffers. The committee’s vision is to advocate for the arts, tying into the larger vision to make Dakota County “A great place to live”.  That means connecting the diverse local communities (both small and large) within the county to the arts in a variety of ways. The group also works with other county departments to provide feedback. I am excited and inspired to be a part of this committee and to start serving the community.

One opportunity was to volunteer with the Music in the Park event on August 31, hosted by the Parks and Recreation department. I volunteered to help setup at the Whitetail Woods Regional Park amphitheater. The even featured yard games, food trucks, an information tent, and two bands – New Riverside Ramblers (Cajun dance) and Blue Dog (native blues rock).

The weather was perfect, so the line of cars was out of the parking lot. The event was attended by roughly 200 people. It also allowed me to meet a great group of regular volunteers and socialize after the work was done, as well as enjoying the music.

I hope to do this more often and the county is always looking for more volunteers. Please see the following to learn more about becoming a Dakota County volunteer.