The Madison Square Park Conservancy has announced former HUD and Empire State Development Corporation leader Holly Leicht as its next Executive Director. 

Leicht comes to the position with over 25 years of experience in urban planning and open space initiatives. She steps into office on September 6th and is replacing current Executive Director Keats Myer, who has served in the role for a decade.

The Conservancy has enjoyed a well-received slate of programming of late, including Maya Lin’s haunting Ghost Forest installation, Hugh Hayden’s send-up of educational hierarchies called Brier Patch, and Cristina Iglesias’ evocative Landscape and Memory, which has been on view since early June.

Leicht said she is “looking forward to deepening [the Conservancy’s] commitment to sustainability” and felt that the role would be a continuation of her work building resilience in communities statewide. She is credited with managing a combined $21 billion in redevelopment efforts in the wake of Hurricane Sandy and has been involved in the recent High Line expansion, ongoing Penn Station modernization and development of SOM’s new Daniel Patrick Moynihan Train Hall, and the creation of a new Civil Rights museum for the National Urban League by Beyer Blinder Belle, among other major projects. 

With the ESD, she was part of a team that researched re-use possibilities for surplus public properties in coordination with local stakeholders. She is also credited with the redevelopment of Belmont Park and had previously been involved in many affordable housing and open space efforts through her past work as chair of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation and Executive Director of the group New Yorkers for Parks between 2011 and 2014.

“The park’s horticulture and art programs provide endless opportunities not just to create a sustainable 6.2-acre oasis in the middle of New York City but also to provide real-life lessons in how all of us can make a difference, how we are all accountable for doing our part for our green spaces, for our city, and for our planet,” Leicht said in a press statement.

“The last ten years have been exciting ones for the Conservancy as we’ve grown, evolved, and launched new initiatives aimed at preserving, protecting, and beautifying the park and our broader community,” Keats Myer said of the organization's new direction. “With all of this achieved and more recent efforts underway, it feels like an opportune moment to hand over the reins to someone who will bring the fresh vision needed to propel the Conservancy into its next era of evolution. I feel confident that Holly is just the right person for the job and look forward to seeing what comes next.”