The Trust for Public Land Announces Michael Parish to Join National Board

The Trust for Public Land announced today that Michael Parish has joined the organization’s national Board of Directors. Parish was elected to the board in January 2020.  

Parish has been a dedicated member of The Trust for Public Land California Advisory Board since 2013, and has served as its co-chair for the past year. Parish, who lives in San Francisco, has a deep background in commercial real estate. He is a partner at Lone Tree Properties, LLC, a real estate investment firm, and a manager of Hellman Properties, LLC. He also brings strong board leadership background, including being the past board president of the St. Anthony Foundation, a social service organization known for operating the St. Anthony Dining Room in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood. 

“Protecting land and creating parks is not only good for the people who access those places, it is also beneficial to the environment as a whole, said Parish. “I’m honored to join The Trust for Public Land as they work to bring benefits of parks and nature to the places, people and communities that need them most.” 

In addition, Parish has served as President of the Board of Trustees of The Katherine Delmar Burke School, and as a Trustee at Marin Academy High School. He earned his MBA from the University of Colorado and his bachelor’s degree from Middlebury College. 

An avid skier and biker, Parish became connected to The Trust for Public Land through the organization’s Royal Gorge project in the Sierras. He has been very supportive of our parks work in the San Francisco Bay Area, and is currently advising on the organization’s Oakland Green Schoolyards pilot program. 

Parks 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. The parks we do have are not equitable, as parks serving primarily Black, Latino, Indigenous and Native American, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other communities of color are half the size and serve five times more people per acre than parks in primarily white neighborhoods.  

To bring health, climate and community benefits of the outdoors to all, The Trust for Public Land is leading a coalition of more than 200 nonprofits, companies, and community groups, we are calling on Congress to approve an emergency $500 million investment in community parks with the bipartisan Parks, Jobs and Equity Act. In addition, The Trust for Public Land is challenging the private sector to invest $50 million for the new Equitable Communities Fund to energize and accelerate the efforts of historically marginalized communities to create parks and open space across 62 communities where funding can be used immediately to help expand access.  

About The Trust for Public Land 

The Trust for Public Land creates parks and protects land for people, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come. Millions of people live near a Trust for Public Land park, garden, or natural area, and millions more visit these sites every year. To support The Trust for Public Land and share why nature matters to you, visit www.tpl.org. 

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