The Board of Directors of Fairmount Park Conservancy is pleased to announce Maura McCarthy, Ph.D., as our new Executive Director beginning November 1, 2019.
For the past 13 years, Maura has been the Executive Director of Friends of the Wissahickon. During her tenure there, she and her staff have developed innovative long-term strategies for managing the Wissahickon’s habitat and infrastructure with the goal of ensuring a welcoming, safe and ecologically healthy park for everyone.
“We feel very fortunate to have found a leader who understands our vision and the strategic, collaborative work necessary to achieve it,” said John Gattuso, Board President of Fairmount Park Conservancy. “We know that Maura will build on the forward momentum Fairmount Park Conservancy has accomplished over the past two decades, and under her leadership we will continue to transform our region’s park system into an excellent open space resource for all Philadelphians and future generations.”
A native to the Philadelphia region, Maura has a strong record of public service. She currently serves on the Green City, Clean Waters Steering Committee for Philadelphia Water Department and was a member of Mayor Jim Kenney’s Transition Team on Environment & Sustainability.
“I see this move to Fairmount Park Conservancy as the opportunity to continue the work I’ve been doing on a citywide scale,” said Maura of her new position as Executive Director. “I am genuinely excited about being part of the Conservancy’s mission to build equity through the maintenance, improvement, and activation of Philadelphia’s amazing parks.”
She holds a Doctorate of Philosophy in Social Anthropology from the University of Oxford and a Bachelor of Arts from New York University. She also received a Certificate in Performance Measurement for Effective Management of Nonprofit Organizations from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.
We are grateful to Tim Clair for his leadership over the last several months and are excited to welcome Maura on November 1st.
Read the full press release here.
