UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation has a new leader: Upper East Sider Tricia Shimamura.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani appointed Shimamura as commissioner of the parks department on Saturday. Now, Shimamura will oversee more than 30,000 acres of public parkland in New York City, from green fields and playgrounds to forests and beaches.
“Under the leadership of Tricia Shimamura, our Parks Department will strive to make this a city that every New Yorker can afford to not just live in but enjoy,” Mamdani said of the appointment.
Shimamura, who lives on the Upper East Side with her husband Dov and their two sons, brings more than a decade of experience in public service, Mamdani said.
Shimamura currently serves as the Manhattan Borough Commissioner for NYC Parks Department, and before that, she was deputy chief of staff to Upper East Side Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney. She’s also served on Community Board 8 and as the director of government relations at Columbia University.
“Early in my career as a social worker, I saw firsthand how government fell short for working families and students — and how our public infrastructure too often mirrored those failures,” Shimamura said. “I have dedicated my career to building a city that truly serves working people and investing in infrastructure that reflects that commitment.”
As Manhattan Borough Commissioner, Shimamura led the agency’s on-the-ground response to the Inwood Hill Park fires in the fall of 2024 and oversaw the reopening of Phase 1 of East River Park. In Maloney’s administration, she spearheaded projects like investing in the East River Esplanade and completing Phase 1 of the Second Avenue Subway.
“As Parks Commissioner, I will ensure our parks are not only free, but welcoming, vibrant spaces that every New Yorker can be proud of,” Shimamura said.
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