Friends Leadership Council Deepens Friends Group Connections Across the State
Becoming a member of a Friends group takes passion, dedication, and a drive to ensure your chosen site thrives now and into the future. It also creates access to a plethora of resources and a vast, growing network of similarly-dedicated folks.
Friends groups are a critical piece of the people infrastructure supporting New York's state parks, historic sites, greenways, environmental education centers, and other state-owned public lands. With 80+ Friends groups caring for our green spaces across the Empire State, these grassroots organizations have a lot to learn from one another. This year, the Friends Leadership Council saw an opportunity to bring these groups together in a meaningful way, successfully launching 3 regional gatherings across the state.
These gatherings have provided opportunities for Friends to learn best practices from guest speakers, connect with agency staff, and collaborate with other Friends groups in their region. Receiving glowing reviews from participants, it looks like these networking opportunities have potential to become an annual Leadership Council-hosted event.
More details about each event (and photos!) can be found below. If you’re interested in joining a Friends group, or being part of the Friends Leadership Council, please reach out to PTNY at friends@ptny.org. We are committed to growing and supporting the stewards of our beloved parks, trails, and public lands.
Western New York Leadership Council Networking Event: 10/4 @ Knox Farm State Park
The Knox Farm networking event was hosted by the Friends Leadership Council Western New York representatives: Kathleen York from the Friends of Knox Farm, Michael Riccio from Artpark, Patti Sullivan from the Friends of Hamlin Beach State Park, and Carol Rathbun from the Friends of Letchworth State Park.
Friends groups from Western New York joined the Council for a half-day program that offered:
- Exclusive partner updates for New York State Park’s Centennial Celebration with NY State Parks representative Patrick Yacco and Parks & Trails New York’s Grant Manager, Jonathan Duda
- PTNY-sponsored free lunch
- Round-robin discussion to target peer learning and connection opportunities: "What is one area that your organization excels at? What is one area that you struggle with?"
The event was held in the mansion at Knox Farm State Park. Participating guests got the opportunity to tour Knox Farm's amazing grounds, mansion, and guest house at this gem of a site in East Aurora, NY.
Long Island and NYC Leadership Council Networking Event: 10/11 @ Caumsett State Historic Park Preserve
Caumsett State Historic Park Preserve welcomed our Long Island and NYC Friends Leadership Council representatives: Janet Barone from the Caumsett Foundation, Janet Marie Soley from the Friends of Connetquot, Cynthia Shor from the Walt Whitman Birthplace Association, and Rob Basch from Hunters Point Parks Conservancy.
Friends group members from the region were offered:
- Tour of Caumsett State Park Preserve
- Introduction by Parks & Trails NY and Centennial Celebration Projects
- Professional Presentations:
- “How to Win Over Sponsors” by Devon Giordano, Associate Director of Development, The Nature Conservancy NY
- “How to Improve Your Membership and Communication through Social Media” by Elizabeth Fiore, Shine Social Media
- “How to Receive Assistance from your Local Legislators” by Kara Hahn-Deputy Regional Director of Long Island and former Suffolk County Legislator-
- Networking opportunities with small bites for sustenance
Saratoga/ Capital Region Leadership Council Networking Event: 11/2 @ Fort William Henry Hotel in Lake George
The Saratoga/Capital Region event was generously hosted by Friends Leadership Council Representatives from the area: John DiNuzzo from Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance, Mary Knutson from the Friends of Moreau Lake State Park, Ben Kemp from the Friends of Grant Cottage, and Martha Swan from John Brown Lives!
This event's theme was Cooperation, Collaboration and Communication, and featured two guest presenters:
- Lisa Polay (Regional Historic Site Supervisor) on Calendar and Other Strategies for Improving Communication and Collaboration
- Nancy Dwyer (Regional Commissioner and Friends member of Friends of Moreau Lake State Park) on Cooperation, Communication and Collaboration
Groups also had the opportunity to share knowledge and discuss ways to create better opportunities for communication and collaboration within their groups and surrounding communities, with New York park or site staff and managers, and throughout their region as a whole.
The event began after a generous tour of the Lake George Battlefield and new Visitor Interpretive Center offered by the Friends of Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance.The beautiful sights didn't stop with launch of the gathering, though, as participants were wowed by the lakeview Lion's Room in the Fort William Henry Hotel and Conference Center, nestled in the heart of Lake George.
Groups across the Saratoga/Capital Region have already begun to collaborate on program ideas for New York State Park's Centennial Celebration in 2024, and the 250th anniversary of the Revolutionary War in 2025.
About the Friends Leadership Council
Parks & Trails New York launched a pilot initiative in 2021 to develop a steering committee of Friends groups to deepen and broaden opportunities for sharing of best practices, networking, and building the breadth and depth of Friends groups across NYS. Dubbed the Friends Leadership Council, this advisory committee strives to strengthen Friends organizations, enhancing stewardship of New York state parks, historic sites, and public lands.
The Council is currently made up of 17 members from different Friends groups across the state:
- Joshua Marnell, Friends of Fillmore Glen
- Joe Grimaldi, Friends of Fort Crailo
- Martha Swan, John Brown Lives!
- Janet Barone, The Caumsett Foundation
- Kathleen York, Friends of Knox Farm State Park
- Carol Rathbun, Friends of Letchworth State Park
- Rob Basch, Hunter's Point Park Conservancy
- Diane Chepko-Sade, Friends of Mexico Point State Park
- Cynthia Shor, Walt Whitman Birthplace Association
- Jessika Creedon, Rockefeller State Park Preserve
- Ben Kemp, Friends of Grant Cottage
- Janey Marie Soley, Friends of Connetquot
- John DiNuzzo, Lake George Battlefield Alliance
- Erik Fyfe, Stony Kill Foundation
- Mary Knutson, Friends of Moreau State Park
- Sonia Clark, Artpark & Company
- Patti Sullivan, Friends of Hamlin Beach State Park
To learn more, check out the Friends Group Gateway, powered by Parks & Trails New York.