Piedmont Park Conservancy’s Doug Widener: ‘It was meant to be’

Back in the mid-1990s, Doug Widener would come to Atlanta to visit friends and walk to Piedmont Park.

When considering places where he would like to live, Atlanta was always on his shortlist.

But Widener ended up taking a detour of a couple of decades (living primarily in Chicago) before moving to Atlanta to become the new president and CEO of the Piedmont Park Conservancy in late October.

“Piedmont Park is a special place,” Widener said in. a far-reaching interview that included lunch and a stroll through the park. “I want to play whatever role I can — small, medium or large — to help preserve, protect and enhance this park for generations to come.”

Before coming to Atlanta, Widener served as executive director of Chicago’s Lincoln Park Conservancy beginning in April 2018. Lincoln Park is a five-mile linear park that includes the Chicago History Museum and the Lincoln Park Zoo, but they are not part of the Conservancy.

Widener, an unapologetic environmentalist, also served in various roles with the U.S. Green Building Council from 2006 to 2018.

During the interview, Widener, 53, described himself as an open book. He and his husband, Mark Becker, have been together 28 years, and they recently bought a condo in Midtown. Widener is the first CEO of the Piedmont Park Conservancy to live within walking distance of the park, as best I can remember.

“I want to be an active part of the community. I plan on walking to work every day I can,” Widener said. “I feel like this is where I’m supposed to be.”

The search committee felt the same way. The Conservancy’s board spent the better part of a year seeking a new president and CEO after the announcement that Mark Banta would retire.

“We lucked out,” said Ellen Saachi, board chair of the Piedmont Park Conservancy. “We searched high and low nationwide and talked to a lot of people. One of the things that resonated so much about Doug was his expertise about conservancies and sustainability. And he was passionate about moving to Atlanta.”

Saachi, whose two-year term ends in December, is also delighted that Widener will be living within walking distance of the park and that his neighbors will be park users. She remains committed to a vision of Piedmont Park “as a world-class and iconic urban park.”

Currently, Piedmont Park attracts six million visitors each year. The Conservancy has a memorandum of understanding with the City of Atlanta that addresses the maintenance and management of the park and special events.

While the Lincoln Park Conservancy has a total of 20 million visitors annually, Widener said the Piedmont Park Conservancy actually has a broader mandate.

“Conservancies are as varied as the parks themselves,” Widener said. “Piedmont Park is a more concentrated park. It’s just a different type of Conservancy. This is a much more comprehensive conservancy with a much deeper relationship with the city.”

Over the years, Piedmont Park has been a topic of discussion — and sometimes controversy — about maintenance, crime, expansion and the number of major festivals and special events that cause wear and tear on Atlanta’s signature green space.
None of those issues were a surprise to Widener.

“In any public park, it’s about managing competing interests,” Widener said. “This was already a special place to me, even before I came to Atlanta. It’s an honor, but there’s also a responsibility that comes with it. It’s about transparency — hearing and including all voices.”

And Widener intends to embrace the communities that surround the park.

“The Piedmont Park Conservancy turns 35 next year,” Widener said. “I want to build more awareness. Where are places where we can do even more maintenance. It’s time to do a master plan again. We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to expand the park. We need a comprehensive shared vision. It’s a perfect time to be doing this.”

Justin Cutler, commissioner of the Atlanta Department of Parks and Recreation, said he is really impressed with Widener’s experience in running a conservancy in Chicago.

“Our relationship with the Piedmont Park Conservancy has never been better, and we are poised to continue to enhance maintenance, provide programming and ensure a safe Piedmont Park for years to come,” Cutler said. “Doug has a desire to be a good partner.”

In the short time he’s been in Atlanta, Widener has been meeting with stakeholders and people who are involved in the city’s parks.

“I met Doug on his third day at work, and it’s clear he brings a wealth of experience from leading the Lincoln Park Conservancy in Chicago,” said Rosa McHugh, executive director of the Chastain Park Conservancy. “We bonded over our shared appreciation for Atlanta’s impressive tree canopy. Doug’s transition from the Windy City to lead the Piedmont Park Conservancy promises a fresh perspective, and we’re lucky to have him onboard as we continue to grow our thriving greenspace community, making our parks welcoming for all metro Atlantans.”

Michael Halicki, executive director of Park Pride, described Widener as a collaborative leader with a proven track record.

“I am excited to see him bring his experience from Lincoln Park in Chicago to Piedmont Park and to the park system in Atlanta,” Halicki said. “I am optimistic about the future of parks in Atlanta. I anticipate Doug will play an important role taking parks in Atlanta to the next level.”

During our walk in Piedmont Park, there were maintenance workers with noisy gas-powered leaf blowers. I admitted to Widener that one of my pet peeves was the use of the pollution-causing blowers that emit high amounts of carbon dioxide. Why doesn’t the park use electric blowers?

To my pleasant surprise, Widener agreed. In fact, he said the Conservancy’s golf carts should also be electric.

It is clear Widener will bring his environmental expertise to how he will run the Piedmont Park Conservancy.

During our visit, I found out that Widener has an identical twin — Dave Widener — who also is gay.

In fact, both his brother Dave and his husband Mark told him the move to Atlanta was meant to be – a sentiment shared by Widener.

“I’d rather be hot than cold any day of the week,” Widener said laughingly. And he admitted he had been drawn to Atlanta during his multiple trips to the city in the mid 1990s. “I had never experienced a place that felt so welcoming.”