Commissioner’s Corner

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan (second from left) visited East 54th Street Recreation Center on February 16. Secretary Duncan played 3-on-3 basketball, used our fitness room, and spoke to teens at one of our afterschool programs.

Last Week at Parks:

Social Media Updates

We recently passed 20,000 Twitter followers and 10,000 Facebook fans (to be exact, we’re currently at 21,486 followers on Twitter and 12,548 fans on Facebook). This makes us one of the most popular city agencies in NYC and, to the best of our knowledge, the most followed municipal park agency worldwide. Just last week, I shared a picture of a visit I took to the new McCarren Pool on Twitter, and by the end of the day, we had reporters calling up and asking for more. Whether you have a funny story, a picture on your camera that you took out in the field, or just a great thing you’re doing that you’ve been dying to tell everyone, I want you to let us know. Please email our Social Media Coordinator, Ian Lefkowitz, at ian.lefkowitz@parks.nyc.gov with any tips or stories that you have, and we’ll be happy to share them!

Work Experience Orientation

POP (Parks Opportunity Program) and Borough Personnel staff have been very busy orienting new participants to our Work Experience Program (WEP). So far this calendar year, we have started 602 new trainees. POP is also administering services through three dedicated counselors, who are providing support to Work Experience trainees in addition to JTPs. These counselors are working in the field with Supervisors and Crew Chiefs to ensure our trainees have good attendance and a positive experience at the work site. They are also collecting recommendations for eligible Work Experience trainees to become JTPs at Parks.

Staff Spotlight

Mark Lilly started working with the Parks Department on May 16, 2011, as a Work Experience Participant (WEP). Mark spent over 30 years working in the private sector for large banks (Barclays Bank and the Bank of New York). After leaving the private sector in 2010, Mark fell on hard times and turned to public assistance for help. He was assigned to work at a senior center as a maintenance worker, where he worked for a few months before coming to Parks for his work assignment.

In the spring of 2011, Mark was assigned to Morningside Park as a Work Experience Trainee, under the supervision of Horticulture Trainer PS Joseph “Joe” Spano. Mark quickly learned the operations of the park and absorbed knowledge from his supervisors. Ten months later, he is now able to perform most duties like a seasoned horticulturist, including the designing and planting of flower beds, and performing plant and tree care and maintenance. According to PS Spano, “Mark was a true asset to us at Morningside Park…He is a self-motivated individual…and always puts 100% effort into every job he takes on.”

After working as a Work Experience trainee with Parks for 10 months, Mark Lilly was hired as a JTP in Queens in February, 2012. Congratulations, Mark! What a great example of how hard work and dedication pays off.

Sincerely,
Adrian Benepe

QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

“TV gives everyone an image, but radio gives birth
to a million images in a million brains.”

Peggy Noonan
(1950 - )

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