PARK PRIDE ANNOUNCES NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Atlanta, GA – August 9, 2013 – Park Pride has named Michael Halicki as the nonprofit’s new executive director. With an 18-year career in communications, public policy and nonprofit management, Halicki is an experienced leader in Georgia’s nonprofit environmental community.  Halicki will use his expertise to lead the Park Pride team to improve parks in Atlanta and DeKalb County.

"Michael's experience with sustainability issues, nonprofit management and his stellar reputation in our community makes him the perfect leader for Park Pride as we prepare for our 25th anniversary in 2014,” said Matt Gove, Park Pride’s board president. “We are lucky to have him and are confident Michael will drive a real and sustained impact on the state of parks in Atlanta and DeKalb."

Halicki comes to Park Pride from Southface, an Atlanta-based nonprofit supporting green building and sustainable design, where he served as the organization’s first chief operating officer, leading their strategic planning efforts and establishing organizational policies that directly contributed to the nonprofit’s growth. He also acted as host of the Sustainable Atlanta Roundtable, a monthly forum in Atlanta that encourages dialogue on a wide range of sustainability-related topics.  Halicki begins his role with Park Pride later this month.  His official start date is August 26.

Prior to Southface, Halicki held senior leadership roles for two well-known Georgia-based environmental nonprofits, the Clean Air Campaign and the Georgia Conservancy, and worked as a senior consultant at Ahmann, a public policy communications firm. John Ahmann, owner of the organization, said of Halicki, “He combines deep passion, a strong work ethic, keen analytical abilities, a highly collaborative manner and an ability to communicate to get things done.  I have no doubt that Park Pride will benefit from Michael’s leadership.”

Halicki earned his graduate degree in nonprofit management from Georgia State’s Andrew Young School of Policy Studies.  He is a graduate of the Regional Leadership Institute and is a currently a member of 2013 Class of the Institute for Georgia Environmental Leadership.

“I am excited to join the exceptional staff, board and volunteers of Park Pride,” said Michael Halicki, Park Pride’s new executive director. “Working together, we will give new meaning to Park Pride’s call for more and better parks.”

Park Pride’s Year of Success

2013 has been a productive year for Park Pride as it begins the countdown to its 25th Anniversary, and Michael Halicki’s expertise will further bolster the strengths of the existing team.  Park Pride has made significant progress this year advancing its mission by providing programs, funding and leadership to engage communities in developing parks and greenspaces.

To date in 2013, Park Pride has:

·         awarded $235,500 to four Atlanta metro parks to complete projects developed through the Park Pride Visioning Program,

·         conducted grant workshops to educate groups on how to compose a successful grant proposal for park improvements, and will award approximately $500,000 in grants this fall to several “Friends of the Park” groups to complete those proposed projects,

·         coordinated over 8,000 hours of volunteer work on 57 projects throughout the metro Atlanta area,

·         organized seven new “Friends of the Park” groups to help communities improve their neighborhood parks, bringing the total number of active “Friends” partnerships to 81,

·         completed three “visioning” projects through 43 meetings with community members and stakeholders.

The demolition of an abandoned apartment building that hindered the expansion of the Vine City Park was a major milestone for the Park Pride team. In 2005, the space was overgrown with kudzu and contained several abandoned homes; Park Pride worked together with the community to transform it into a cornerstone of the neighborhood complete with a playground, grilling area, shade trees and lawn space. The demolition of the large remaining building in July, 2013 was coordinated by Park Pride, and has cleared the way for more park space whose use will be determined through a series of community “visioning” workshops lead by the Park Pride Visioning Team. The projected date for the total park completion is October, 2013.

About Park Pride:

Founded in 1989, Park Pride is the only organization that works with communities all over Atlanta and DeKalb to improve their parks. The nonprofit engages communities through volunteer projects, community gardens, community-led park redesigns and by receiving grants for their parks. Park Pride is active in greenspace advocacy and educating both civic leaders and the general public about the benefits of parks. The organization also hosts the Annual Parks and Greenspace Conference, which attracts professionals and park advocates from across the United States, that will be held on Monday, March 31st 2014. Learn more about Park Pride at www.parkpride.org.