Welcoming Spaces: Betsy Smith on Long-Term Vision, Public Service, and Seeing Things Through
Betsy Smith, President & CEO of the Central Park Conservancy.
By Julia Gamolina
Betsy Smith has served as President & CEO of the Central Park Conservancy since 2018, guiding the Conservancy in its efforts to preserve Central Park’s essential purpose as a retreat from the pressures of City life, and to elevate the profile of the Conservancy as the Park’s primary steward and an anchor institution critical to the health and vibrancy of the City. In her interview with Julia Gamolina, Betsy talks about keeping her eye on long-term goals and steps towards real change for communities, advising those just starting their careers to be open to a wide range of opportunities.
JG: I read that with Central Park’s forty-year restoration largely complete, your focus is now on the long-term sustainability of both the Park and its purpose as a retreat from the pace and pressures of city life. Tell me about this -- what are you focusing on for 2025? What should all of us reading be thinking about most?
BS: Now, more than ever, we need public spaces to work for New Yorkers. For Central Park, this means continuing its more than a century and a half of being the ultimate respite and solace from the stress of city life for New Yorkers and visitors. It’s one of the reasons why the Central Park Conservancy exists, to protect this core purpose of Central Park, which is used by tens of millions of visitors annually. The other reason is to continue investing in the City of New York to ensure it remains an attractive, vibrant metropolis that people flock to.
I’m focused on several key initiatives for 2025. The first is the timely completion of the Davis Center at the Harlem Meer, which is our largest ever project. When we cut the ribbon in April, it will be a new, year-round destination for the community. Unlike other pools in the city, which lie fallow most of the year, we have engineered a deck system that allows it to change with the seasons – a pool in the summer, a skating rink in the winter, and an open green in the shoulder months. The programming focus will be on funding free and low-cost activities, particularly expanding children and adult Learn-to-Swim classes for Harlem residents.
Additionally, in collaboration with NYC Parks and NYC DOT, we have just begun a major project to re-imagine and repave the entire, six-mile loop road at the center of the Park, known as the Parks Drives. We are re-engineering and re-designing the Drives so that pedestrians, runners, cyclists, and others can share the road with each other more safely.
The Loch, known for its three waterfalls, is the long, narrow watercourse that flows through the Ravine in the North Woods. As part of the new Davis Center’s landscape reconfiguration, the design includes reconnecting the watercourse to flow from the Ravine and into the Meer. Courtesy of the Central Park Conservancy.
One of the most peaceful spots in the Park, the Ravine’s soaring trees block out the surrounding cityscape and the sounds of small waterfalls muffle other signs of urban life. Park designers Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux drew inspiration for this woodland landscape from the Catskills and the Adirondacks. Courtesy of the Central Park Conservancy.
In early spring, the Kwanzan flowering cherry trees along the west side of the Reservoir bloom with deep pink flowers. These trees were part of a 1912 gift to the people of the United States made by the Mayor of Tokyo. Courtesy of the Central Park Conservancy.
As a runner on that drive, I have to say I appreciate this! Now let's go back a little bit — you got a BA in American Studies at Scripps! Why this focus and what were you hoping to do in the world?
I had always been interested in American history and especially American literature, so majoring in American studies was perfect for me. Also flying across the country from New York to California several times a year, and looking down at the expanse of the country, fueled my curiosity about the American experience. But, I knew that the topic was never going to be a vocational focus. College for me was about learning to think, read, reason and communicate — and to have fun! I believe that studying the liberal arts helps people think clearly and independently. Those are life skills.
Tell me about your most significant work experiences prior to joining the Conservancy. What did you learn that you still apply today?
The first twenty-five years of my professional life was spent in the world of finance, starting at JP Morgan right out of college. But the most significant decision of my career was going to work for Mike Bloomberg when he was elected Mayor of the City of New York. He was a visionary public servant, not to mention a hugely successful businessman and philanthropist, and it was exciting to join his dedicated team of professionals, many of whom, like me, had never been public servants.
We were all on a mission to make the City a better place — more efficient, more sustainable and more vibrant, especially in the early years of recovery after 9/11. I learned that appointing independent and experienced people to government roles can make a tremendous difference to the efficient management of the public sector. I am still in that world, and I still believe that!
“When there is high anxiety, politically and socially as there is now, people need beautiful, neutral and welcoming spaces. In New York, that is often our parks. And Central Park is an outsized example of that.”
How did your role at Central Park come about for you over seven years ago?
Prior to joining the Central Park Conservancy, I served as an Assistant Commissioner of NYC Parks under Mayor Bloomberg, responsible for the many private sector initiatives on public parkland. This included encouraging the creation of public-private partnerships to engage the public in their local parks. The Central Park Conservancy was by far the largest of these partnerships and I became very familiar with Central Park itself. I joined the Conservancy’s Board of Trustees when I left the Bloomberg Administration. When my predecessor retired, it seemed like a golden opportunity and a natural next step to transition to overseeing the entire organization.
