Mayor Zohran Mamdani will on Saturday appoint Tricia Shimamura, currently a borough commissioner in the Parks Department, to lead the agency, according to officials. 

She will replace Iris Rodriguez-Rosa, who was appointed commissioner last year after nearly 40 years in the Parks Department. 

Mayor Mamdani praised Shimamura’s ability to listen to New Yorkers to find ways to make the city’s parks as enjoyable as possible.

“Our city’s parks embody the promise of public spaces — they’re where childhood memories are formed, where leisure can be found, where I got to hone my soccer skills (or lack thereof) throughout school, and most importantly where the greatness of our city is within so many New Yorker’s reach,” he said in a statement. 

“I’m excited to be announcing the appointment of a Parks Commissioner who has spent her career showing up, and listening to communities across our city.”

Shimamura became the Manhattan borough commissioner for the Parks Department in March 2024, after leading community affairs for former Manhattan borough president Mark Levine. 

She previously worked in community relations at Columbia University and in various roles for former Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Manhattan), according to her LinkedIn. She ran for City Council in 2021 and was also a social worker. 

The city’s Parks Department encompasses over 30,000 acres of land — everything from miles of beaches and oceanfront to playgrounds, forests and pedestrian plazas.

During the final general election debate, Mamdani promised to allocate at least 1% of the city’s budget to the agency, which currently receives .6% of the city’s more than $117 billion budget. 

Parks advocates have urged the mayor to commit to the increased funding in his first preliminary budget that is due at the end of this month. 

“As the Mamdani administration advances its affordability agenda, increasing the Parks Department budget is essential,” Adam Ganser, the executive director for New Yorkers for Parks, said earlier this week in response to a New York Times reader poll that showed overwhelming support for more money for parks. 

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