Dr. Isabel Wade, Executive Director of the Neighborhood Parks Council (NPC), created this organization in 1996 in an effort to "take back" the parks, which have suffered decline due to budget cuts. NPC has grown to include 120+ park groups and 4,000 park volunteers, who have joined forces on behalf of their local parks. NPC provides a critical link among San Francisco citizens, neighborhood parks and city government. Groups sponsor work days and special events to directly improve the condition and usage of their parks. In March 2000, Dr. Wade and NPC spearheaded a coalition of other non-profits, including San Francisco Planning and Urban Research (SPUR), San Francisco Beautiful, Coleman Advocates for Youth, and Friends of Recreation and Parks, to organize a highly visible campaign to pass two ballot initiatives that would begin and continue the restoration of city parks and the acquisition of open space. Proposition A, a $110 million bond measure to pay for the renovation and acquisition of neighborhood parks and recreation centers, and Proposition C, a 30-year extension of the Open Space Fund including a new oversight committee and management reforms, were both passed with strong support by the people of San Francisco.
Previously, in conjunction with San Francisco Planning and Urban Research (SPUR), Dr. Wade and NPC tackled broader policy issues through the formation of the Community Parks Task Force in October, 1997, which was comprised of over 200 leading civic and community leaders, foundations and city staff. Convinced that increasing funding for the park system alone will not stem the long-term decline of the parks, Dr. Wade and the Task Force created a system-wide vision for the future by recommending innovative ways to improve management, and generate revenue for parks and ensure ongoing commitment from the public and civic and political leaders.
In 1993, Dr. Wade received one of the first national awards for excellence in the environmental field from Good HouseKeeping Magazine. She founded the State of California's Urban Forestry Program in 1977 under Governor Jerry Brown; was the first President of San Francisco Friends of the Urban Forest; founder of the California Releaf Program at the Trust for Public Land and a co-founder of the National AIDS Memorial Grove in Golden Gate Park. Dr. Wade served on the Commission on the Environment for the City of San Francisco from 1994-1996. She has a doctorate in Environmental Planning from the University of California at Berkeley and is a resident of San Francisco and Sonoma, California.
Meredith Thomas, Program Director
Meredith oversees the execution of programs at NPC including park group outreach, advocacy, fiscal sponsorship, ParkScan.org and the Playground Initiative. Recently, Meredith lead the Friends of Balboa Park Playground through the challenging process of enacting a major capital improvement project- the total renovation of the playground- in conjunction with the Recreation and Parks Department.
Meredith believes that collaboration between park advocates and the City is essential for driving improvement and maintaining high standards for our neighborhood parks.
Prior to joining NPC in 2007, Meredith was the Land Conservation Program Associate at the Pacific Forest and Watershed Lands Stewardship Council. In that position, she worked to preserve more than 140,000 acres of watershed lands in California through stakeholder engagement and policy development. Having begun her career in the Nature Trail Program at the San Francisco Zoo at the age of twelve, Meredith spent more than seventeen years as a volunteer, intern and staff member culminating in her position as an animal keeper. During her time at the zoo, Meredith participated in the 1993 transition from City to private management, the 1997 passage of the infrastructure bond and was a member of the Teamsters union.
Meredith lives in the Lower Haight and is excited to be so deeply linked to amazing community networks in neighborhoods across San Francisco. Meredith holds a Bachelors of Science in Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology from UC Davis and a Masters of Arts in Environmental Business Relations from San Francisco State University.
Chloe Good, Outreach Coordinator
Chloe Good joined NPC after managing conservation grants for the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. She graduated from Columbia University with a Bachelor’s degree in Urban Studies focused on Environmental Science. Chloe completed her senior thesis research on urban parks, comparing the management structures of Central Park in New York City to the Xochimilco Ecological Zone in Mexico City. While at Columbia, Chloe advocated for improved Health Services at Columbia and helped start an environmental consulting group.
Karin Edwards, Open Space Task Force Coordinator
Karin joined NPC as an intern in Spring 2007, and has now been hired as permanent staff. While working towards her master’s degree in public policy at the Goldman School at UC Berkeley (which she completed last spring), Karin focused her studies on the economics of public goods and creating sustainable communities, and conducted a study for NPC on the economic value of parks in San Francisco. For the past year and a half, she has worked with Rails-to-Trails Conservancy to help launch the Richmond Greenway project. Karin has also consulted for the Department of Water Resource’s Division of Planning on the California Water Plan Update. Prior to returning to school, she worked for Trek Bicycle Corporation at the Tour de France and continues to be an avid cyclist. Karin, who spent her childhood in Japan and Europe, holds a BA in Environmental Studies from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Luiz joined NPC in July as our Program Assistant. He graduated from Humboldt State University with a BA in Political Science and worked at a non-profit clinic in Arcata after college. This experience led him pursue a Master's Degree in Public Administration at SFSU, with an emphasis on non-profit management. He has lived in the Bay Area for 6 months, and he looks forward to getting involved in the community that he now calls home.
Som Pourfarzaneh, Administrative Assistant
Som joined NPC in January as an Administrative Assistant, and has work experience in corporate Administration and Finance. He completed a B.A. in Integrative Biology at UC Berkeley in 2003, and his studies led him to pursue a M.A. in Religious Leadership for Social Change at Starr King School for the Ministry in 2007. He is excited about community leadership and social justice, and being part of the nonprofit community.
Molly Buchsieb, Executive/Development Assistant
Molly joined NPC in January as our Executive/Development Assistant. She graduated from the University of Michigan with a BA in Literature and Secondary Education, and spent a semester in Ecuador teaching English and Environmental Education. She is currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Public Administration at SFSU, with an emphasis in Urban Administration. She lives in the Outer Sunset, and he looks forward to helping to support our neighborhood parks.
CURRENT INTERNS
Kristal Ip, Open Space 2100 Intern
Kristal joined NPC late September 2007. A Bay Area native and recent graduate of the University of California, San Diego, she holds a BA in Communications and a double minor in Urban Studies and Planning and Theatre and Dance. This past summer Kristal interned with the National Park Service at the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, and was formerly an Alcatraz tour guide, theatre manager, concert assistant, and camp director. Next fall she hopes to begin pursuing a Master's degree in Urban Design, and in her free time, she can usually be found studying for the GRE or rock climbing.
Carissa Look, Open Space 2100 Intern
Carissa came to NPC in late September 2007. She is a recent graduate of The Colorado College, where she studied Environmental Science and French. Carissa hails from the island of Martha¹s Vineyard, where she first came to love open space. Before NPC, Carissa worked on the Colorado College State of the Rockies Project. She has also worked as a camp counselor and taxi driver. Carissa plans to pursue a Master¹s degree in Urban and Regional Planning. In her spare time she can be found in her garden, at the beach, on her bike, or planning her next big trip.
STEERING COMMITTEE
NPC maintains an active steering committee comprised of park advocates from across the City who serve to inform policy and advocacy work for the organization. To read the members' bios, click here.
