Adrian Benepe

Adrian Benepe
Benepe in 2022
Parks Commissioner of New York City
In office February 4, 2002 – August 29, 2012
Appointed by	Michael Bloomberg
Preceded by	Henry Stern
Succeeded by	Veronica M. White
Personal details
Born	(1957-03-08) March 8, 1957 (age 67)
Nationality	American
Spouse	Charlotte Glasser
Children	2
Residence(s)	New York, New York, U.S.
Alma mater	Middlebury College Columbia University
Occupation	Senior Vice President and Director of City Park Development for The Trust for Public Land

Adrian Benepe was the 14th Commissioner of the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, serving in that role from February 4, 2002, to August 29, 2012, under Mayor Michael Bloomberg.^[1] During his tenure, he oversaw 7,000 parks' staff, the expenditure of over $3 billion in funding park maintenance, the expansion of new parks across New York City, and the inclusion of schoolyards for public access after school.^[2][3][4]

After retiring from the Parks Department, Benepe joined The Trust for Public Land as Senior Vice President and Director of City Park Development, where he worked in parks advocacy and promotion of the 10-Minute Walk across the United States.^[5][6]

Early life and education

Benepe lived most of his life in Manhattan in New York City. He received a B.A. in English Literature from Middlebury College, Vermont, in 1979, and an M.A. in journalism at Columbia University in 1981,^[7] among many family members who attended the university.^[8]

Career

Benepe held numerous positions with the Urban Park Rangers in the New York City department of Parks and Recreation from 1979 to 1990. This included the ranger station in New York City's Central Park. He went on to work at the New York Botanical Garden, where, with a colleague, he developed the idea that became the annual winter train show. He then went to the Municipal Art Society.^[2]

Government and public service

Benepe was the Parks Commissioner for New York City from February 4, 2002, to August 29, 2012, the longest to serve in that position since Robert Moses.^[9]

During his tenure as Parks Commissioner, he oversaw The Gates, the public arts project from artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude and the public-private partnerships that led to the High Line Park and Brooklyn Bridge Park. It was also during his tenure that then Mayor Michael Bloomberg's PlaNYC started the ambitious project of building and renovating countless urban parks and green spaces for the increase in population across New York City.^[9]

Nonprofit service

After retiring from the Parks Department, Benepe continued working with urban parks at the nonprofit Trust for Public Land, where he became a senior vice president of city park development.^[10][11] It was there that work promoting a 10-Minute Walk to a park or green space for all people in the United States began.^[12]

On September 9, 2020, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden announced that it selected Benepe as its new president and CEO.^[13] In an email newsletter announcing the move, Brooklyn Botanic Garden board chair Diane Steinberg wrote that Benepe “is a visionary horticultural leader whose work embodies a belief that access to plants, green spaces, and nature should be available to all, especially neighborhoods and communities that have historically been neglected in urban planning.”^[14]

Personal life

Benepe is married to Charlotte Glasser, with whom he lives on the Upper West Side. They are the parents of two sons.^[15]

References

1. "New York City Parks Commissioners : NYC Parks". www.nycgovparks.org. Retrieved 2018-02-12.
2. Foderaro, Lisa W.; Hu, Winnie (2012-06-18). "Adrian Benepe, N.Y.C. Parks Chief, Quits to Join Trust for Public Land". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-02-19.
3. "Former Parks Commissioner Recalls Highs, Lows and Secrets of Central Park". MetroFocus. 2012-09-17. Retrieved 2018-02-12.
4. "A City Rich in Parks with Patches of Orange and Red". WNYC. Retrieved 2018-02-12.
5. "SF 1st city in nation with a park 10-minute walk from every home". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2018-01-30.
6. Vivanco, Leonor. "Chicago ranks 11th on list of U.S. cities with best parks". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2018-01-30.
7. "Former Parks Commissioner Recalls Highs, Lows and Secrets of Central Park". MetroFocus. 2012-09-17. Retrieved 2018-02-19.
8. McGinnis, Mara (Fall 2002). "The Guardian of Gotham's Gardens". www.columbia.edu. Columbia Magazine. Archived from the original on 14 March 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
9. Foderaro, Lisa W.; Hu, Winnie (18 June 2012). "Adrian Benepe, N.Y.C. Parks Chief, Quits to Join Trust for Public Land". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
10. Foderaro, Lisa W. (2017-06-06). "With 843 Acres Buffed, Central Park Leader Will Step Down". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-02-19.
11. "Talking parks with Adrian Benepe, senior vice president of The Trust for Public Land". Archinect. Retrieved 2018-02-19.
12. "ULI Partners on "10-Minute Walk" Campaign for Urban Parks - Urban Land Magazine". Urban Land Magazine. 2017-10-11. Retrieved 2018-02-19.
13. "Brooklyn Botanic Garden Selects Former NYC Park Commissioner Adrian Benepe As Its New President And CEO". Public. Retrieved 2020-09-09.
14. "An Important Message from BBG Board Chair, Diane Steinberg". Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Retrieved 2020-09-09.
15. Feuer, Alan (29 May 2009). "Commissioner Benepe Can't Relax in His Domain". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 February 2018.

Political offices
Preceded by Henry Stern	Parks Commissioner of New York City 2002– 2012	Succeeded by Veronica M. White