How has the organization evolved in this time, and how have you evolved with it?
In the last seven years, with the support of our Board of Trustees, we have greatly expanded our operational and philanthropic capabilities to tackle even bigger challenges facing New York. For example, the re-envisioning of the Davis Center would have been nearly impossible even a decade ago. The Conservancy would not have been able to raise $160 million to make the project a reality, but by building on our capabilities, we now have the expertise to see construction through to completion, and to deliver a design that meets the community’s needs.
I too have grown with the Conservancy, especially in developing a greater appreciation for the need to attract talented people and to establish financial sustainability. Both these areas are what drive our success and our future ability to deliver on our mission. I have learned on the job that great people make a great organization. It sounds obvious but I grew to really appreciate its critical importance to our success.
Located on the north shore of the Harlem Meer, the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center hosts numerous environmental education programs throughout the year. Courtesy of the Central Park Conservancy.
Betsy Smith joined the design and construction teams at The Davis Center for a site visit, getting a first look at how the project is coming to life. Courtesy of the Central Park Conservancy.
Looking back at it all, what have been the biggest challenges? How did you both manage through perceived disappointments or setbacks?
Like many New Yorkers, I think one of the most challenging times for the Conservancy was the COVID-19 pandemic. The importance of Central Park took on a new meaning for New Yorkers. Everyone really became attuned to the huge value of the Park at a time when other public spaces weren’t available and people were restricted to just their homes.
We saw an explosion of activity and new uses — people from every walk of life and every borough clamoring to the Park and using it for meetings, picnics, dinners, exercise, connections, and more. This brought logistic challenges as we grappled with preventing the Park from being “loved to death.” It was a trying time! But we knew how important the Park was to millions of people, and we were determined to keep it true to its purpose as a respite from the stress of living in New York, especially during that time.
I spent a lot of my time during the pandemic at the park — “picnic-hopping” was a big thing on the weekends! What have you also learned in the last six months?
When there is high anxiety, politically and socially as there is now, people need beautiful, neutral and welcoming spaces. In New York, that is often our parks. And Central Park is an outsized example of that.
Also, you have to keep your ”eye on the ball” which in my case is always remembering the long term goals we have set out to accomplish. It is so easy to be distracted by little problems or respond to endless complaints. You can spend a lot of time on these things, particularly when everyone seems so worried. It is important to be responsive, but some part of you always needs to focus on the future.
“No matter what you do, you will meet people and learn things; those are the most important things in the early days of a career. Look for good people and go work for them.”
Who are you admiring now and why?
I am admiring all the heads of cultural institutions which are facing pressures of attendance and fundraising. It is a tough job, but New York relies on their vibrancy. Along with that, I am also admiring career public servants who have to weather shifting political winds.
What is the impact you’d like to have on the world? What is your core mission? And, what does success in that look like to you?
Like those that I admire most, I hope that in the midst of pressures and noise, I’m able to be seen as a leader who focused on the long term goals of our organization that made real change to improve the communities we serve.
The Conservatory Garden is Central Park’s formal garden and one of the most significant public gardens in New York City. Its six acres are well-known for plantings of tulips, lilacs, crabapple trees, summer perennials, and chrysanthemums. Courtesy of the Central Park Conservancy.
The Untermyer Fountain, featuring a bronze cast of Walter Schott’s Three Dancing Maidens, is a memorial to the lawyer and civic leader Samuel Untermyer (1858–1940) and his wife, cultural patroness and suffragist Minnie Untermyer (1859–1924). It is located in the northern section of the Conservatory Garden. Courtesy of the Central Park Conservancy.
The Central Park Conservancy hosted a staff breakfast to celebrate the team that keeps Central Park an oasis in the middle of the City, caring for the beloved 843 acres every day of the year. Courtesy of the Central Park Conservancy.
Finally, what advice do you have for those starting their career? Would your advice be any different for women?
My advice to those starting their careers is just to dive in and be open to a wide range of opportunities. No matter what you do, you will meet people and learn things; those are the most important things in the early days of a career. Look for good people and go work for them.
And with regard to women, I have a message I have often given to the many young women who have worked with, and for me: Hang in there! Young women in particular are especially vulnerable to feeling overwhelmed by the pressures of motherhood and child rearing, of trying to balance home and work. But if at all possible, stay in the game! Because making something happen, or making something better, or taking on a professional challenge and seeing it though, is tremendously rewarding and will very likely give you a special kind of confidence and optimism in your life that comes with juggling it all.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.