Report to the Community Since 1981, the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy has established itself as one of America’s leading park nonprofits—creating and enhancing places that delight, inspire, nurture, and protect. Our sincere gratitude goes out to our partners, donors, members, volunteers, and supporters like you. THE PRESIDIO The birthplace of San Francisco, reborn as a thriving, one-of-a-kind national park CRISSY FIELD An abandoned airfield, transformed into one of San Francisco’s signature places MORI POINT A heavily scarred coastal site, restored as a haven for rare and endangered species FORT BAKER A dilapidated Army base, repurposed as the first national park lodge of a new century LANDS END A forgotten corner of the city, revitalized as an ecological and recreational treasure MT. TAMALPAIS An icon menaced by climate change and habitat loss, protected by a collaborative effort Across the “roof” of the recently finished Presidio Parkway and on adjacent parklands, the Tunnel Tops—designed by James Corner Field Operations—will include a “zocalo” (a main gathering space), a “learning landscape” for young people, and meandering paths. This transformative project is supported by a lead gift from the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation. James Corner Field Operations IT’S VERY EXCITING: WE’RE ACTUALLY IN A NEW GOLDEN AGE OF PARK DESIGN AND CREATION IN AMERICAN CITIES. IT’S THE KIND OF THING WE HAVEN’T SEEN SINCE FREDERICK LAW OLMSTED AND CALVERT VAUX IN THE MID-1800S AND THE WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION IN THE 1930S. —Adrian Benepe, Director of City Park Development, The Trust for Public Land, in Land+People THE NEXT CHAPTER AT GOLDEN GATE The Tunnel Top parklands—14 acres connecting the Presidio Main Post with Crissy Field— inherit the Parks Conservancy’s 35-year legacy of transforming formerly lifeless sites into vibrant places. This extraordinary civic project, led by the Presidio Trust and guided by extensive community consultation, will place the Bay Area and our Golden Gate National Parks at the forefront of a global movement to boldly reimagine public spaces. In the pages of our 2016 Report to the Community, we pay tribute to inspirational parklands across the globe, reflect on innovation here at Golden Gate—and celebrate your generous James Corner Field Operations support for park-making projects past, present, and future. Our deep gratitude to the following lead donors to this defining civic project: the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, the Fisher Family, the Lisa and Douglas Goldman Fund, the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, Mark and Mauree Jane Perry, the Hellman Foundation, and the Koret Foundation. l In addition, we extend our thanks to members of our community and of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy for their early gifts to this new parkland, opening in 2019, which connects Crissy Field to the Presidio. BOARD OF TRUSTEES DEAR FRIEND OF THE PARKS: OFFICERS Sally Hambrecht BOARD LIAISONS Nion McEvoy, Chairman and CEO, Civic Leader Chronicle Books LLC Colin Lind (Chair, 2016) Amanda Hoenigman, Civic Leader San Francisco n recent weeks, the Parks Conservancy has But, even as we look back, we also cast our gaze to Managing Partner, Liaison to the Kent Society Phil Marineau, Partner, LNK Partners been busy rolling out a variety of activities to the horizon, where we find our next park-making Blum Capital Partners (retired) Linda Howell San Francisco Robert Morris, Managing Director, Goldman I Civic Leader Ross Julie Parish, Landscape Designer Sachs Group, Inc. (retired) commemorate the Centennial of the National Park vision: the Presidio Tunnel Tops, a 14-acre park San Francisco Mark W. Buell (Chair, 2015) Liaison to the Kent Society (Emeritus) Regina Liang Muehlhauser, President, Bank Service (NPS): a Junior Ranger Jamboree on Crissy connecting the Main Post with Crissy Field over the Civic Leader Patsy Ishiyama San Francisco of America California (retired) San Francisco Civic Leader Field, a series of themed volunteer days, a youth Presidio Parkway tunnels. With its iconic views of San Francisco Donald W. Murphy, President & CEO, Randi Fisher (Vice Chair) BOARD ASSOCIATES National Underground Railroad Freedom backpacking trip, and park programs in partnership the Golden Gate, Alcatraz, and San Francisco, the Pisces Foundation Sujay Jaswa Frank Almeda, Ph.D., Senior Curator, Center (retired) San Francisco Advisor, Dropbox Department of Botany, California Academy with the San Francisco Public Library. Tunnel Tops are destined to become a signature new San Francisco Jacob E. Perea, Ph.D., Professor and Dean Lynn Mellen Wendell (Vice Chair) of Sciences Emeritus, San Francisco State University landmark of the City and the Bay Area. Colin Lind (left) and Greg