The Roger Williams Park Conservancy is pleased to welcome a new Executive Director, Kevin Essington, as well as announce the appointment of new officers to its Board of Directors.
Essington follows the Conservancy’s inaugural Executive Director, Megan Fischer, and joins the organization to build upon the successes of the past three years of the Conservancy’s growth as well as a 2016 capital campaign led by the Rhode Island Foundation, which raised over $9 million for Park improvements and for an endowment for the Conservancy. Essington is charged with executing the Conservancy’s newly adopted strategic plan, developing and implementing a financial sustainability plan, and providing professional oversight to ensure the organization is managed effectively to achieve its vision, mission, and strategic goals.
Most recently, Essington was associate vice president at The Trust for Public Land, overseeing strategic direction and park design and development for 20 field programs across the country. He also led the Trust for Public Land’s Massachusetts and Rhode Island program for six years, working on such projects as the Woonasquatucket Teen Adventure Park and Boston Urban Agriculture. Prior to his work at The Trust for Public Land, he held various positions with The Nature Conservancy in Rhode Island and Connecticut and launched the Montezuma Land Conservancy in Cortez, Colorado. Essington holds bachelors’ and masters’ degrees in history and environmental policy from the University of Michigan and the University of Denver. A Detroit, Michigan native, he lives in Providence with his wife and son.
“I believe that Roger Williams Park is our city’s greatest public asset, and I am excited to work alongside the terrific team at the City of Providence Parks Department to improve access, programming, water quality, and awareness of “The People’s Park,”” said Essington.
Joseph Pari 
Kelly Rogers 
Christopher Ackley
The Roger Williams Park Conservancy also welcomes new Board Chair Joseph Pari, Co-founder and Executive Director of TEN31 Productions; Treasurer Kelly Rogers, Management Consulting Manager at Accenture; and Secretary Christopher Ackley, Financial Opportunity Center Manager at Genesis Center. All three have served on the Conservancy’s Board of Directors since 2017.
“Roger Williams Park is not only the heart and the lungs of Providence, it is a treasure for all of Rhode Island,” said Pari. “Our goal is to preserve and enhance this regional resource for all generations to come.”
The Conservancy acknowledges outgoing Executive Director Megan Fischer and its former officers: Board Chair Jessica David, Treasurer Neil Steinberg, and Secretary Jenny Pereira, all of the Rhode Island Foundation.
The mission of the Roger Williams Park Conservancy is to sustain and enhance Roger Williams Park as a vibrant public space for all. An independent nonprofit organization, the Conservancy works in partnership with the City of Providence Parks Department to steward the Park, offer community programs, raise resources, coordinate marketing efforts, and plan for its long-term sustainability and enjoyment by the community.
For more information about the Park and Conservancy, visit www.RWPConservancy.org.
