Mayor Mamdani appointed Tricia Shimamura the city’s new Parks Department commissioner on Saturday. Mamdani made the announcement outdoors amid a light snowfall in upper Manhattan at Highbridge Park, as he referenced a park-related lyric by Queens rapper MC Shan and quote by landscape architect Fre derick Law Olmsted. Shimamura’s new role will see her manage more than 30,000 acres of parkland, playgrounds, sports courts and beaches across the city. “She is an incredible New Yorker with a deep record of public service and a long-standing commitment to fighting for working people,” Mamdani said of the new Parks chief. “Tricia has served New Yorkers from nearly every level of government. She has worked as a social worker. She has worked for Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney as a deputy chief of staff.” The mayor said the city’s parks have been neglected and underfunded, calling on Shimamura — who was Manhattan borough Parks commissioner since March 2024, overseeing all aspects of the borough’s park services — to lead the charge as commissioner. Shimamura has more than 10 years of experience in public service, previously working as director of community affairs for former Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, plus chief of staff and district representative for former Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney. “Tricia knows that stewarding our parks means more than cutting the grass and tending to the trees,” Mamdani said. “It is a daily endeavor where parks leaders must work with local stakeholders to ensure that their needs are heard, to expand access to more New Yorkers, and to make these public resources truly belong to the public.” The top Parks post was previously held by Iris Rodriguez-Rosa since June 2025, whom Mamdani thanked for her service. Shimamura called her appointment an “honor.” Recalling her early years as a social worker in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, she noted how, even then, she was conscious how some of the hardscrabble areas she was working in lacked adequate green space to meet the community’s needs. “I knew then what I know today,” she said. “We have a responsibility as a city to do more. Mayor Mamdani has rightfully outlined a vision for a more affordable city where every New Yorker, not just the few, can grow and thrive, and where government works for the people. I deeply appreciate and understand that [the] Parks [Department] has a mandate to uphold and a critical role to play in the future of our city.” “As commissioner, I will work to ensure that our parks aren’t just free, but they’re engaging spaces that New Yorkers can be proud of,” Shimamura added. “We will hold every park to the same level of significance as we would our own backyard, because we know that that’s what we are.” ...read more read less