Brooklyn’s Prospect Park Alliance, the non-profit that operates the park, appointed former public housing executive director Morgan Monaco as their new president and administrator. Monaco is the first Black woman to hold this position.
“I’m honored to be the first Black woman to take over the helm and open space in a sector that continues to diversify,” said Monaco. “I’m humbled to be that beacon, and I hope that another young Black girl sees my picture and says, ‘you know what I never thought about going into open space service but maybe I will.’”
Monaco served in the city’s parks department under former Mayor Michael Bloomberg from 2007 to 2014 and under former Mayor Bill de Blasio from 2014 to 2020. She was director of the MillionTreesNYC Initiative and later director of stewardship for Forestry, Horticulture and Natural Resources. Monaco will be joining the Prospect Park Alliance team in December 2022. She is the first Black woman leader of the Alliance, further diversifying executive leadership within the open space sector. Monaco succeeds former President Sue Donoghue, who was appointed New York City Parks Commissioner by Mayor Eric Adams earlier this year.