
Currently, the President of the New York Botanical Garden, Adrian Benepe was formerly Senior Vice-President and Director of National Programs for The Trust for Public Land and former Commissioner of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (2002-2012). In his last tenure, he oversaw a major expansion of New York City’s park system by establishing a culture of collaboration involving community groups, the City and the private sector. He has an inspiring perspective on the value of this collaboration in planning and managing a park system that is responsive to community needs and city government responsibilities.