Thank You to Our Review Teams

Track Advisors

Equitable and Sustainable Park Funding

  • Christine Chute Canul, Partnership Manager, Austin Parks and Recreation, TX
  • Amy Harmon, Founder, Urban Market Partners, Denver, CO
  • Diane Metzger, Communications Manager, Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO)
  • Kevin Roche, Chief of Staff, Fairmount Park Conservancy, Philadelphia, PA
  • Michael Shiosaki, Director, Bellevue Parks and Community Services Department, WA
  • Ayesha Talreja, Program Coordinator, Park People, Toronto, Canada

Inclusive Parks and Public Spaces

  • Rose Barcarse, Program Manager, Park People, Toronto, Canada
  • Grace Cotangco, Program Manager, Prevention Institute, Oakland, CA
  • Tricia Diaz, Equity & Engagement Advisor, Seattle Parks and Recreation, WA
  • Dionne Grayman, President and Co-Founder at We Run Brownsville, Brooklyn, NY
  • Ebony Hood, Director of Curriculum and Strategic Programming, Syatt, Cleveland, OH
  • Clement Lau, Departmental Facilities Planner, Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation, CA
  • Rasul Mowatt, Department Head & Professor, Departments of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, College of Natural Resources & Affiliate Faculty – Professor Department of Sociology & Anthropology, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, NC State University, Raleigh, NC
  • Maya Rodgers, Senior Project Manager, Parks & Place, San Francisco Parks Alliance, CA
  • Frank Rowe, Executive Director, Denver Park Trust, CO
  • JJ Vélez, Director, Public Spaces, Gilbert Family Foundation, Detroit, MI
  • Lilly Weinberg, Senior Director/Community and National Initiatives, Knight Foundation, Miami, FL

Parks and a Changing Climate

  • Heidi Kandathil, Special Projects Manager, King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks, Seattle, WA
  • Cate Mingoya-LaFortune, Chief Officer of Climate Resilience and Land Use, Groundwork USA, Yonkers, NY
  • Christina Owen, PhD, Director, University of Washington Botanic Gardens, Seattle, WA
  • Carlos Perez, Principal, Perez Planning + Design, LLC, Atlanta, GA
  • David Rubin, Principal, David Rubin Land Collective, Philadelphia, PA
  • Deepa Vedavyas, Former Program Manager, Neighborhoods and Environment, Cleveland Foundation, OH

Parks, Recreation, Health and Wellbeing

  • Allegra “Happy” Haynes, Former Executive Director, Denver Parks and Recreation Department, CO
  • Victoria Oestreich, Senior Manager on the Centers & Initiatives, Urban Land Institute, Seattle, WA
  • Tanya Pappa, Manager, Cities and Youth Engagement, Children & Nature Network, St. Paul, MN
  • Celina Shirazipour, PhD, Assistant Professor, Cancer Research Center for Health Equity, Assistant Professor-in-Residence, UCLA Department of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA
  • Elizabeth Simons, Community Program Manager, Great Rivers Greenway, St. Louis, MO
  • Hillary Van Dyke, Principal, Invincible Summer Enterprises LLC, St. Petersburg, FL

City Parks Alliance Conference & Review Committee

City Parks Alliance Board Committee Co-Chairs:

  • Allegra “Happy” Haynes, Former Executive Director, Department of Parks & Recreation, City & County of Denver, CO
  • Rasul Mowatt, Department Head & Professor, Departments of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, College of Natural Resources & Affiliate Faculty – Professor Department of Sociology & Anthropology, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, NC State University, Raleigh, NC

City Parks Alliance Board Members:

  • Norma García-Gonzalez, Director, Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation and Los Angeles County Regional Parks and Open Space District, CA
  • Carlos Perez, President & Founder, Perez Planning + Design, Atlanta, GA
  • Celina Shirazipour, Assistant Professor, Cancer Research Center for Health Equity, Associate Director, Master’s in Health Delivery Science, Assistant Professor-in-Residence, UCLA Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
  • John Slack, Associate Principal, Urban Design, Perkins & Will, Minneapolis, MN

Non-City Parks Alliance Board Members:

  • Christine Chute Canul, Partnership Manager, Austin Parks and Recreation, TX
  • Paula Hoff, Strategic Advisor and City Council Liaison, Parks & Recreation Department, City of Seattle, WA
  • Victoria Oestreich, Senior Manager on the Centers & Initiatives, Urban Land Institute, Seattle, WA
  • Alessandro Rigolon, Associate Professor, Department of City & Metropolitan Planning, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
  • Kevin Roche, Chief of Staff, Fairmount Park Conservancy, Philadelphia, PA

City Parks Alliance Staff:

  • Gideon Berger, Program Director
  • Matt Carusona, Senior Program Consultant
  • Catherine Nagel, Executive Director
  • Frank Accosta, Lead Event Coordinator

Local Host Committee

City of Seattle, Office of the Superintendent, Seattle Parks and Recreation

  • Anthony-Paul (AP) Diaz, Superintendent and Director
  • Christopher Williams, Chief Deputy Superintendent and Chief of Staff
  • Jasmine Jose, Special Projects
  • Paula Hoff, Strategic Advisor and City Council Liaison
  • David Takami, Strategic Policy Advisor

Arboretum Foundation

  • Jane Stonecipher, Executive Director

Associated Recreation Council

  • Jackie Jainga Hyllseth, Executive Director
  • Sonia Doughty, Development Director

City of Bellevue, Parks & Community Services

  • Michael Shiosaki, Director

Downtown Seattle Association

  • Michael Johnson, Director, Parks & Public Space

Friends of Waterfront Seattle

  • Joy Shigaki, Executive Director
  • Eldon Tam, Chief Operating Officer
  • Yoon Kang O’Higgins, Director of Public Programs
  • Amanda Streams, Director of Park Experience and Operations

King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks

  • Warren Jimenez, Director
  • Heidi Kandathil, Special Projects

Launch

  • Angela Griffin, CEO
  • Laura Nicholson, Director of Operations

Museum of History and Industry

  • Leonard Garfield, Executive Director

Office of the Waterfront and Civic Projects

  • Marshall Foster, Director
  • Tiffani Melake, Waterfront Operations and Management Advisor

Olmsted Network

  • Dede Petri, President and CEO

Seattle Aquarium

  • Robert Davidson, President and CEO

Seattle Art Museum

  • Jeff Draeger, Chief Operating Officer

Seattle Audubon Society

  • Claire Catania, Executive Director

Seattle Center

  • Marshall Foster, Director
  • Rose Ann Lopez, Facilities, Planning and Operations Director

Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce

  • Rachel Smith, President and CEO

Seattle Office of Arts & Culture

  • Gülgün Kayim, Director

Seattle Office of Economic Development

  • Markham McIntyre, Interim Director

Seattle Office of Planning and Community Development

  • Rico Quirindongo, Director

Seattle Parks Foundation

  • Rebecca Bear, President and CEO
  • Lauren Daniels, Senior Manager of Marketing and Communications
  • Kristen Milliron, Vice President of Philanthropy, Marketing and Communications

Seward Park Audubon Center

  • Joseph Manson, Director

University of Washington Botanic Gardens

  • Christina Owen, Director

University of Washington College of the Environment

  • Maya Tolstoy, Dean

Visit Seattle

  • Kris LaFata, Destination & Convention Services Manager

Woodland Park Zoo

  • Rebecca Whitham, Vice President of Engagement

Washington State Parks

  • Ken & Linda Bounds, Vice Chairs