The Parks and Recreation Commission (PaRC) is an advisory board for Philadelphia Parks & Recreation. PaRC works with the public to find the best ideas for preserving and improving Philadelphia’s historical, cultural, environmental, and recreational resources and programs.
PaRC holds several public meetings a year in neighborhoods throughout Philadelphia. For exact time and location of future meetings, visit the Parks and Recreation Commission Facebook page.
For questions, concerns, and comments, please submit your remarks to: parksandrecreationcommission@phila.gov.
Please note that unless comments/letters/emails directed to the Commission qualify as confidential under the Pennsylvania Right to Know Act or other relevant statutes, they will be made publicly available upon request.
Mission
The mission of the PaRC is to help Parks & Rec become the nation’s leader in the park and recreation field. To do so, the commission:
- Promotes opportunities for our city’s park and recreational spaces and their users.
- Develops and adopts written, enforceable standards and guidelines for park and recreation land and facilities.
- Makes recommendations to expand and diversify revenue options for recreational and capital expenditures.
- Assists in promoting, supporting, and enhancing the image of parks and recreational facilities and programs.
Structure of the Commission
PaRC is made up of 15 members. Nine are appointed by the mayor from nominations made by City Council and six serve ex officio, including:
- President of City Council
- Executive director of the City Planning Commission
- Water commissioner
- Streets commissioner
- Public property commissioner
- Parks & Rec commissioner
Each highly qualified member, appointed at the beginning of every mayoral term, has demonstrated skills and knowledge about park and recreation matters.
PaRC members
Raed Nasser (Chair) is a data platform engineer at Broadview Networks. He serves on the board of directors for the Martin Luther King Plaza Homeowners’ Association and as co-chair of the Friends of Hawthorne Park. Nasser is also the past president of the Hawthorne Empowerment Coalition board of directors.
Gregory J. Allen is Director of Foundation and Government Relations at the Vetri Community Partnership and a development consultant for GJA PHD Consulting and Development.
Michael Froehlich, Managing Attorney at Community Legal Services, he serves on the board of directors for Cedar Park Neighbors, Shakespeare in Clark Park, and UC Green, and is a co-founder of the West Philly Tool Library.
Jean Marie Kouassi is the president of Palms Solutions, a.k.a. African Francophone Diaspora Global Initiative. He is the chair of Sports and co-chair of the Housing Committee for the Mayor’s Commission for African and Caribbean Affairs, a consultant for Women’s Campaign International, and a board member for Friends of Clark Park.
Brenda Reavis is administrative assistant to the Executive Director of the American’s Women’s Heritage Society. In addition, she is chair of the Executive 60th Ward, 5th Division Committeeperson.
Kris Soffa is a PA Master Naturalist, a grassroots environmental activist, and currently serves as community liaison for the 5th District Police Advisory Council. She is a Democratic committee person in the 21st Ward and a volunteer for the Friends of the Wissahickon.
Ex-officio Members
Carlton Williams, Commissioner, Streets
Bridget Collins-Greenwald, Commissioner, Public Property
Derrick Ford, Designee of Council President Darrell Clarke
Eleanor Sharpe, Deputy Director for Planning and Zoning, Department of Planning and Development
Randy E. Hayman, Commissioner, Philadelphia Water Department
Kathryn Ott Lovell, Commissioner, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation
PaRC committees
- Communications & Public Engagement: Promotes awareness about the goals and program initiatives of the Commission and Parks & Rec
- Land Use Planning & Design: Researches and recommends policies and legislation on preserving open space, managing land, acquiring land, and leasing park and recreation land and facilities
- Programming: Assists in the development, delivery, and evaluation of programming that meets the needs of all
- Public Safety: Helps foster a safe and secure, well-lit, well-staffed, and properly maintained system of parks, recreation centers and pools
- Rebuild: Promotes awareness about Rebuild’s program implementation and impact on Parks & Rec facilities
- Revenue Enhancement: Assists in expanding and diversifying funding for operation and capital expenditures