Coleen Seng made neighborhood groups her priority during a career that spanned more than four decades.
Prior to serving as Lincoln's mayor from 2003 to 2007, Seng was president of the University Park Community Organization from 1974 to 1976. She was also one of the tri-chairs of the Antelope Valley redevelopment project.
During her involvement with UPCO, she helped develop a small park near 40th and Adams streets, which was later named UPCO Park.
And now another park in north Lincoln will have a strong tie to Seng. A proposal from the Parks and Recreation Department and several citizens in the community will change the name of University Place Park at 49th and Garland streets to Seng Park at University Place later this month.
“They’d been doing their work behind the scenes, and I didn’t know anything about this,†Seng said. “I was terribly humbled, and I still am.â€
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The proposal was brought to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board on Aug. 9 and the City Council on Sept. 10, gaining unanimous approval. The new name will be official with Mayor Chris Beutler's signature.
“We’ve got some signage, obviously, that we need to change out there, and we want to do a recognition event probably sometime in October celebrating Coleen’s work and recognizing renaming the park in her honor,†Parks and Recreation Director Lynn Johnson said.
Johnson, who served as director during Seng’s tenure, said it was Seng’s work in community development in northeast Lincoln that led to her recognition.
“She is very much about community and neighborhood development, people working together for a better Lincoln,†he said. “And Coleen has been a strong advocate of parks and Parks and Recreation facilities.â€
The proposal began after Johnson was approached by members of the community, including Terry Uland, president of the Downtown Lincoln Association, and Larry Moffat, senior pastor at First United Methodist Church, where Seng worked for 28 years.
After discussing the idea of renaming the park, the group met with Seng to reveal their plans and gain her approval. As Seng’s personal life and public service have all been linked to the idea of community building and developing relationships, Johnson said he felt it was appropriate the park was named after her.
“Public recognition is not something that she typically seeks,†he said.
Seng, now 82 and retired, said she’s proud of the work UPCO did and what it does for the northeast Lincoln community today. She also said she encourages people to help their community in any way they can.
“Everybody needs to get out and serve their community. I just think we need that in our lifestyle and in living,†Seng said. “I suppose it probably goes back to a faith base for me, but I think that people need to be volunteering and take part in their community activities.â€