Moore Civic Leader Odette Alcazaren-Keeley The 100th anniversary of the National Park Service Fritz Arko, President and General Manager, Mark W. Perry, General Partner, New San Francisco Director, National Media Network, Pier 39 (retired) New America Media Enterprise Associates (retired) is an occasion to both celebrate the conservation Significantly, this world-class park—another example David Courtney (Treasurer) Michael R. Barr, Partner, Pillsbury Winthrop Burlingame Toby Rosenblatt, Former Chair, Board of General Partner & Chief Operating Officer, legacy of yesterday—and envision an even brighter of the innovative urban-park movement sweeping Shaw Pittman LLP Directors, Presidio Trust Crosslink Capital Dan Kingsley Leslie Browne, Partner, SSL Law Firm tomorrow, one in which all parklands are more the globe—will be absolutely free for the public to San Francisco Managing Partner, SKS Partners Alexander H. Schilling, President, Union San Francisco Virgil Caselli, Commercial Property Ventures Square Investment Company Larry Low (Secretary) relevant, meaningful, and accessible. enjoy. Through the leadership of the Presidio Trust Martha Kropf Milton Chen, Ph.D., Senior Fellow and Helen Schwab, Civic Leader Chief Legal Officer, and the incredible generosity of our park friends, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP Civic Leader Executive Director Emeritus, The George Alan Seelenfreund, Chairman, McKesson Past and future are interwoven in the pages of San Francisco San Francisco Lucas Educational Foundation the Tunnel Tops will be available to people near Corporation (retired) this 2016 Report to the Community. Naturally, we Carlota del Portillo, Dean, Mission Campus, John E. McCosker, Ph.D. Gail P. Seneca, Chairman and CEO, Luminent and far; young and old; from every background, TRUSTEES Senior Scientist and First Chair of Aquatic City College of San Francisco (retired) Mortgage Capital, Inc. (retired) review recent accomplishments—achieved through Research, California Academy of Janice Barger Phelps Dewey, President, Chronicle Publishing West Shell III, Co-Founder, CEO & Chairman, neighborhood, and community. Sciences (retired) your support and in collaboration with the NPS; Civic Leader Company, Book Division (retired) Conversa Health San Francisco Mill Valley Presidio Trust; Golden Gate Bridge, Highway, and And this new destination—just like all the cherished Paula F. Downey, President and CEO, CSAA Rich Silverstein, Co-Chairman & Creative John Murray Martha Ehmann Conte Insurance Group Director, Goodby Silverstein & Partners Transportation District; and our Tamalpais Lands places at Golden Gate you have supported with such Chief Executive Officer, Element98 Civic Leader Millard Drexler, Chairman and CEO, J. Crew San Francisco San Francisco Cathy Simon, Principal, Perkins+Will Collaborative partners. demonstrable passion and commitment—will be a Gianni Fassio, Owner, Palio D’Asti (retired) Betsy Eisenhardt Rob Price Michael Willis, Principal, Michael Willis Robert Fisher, Member, Board of Directors, true “park for all forever.” Civic Leader Co-Chairman & Creative Director, Architects Together, we have restored vital ecosystems, Eleven, Inc. Gap, Inc. San Francisco Sharon Y. Woo, Civic Leader expanded recreational opportunities, enhanced With heartfelt appreciation and thanks, San Francisco David Grubb, Chairman Emeritus, Rodney Fong Rosemary Young, Former Chair, Peninsula Swinerton, Inc. President, Fong Real Estate Company Gordon Ritter Community Foundation visitor experiences, offered educational and San Francisco Founder and General Partner, Walter J. Haas, Member, Board of Directors, volunteer programs, positioned parks as solutions Emergence Capital Partners Levi Strauss & Co. Jessica Parish Galloway San Francisco to social and environmental challenges, and—as the Civic Leader Charlene Harvey, Civic Leader San Francisco Staci Slaughter S. Dale Hess, Executive Vice President, following pages will show—infused new energy into Senior Vice President, Communications, COLIN LIND GREG MOORE John Gamble San Francisco Convention & Visitors San Francisco Giants landscapes through dramatic park transformations. Chair, Board of Trustees President & CEO Managing Partner, Bureau (retired) San Francisco Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Kit Hinrichs, Founder, Studio Hinrichs Mallory & Natsis LLP (retired) Jessica Verrilli Amy McCombs, Lee Hills Chair of Free Press Carmel Senior Director of Corporate Development & Strategy, Twitter Studies, Missouri School of Journalism San Francisco In 1994, the Presidio was transferred from the U.S. Army to the National Park THE PRESIDIO Service—and the post-to-park transformation began. Today, through the leadership of the Presidio Trust and the support of the Parks Conservancy and community, these 1,500 acres have become an exceptional