Trust for Public Land Appoints Kenneth Wong to National Board of Directors 

New York, NY – Trust for Public Land (TPL) is pleased to announce the appointment of Kenneth Wong to its National Board of Directors.

Mr. Wong is a highly respected real estate executive, serving as the Chief Operating Officer of Related Companies, the nation’s most prominent privately owned real estate firm. Mr. Wong has more than forty years of diverse experience having overseen the development of a broad range of real estate assets from individual residential and office buildings to retail shopping centers to theme parks and planned communities both in the U.S. and international markets.  

“We are thrilled to welcome Kenneth Wong to our National Board of Directors,” said Diane Regas, President and CEO of Trust for Public Land. “Ken’s extensive experience in real estate and development, combined with his passion for environmental conservation, make him a valuable addition to our National Board of Directors. We are excited to work with him to advance our mission of creating parks and protecting land for people across the country.” 

At Related, Mr. Wong is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operational, corporate and business functions of the company as well as the company’s development activities in the international markets. Founded in 1972 with an initial focus on the financing of affordable housing, Related is one of the largest private owners and preservationists of affordable housing in the U.S., it has also grown into a fully integrated, highly diversified industry leader with experience in virtually every aspect of development, acquisition, management, finance, marketing, and sales.  

Related is the developer of Hudson Yards, the largest private real estate development in U.S. history. Hudson Yards’ Eastern Yard was the first neighborhood in Manhattan to receive LEED Neighborhood Development Gold (LEED-ND) certification. Highlighted by its innovative microgrid that saves 25,000 MT of CO2e emissions each year, a rainwater reclamation system saving 10 million gallons of drinking water annually, as well as public transportation linkages and pedestrian-friendly community design, this Gold certification furthers Hudson Yards’ position as one of the most sustainable, connected and forward-thinking urban neighborhoods in the country. 

Mr. Wong is also a Co-Founder and Partner of energyRe, a leading independent clean energy company, providing green energy solutions in utility-scale offshore and onshore wind and solar generation, energy storage, transmission and distributed generation.

Prior to joining Related Companies as COO, Mr. Wong served as President and COO of Westfield America, a leading owner and developer of shopping centers. Prior to that, he spent nearly a decade at The Walt Disney Company where he held a series of senior executive positions, including President of the Disney Development Company and President of Walt Disney Imagineering.  

“I am honored to join the National Board of Directors of Trust for Public Land and contribute to the organization’s mission of maximizing public access to green spaces, especially in our cities, as well as protecting natural resources,” said Kenneth P. Wong, TPL National Board Member. “I look forward to working with the board and TPL’s dedicated staff to support their mission: connecting everyone to the outdoors.” 

Parks in New York and across the country are an essential part of improving public health, protecting vulnerable communities from the impacts of the climate crisis and building strong community cohesion. And yet, 100 million people, including 28 million kids, do not have access to a quality park within a 10-minute walk from home. Access to the outdoors is a fundamental human need — yet there is a significant outdoor equity gap in America. Parks located in communities of color are half the size of parks in predominantly white neighborhoods and serve five times more people per acre. TPL aims to change that and is leading a nationwide movement to close this outdoor equity gap by creating parks in the communities that need them most. 

In addition to his professional achievements, Mr. Wong has a longstanding commitment to environmental leadership in his community. He has served on the board of The Nature Conservancy in Long Island and has been involved in several conservation and preservation initiatives in the city. Mr. Wong holds dual master’s degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a bachelor’s from the University of California at Berkeley.  

As a member of the board, Mr. Wong will help guide the organization’s strategic direction and advance its mission to create parks and protect land for people. His appointment follows other recent additions to TPL’s National Board of Directors, including J. Franklin Farrow and Theodore Roosevelt V. 

Trust for Public Land conserves land for people to enjoy as parks, gardens, and natural areas, ensuring livable communities for generations to come. TPL has created or enhanced more than 250 neighborhood parks in New York City, investing roughly $200 million in land purchases and in the design, construction and stewardship of parks. 

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About Trust for Public Land
Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national nonprofit that works to connect everyone to the benefits and joys of the outdoors. As a leader in equitable access to the outdoors, TPL works with communities to create parks and protect public land where they are needed most. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 4 million acres of public land, created more than 5,364 parks, trails, schoolyards, and iconic outdoor places, raised $93 billion in public funding for parks and public lands, and connected nearly 9.4 million people to the outdoors. To learn more, visit tpl.org.