Dear Friends,
Please forgive the email – I’d much prefer to talk to you all individually but I also wanted to tell you sooner rather than later and ran out of time. I want to let you know that I have accepted a new position at Partnerships for Parks, as Director of Outreach and will now be based in the Arsenal office. So, it’s not a goodbye as I am still here, involved with parks in Manhattan and overseeing the Outreach team, but my role will change.
Your new Outreach Coordinator (and Senior Outreach Coordinator for Manhattan) will be Chris Yandoli. Chris is wonderful and been with Partnerships for 3 years and brings a wealth of experience of assisting park stewards and groups and has a great sense of humor! He also has a background in gardening and has worked on the High Line and for New York Restoration Project. Chris starts next week and will send an email to introduce himself soon.
Though I’m sure to still see many of you from time to time, I wanted to tell you how much I’ve enjoyed getting to know you and your parks over the past 7 years. It’s been a pleasure to meet such dedicated, enthusiastic and community minded people and help with the wonderful work you do. The involvement you have in organizing activities, beautifying gardens, utilizing resources and being advocates/community leaders for your parks makes a big difference to improving your community. I was new to NYC when I started the job and I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to get to know the city through working with you and benefitting from your knowledge, experience and suggestions. I’ve made many friends and had such fun times and conversations and I look forward to many more of them!
So you are aware, we are currently short two outreach coordinators in Manhattan, though we hope to fill these positions soon in the new year. Please bear in mind that we will be stretched thin with less capacity until we fill these positions, as we do our best to help accommodate the entire borough. We appreciate your understanding. Below is a reminder of useful contact numbers for Parks/PFP staff who are also able to help with certain enquiries and issues.
For any park related questions and concerns:
Parks Manager for Districts 3 (community board 3) Terese Flores – 917 416 3205
Office for Districts 3, Park Supervisors- 212 219 0258
For Partnerships for Parks Capacity Grants enquiries: Lindsay Sierra | Grants and Resource Coordinator 212.602.5349 | LSierra@cityparksfoundation.org
For Partnerships Academy Workshops: Gloria L. Tate | Technical Assistance Coordinator for Leadership and Group Development 212.602.5342 | GTate@cityparksfoundation.org
Partnerships for Parks newsletter: it may be helpful to sign up for this if you don’t already receive it: CLICK HERE to subscribe to the Partnerships For Parks citywide e-newsletter
Thank you all again for your work and I hope to catch up with you soon.
Kirsti
Thank YOU Kirsti!
