WATCH the March 21st Zoom meeting to see board members highlight past accomplishments and plans for 2024
The following officers were elected at the meeting:
Chair
Deborah Lyons is currently Chair of the Conservancy as well as a founding member. She has been an active community volunteer since she moved to Maplewood over 30 years ago, serving on boards and committees, and volunteering in the schools, parks, and neighborhood and art associations. She was a founding member of the Springfield Avenue Partnership and was its first director. With a background in art history, she has had a career as a curator and writer. Now retired, she recently became a Master Gardener, with a passion for native plants.
Vice Chair
Gary Nelson is the current Vice Chair of the Maplewood Memorial Park Conservancy as well as a founding member of the Conservancy. A resident of Maplewood for over 30 years, he is a long-standing member of the Maplewood Historic Preservation Commission and is also the current Chair of the Open Space Trust Fund Committee. Gary was an active member of the steering committees for the Open Space Element of the Township of Maplewood Master Plan and the Maplewood Memorial Park Master Plan. Gary’s professional background is in strategic planning and marketing communications.
Treasurer
Matt Brehm has been a fan of the park since he and his family moved to Maplewood in 2015 and you can find him there most days walking his two dogs. Matt is CFO for Cambridge Information Group, an investment firm focused on education and information services, and a CPA licensed in the state of New York.
Secretary
Ginny Kurshan is currently the Secretary of the Maplewood Memorial Park Conservancy as well as a founding member. She is a long-time resident of Maplewood. Ginny served for twenty years as the Chair of the Maplewood Historic Preservation Commission and played an essential role in the development of the Commission. She was an active member of the Steering Committee for the development of the Master Plan for Maplewood Memorial Park. Professionally, Ginny is an architectural historian having worked for the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission for 35 years.