Central Park Conservancy Names New Leader

CENTRAL PARK, NY — The Central Park Conservancy, an organization that runs and maintains all of Central Park, has named its new leader.

Elizabeth Smith will take over as the conservancy's chief executive effective March 1, 2018, the organization announced Wednesday. Smith, who also goes by "Betsy," assumes the role after the retirement of longtime head Doug Blonsky.

"Betsy is a dedicated advocate of urban parks in general and Central Park in particular," Thomas Kempner, chair of the Central Park Conservancy's board, said in a statement. "After conducting an extensive search, it was clear to the Board and to me that Betsy’s impressive management, government, philanthropic, and parks experience makes her uniquely qualified to lead the Central Park Conservancy ― and continue to increase the impact of its mission in the future."

Smith previously served as an assistant commissioner to the city Parks Department during the tenure of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, according to a press release. During her time at the department, Smith was responsible for all major special events on City parkland as well as an the department's portfolio of parks conservancies and other public-private partnerships.

“I am so pleased at the prospect of working with the superb team whom I have known and admired for many years. Their work to restore Central Park has made it one of the most impactful cultural institutions in the City and one of the most beloved urban landscapes in the world," Betsy Smith said in a statement.

The Central Park Conservancy was founded in 1980 to take over operations at Manhattan's most notable park. Since it's founding, the organization has invested nearly $1 billion into projects at the park and has overseen day-to-day maintenance on park grounds.

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