The Saviors of Central Park: Part Three: Pam Tice
My online dictionary defines the word “organization” as 1) “an efficient and orderly approach to tasks” and 2) “an organized body of people with a particular purpose, especially a business, society, association, etc.,” thus implying a consensual approach within the workplace, as opposed to the structural nature of hierarchy, which is defined as “a system or organization in which people or groups are ranked one above the other according to status or authority. “Collegial,” which, on the other hand, is defined as “shared responsibility, as among a group of colleagues” is the term I would most associate with the social tenor of the Central Park Conservancy; however, the name “Collegium” which refers almost exclusively to “a society of amateur musicians, especially one attached to a German or US college,” would not have been an appropriate moniker for the public-private partnership that has evolved under the name “Central Park Conservancy. The fact that the dictionary definition of “conservancy” as “a body concerned with the preservation of nature, specific species, or natural resources: the Nature Conservancy” is partially apropos, and my choice of this name for the successor of the Central Park Task Force is a source of pride for me. It is important to note that the Central Park Conservancy has never been an activist organization giving public voice to prod city government to provide for the entire upkeep. Instead, thanks to the collegial relationship forged between me as the organization’s founder and Pam Tice, whose professional management skills as chief executive officer helped steer the course of this civic organization’s first five years of existence.