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AccessibilityMeet the Deputy Commissioners
Mark A. Focht, PLA FASLA
Mark Focht has served as Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer at NYC Parks for the past nine years. He brings over 25 years of experience in urban park management, having previously served as First Deputy Commissioner of Philadelphia Parks & Recreation before joining NYC Parks in 2017 as the agency’s first COO.
In his previous role as Deputy Commissioner, Mark led a team committed to high-quality, maintainable, and sustainable public spaces covering 30,000 acres and over 5,000 individual sites. Mark has overseen all agency operations, developing a deep understanding of the full scope of Parks’ work and earning respect across the department. Mark also serves as a Senior Advisor and mentor to the Stonewall Society, Parks' LGBTQIA+ employee affinity group, offering guidance and support as an openly gay member of Parks' senior leadership. Mark holds Bachelor of Science and Master’s degrees in Landscape Architecture from Pennsylvania State University and the University of Massachusetts, respectively.
Mark lives in Lincoln Square and enjoys exploring cities, visiting museums, and watching college and pro football.
Eric Boorstyn, AIA, LEED AP
Eric Boorstyn, AIA, LEED AP, is an architect with fifteen years of experience in a senior leadership role in the public sector and twenty years of experience in the private sector. Prior to joining NYC Parks, Eric served as the Associate Commissioner for Architecture & Engineering for the Public Buildings Division of the NYC Department of Design and Construction, a position he held since 2010. In that role, he supervised a multi-disciplinary professional staff in support of the agency’s multi-billion dollar capital portfolio.
Prior to joining DDC, Eric worked in the private sector as a partner at Cooper Robertson and a senior associate at Perkins Eastman, specializing in large-scale civic and cultural buildings as well as master plans for courthouses, higher education, museums, and performing arts facilities.
Eric has a Master’s in Architecture from the University of Virginia and a Bachelor’s from Northwestern University. A native New Yorker, he lives in Brooklyn with his wife; the grown children come and go. An avid runner, Eric does his marathon training before sunrise in Prospect Park and on the city’s waterfront and bridges.
Jennifer Greenfeld
Deputy Commissioner for Environment and Planning
Jennifer Greenfeld has 30 years of experience in the field of natural resource management. She began her Parks career in 1997 as the Director of the New York Tree Trust (now known as TreeTime) a public-private urban forestry partnership. Appointed Acting Director of MillionTreesNYC (MTNYC), Jennifer helped to create and launch a signature PlaNYC initiative. Subsequently, she has served as Director of Street Tree Planting and Deputy Chief of Forestry, Horticulture, and Natural Resources (FHNR).
In 2016, Jennifer moved into the role of FHNR Assistant Commissioner. In this role she advanced New York City's forestry operations by shifting away from a Service Request-based system to a risk management-based system, helped usher in a new generation of tree data by finishing the the third street trees census and the first ever census of landscape park trees, and shaped the agency’s forestry response to the major storms in this century.
She oversaw the completion of hundreds of millions of dollars in capitally funded natural areas restoration, green infrastructure, and forestry work, and shaped the partnership between Parks and the Natural Areas Conservancy. Her leadership built a positive culture among forestry and natural resource professionals - prioritizing staff recognition, professional development, and communication; and fostered a data-driven culture of technological innovation.
Before joining Parks, Jennifer worked for non profit planning organizations and urban forestry groups in San Francisco and Washington DC. Jennifer earned a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and Environmental Studies from the University of Pennsylvania and a Master’s degree in Forest Science from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. She loves biking, running, yoga, and relaxing under the shade of the massive white oak tree in her backyard.
Margaret Nelson
Margaret came to NYC Parks in 2014, after previously serving as the Deputy Chief of Staff to former New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn. In that capacity, she directed the Council’s legislative and policy divisions, and helped pass hundreds of legislative bills including Paid Sick Leave and Living Wage.
In her role as Chief of Staff for Commissioner Silver, she served as a key member of the executive management team responsible for establishing agency policies, guiding external and internal communications, and managing stakeholder relationships including non-profit partners and elected officials. Margaret was also responsible for helping to implement the Commissioner’s vision for equity in public spaces, planning and placemaking in parks, innovation and technology, and caring for parks. She spearheaded a number of inter-divisional funding initiatives including securing over $80M for replacement fleet vehicles, and also helping establish a synthetic turf field maintenance and replacement model program.
Margaret earned her master’s degree in Public Administration from The Wagner School of Public Service at New York University and a bachelor’s degree from Duke University graduating Magna Cum Laude. She has two teenage daughters and loves to stay active. In addition to being an avid skier, she enjoys running and cycling in Prospect Park. Margaret also loves animals and has both a dog and cat at home.
Joy Wang
Joy Wang has served in New York City government since 2001. She began her City career in the Mayor’s Office of Contracts (MOC), where she oversaw and ensured compliance of Mayoral Agencies’ procurements to City regulations. During her time in the MOC, Joy oversaw the procurement of human service contracts and assisted in preparing the Chief City Procurement Officer for City Council contracts hearings.
Joy also served as the Capital Budget Coordinator for two years at the American Museum of Natural History, where she managed the Museum’s capital contracts from program submission to contract closeout. In addition, Joy analyzed, tracked, and managed the museum’s annual $25-$30 million capital plan.
Since 2004, Joy has served in different capacities at the NYC Department for the Aging (DFTA). In her most recent role as Associate Commissioner in the Bureau of Budget and Fiscal Operations, Joy oversaw fiscal policies at DFTA, a City agency with an operating budget of over $316 million. Joy has been a strong advocate for the funding of the agency, which had over 30 different funding streams. She also implemented policy decisions and carried out special projects affecting aging services and providers throughout the City. During her time at DFTA, she managed the operation of various units including: Budget, Fiscal, General Services, Information Technology, Facilities, Planning and Research, and Human Resources. Most recently, Joy also assumed responsibility for the fiscal operations and management of DFTA’s non-profit arm, Aging in NY Fund.
She holds a Master’s of Public Administration from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, a Master’s degree from Fordham University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and French from Rutgers University. She was also inducted in the Department of Citywide Services Leadership Institute.
Joy currently lives in Queens with her husband and daughter. She enjoys baking, Zumba, hiking, and musicals.
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