Commissioner, NYC Parks

Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP became the Commissioner of NYC Parks in May 2014. In this role, he oversees management, planning, and operations of nearly 30,000 acres of parkland. Prior to returning to his native New York City, he served as the Chief Planning and Development Officer and Planning Director for Raleigh, N.C. Commissioner Silver is also the immediate past president of the American Planning Association and was inducted into their College of Fellows in 2014. He is currently the Dunlop Lecturer in Housing and Urbanization at Harvard University. Silver received a Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning from Hunter College in NYC.