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Alicia Quirós
Urban Park Leadership Program
Director, Patronato del Parque Rufino y Olga Tamayo, A.C., San Pedro Garza García, N.L., Mexico
What drew you to the field of urban park management? What is the most gratifying aspect of your job?
I was invited to join a start-up dedicated to design new and renovate existing urban parks with community involvement. This led to my work with a new conservancy organization working to regenerate and preserve an iconic park in my city.
I´m grateful for new connections and relationships that make our community stronger and help us pursue the vision for the park.
Why did you choose the Urban Park Leadership Program, offered by the Central Park Conservancy and the CUNY School of Professional Studies?
It was important to me to analyze the best practices of the most successful parks. The transformation of Central Park and the more than 50 years of experience of park organizations in the United States was what convinced me to go for this program.
What is the most significant impact you will have on your park as a result of applying what you have gained from this program?
One of the most important factors that I´ve seen that works for other parks is the constant conversation they have with park users. I will try to replicate this, to come up with better solutions and find new opportunities for funding, programming, maintaining, and improving the park.
Tell us about your experience with completing the Leadership Program as a fully online experience.
It was a bit challenging not having the opportunity to meet in person. On the other hand, it was easier to schedule the sessions of the whole program.
What was your favorite unit in the program? Why?
What advice would you offer someone who is considering applying for the Urban Park Leadership Program?
Try to share as much as you can with the program facilitators and cohorts to find new opportunities for your organization.