Park Board Elects New Officers, Welcomes New Park Commissioner

At the March 21, 2024 meeting, the Board of Park Commissioners voted to elect Molly North as President, and Commissioner Kick Lee to serve as Vice President.

Ms. North joined the Board in January 2021, and most recently served as Vice President. As CEO, Molly leads the strategic direction of employee-owned Al. Neyer, a commercial real estate developer and design-builder headquartered in Cincinnati. Heavily engaged in the community, Molly also serves as a director on the boards of the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber and ArtWorks. Molly also serves as Commissioner of the Cincinnati Futures Commission, an initiative chaired by P&G CEO Jon Moeller, and as an active member of the Young Presidents’ Organization and Cincinnati Women’s Executive Forum.

Mr. Lee was appointed in April 2023, and was also selected by the Park Board to serve as their liaison on the Cincinnati Recreation Commission. Mr. Lee serves as Executive Director, Founder of Cincinnati Music Accelerator, an entrepreneurship organization dedicated and focused on the development of music creatives. He has worked in the music industry for 18+ yrs., composing & licensing music for marketing and advertising for commercial tv and social media. Mr. Lee is also a Board member for Lighthouse Youth & Family Services, The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati, and Black Art Speaks.

The Cincinnati Board of Park Commissioners also welcomed its newest member , John E. Neyer. Mr. Neyer brings a wealth of experience to the post. In early 2022, he served as Interim Parks Director while a national search was conducted to select Jason Barron as permanent Director. Mr. Neyer has been involved in the parks in different ways for nearly 20 years, including 12 years with the Cincinnati Parks Foundation where he served a term as its Board President. Mr. Neyer is CEO of Neyer Management, a real estate management business which he built by listening intently and continuously to the needs of his clients and then building and supporting a team to meet those needs.

Mr. Neyer fills the seat vacated by outgoing Board President Jim Goetz who completed his 6-year term. On the transition Mayor Aftab commented, “Jim Goetz provided exemplary leadership on the board over the past six years, during a time of challenge and transition. Mr. Goetz has championed several major, impactful projects and played a big role in keeping Cincinnati as a nationally renowned parks system. The City and I are incredibly grateful for his public service and hope to work with him again in the future.”

He continued, “John Neyer is a former Interim Parks Director with a proven track record of prioritizing climate equity and green spaces in our region. We have full confidence that he will maintain and expand Cincinnati’s commitment to park excellence, and we’re excited for the work to come.”

The 5-member Board of Park Commissioners has the control and management of the parks and parkways of the city. The mission of the Cincinnati Board of Park Commissioners is “to conserve, manage, sustain, and enhance parks’ natural and cultural resources and public greenspace for the enjoyment, enlightenment and enrichment of the Cincinnati community."