JoAnn Beck is a retired Landscape Architect, whose professional experience includes academic and private practice, as well as 20 years as the Senior Landscape Architect at the City of Rochester. She serves on the Board of the Maplewood Neighborhood Association, as the President of the Board of Directors of The Highland Park Conservancy, and is a founding member of ROPA.

Maureen (Mo) Duggan is a retired community and economic development professional.  She lives in the City of Rochester and volunteers as a Park Steward in Highland Park.  Mo has come to appreciate Rochester's beautiful Olmsted-designed city parks through bike rides, kayaking and walks.  She has a special interest in saving the three Genesee Valley Park arched bridges that span the Erie Canal.

Andrew Seager retired from a career in education consulting and research. For many years he worked primarily on federally-funded regional public school education improvement efforts. In retirement he seeks to promote public awareness of the health and learning effects of green space, and to protect and improve Rochester’s parks.

Becky Timmons is a Rochester-area native with twenty years of architecture and urban design experience.

Megan Hillyard is the Director of Preservation Services at The Landmark Society of Western New York, a regional nonprofit historic preservation advocacy organization. Megan worked in both private consulting and government preservation roles prior joining The Landmark Society. She oversees and works with Landmark's preservation consulting services, advocacy initiatives, and historic trades training and workshops. Megan was part of the team that wrote the National Register nominations for the Cobb’s Hill and update to the Mt. Hope-Highland Park historic districts, which include their namesake Olmsted parks.

Karen Nozik has a 20+ year track record working for non-profits at the national and local levels. She has championed parks and public spaces, first on the environmental staff of the U.S. Conference of Mayors in DC, then with the Bicycle Federation of America, the Bikes Belong campaign, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, National Parks Conservation Association, City Parks Alliance, the Community Design Center of Rochester, and most recently with the Rochester Chamber of Commerce.

A communications and development veteran, Karen earned a Master’s degree (MPA) from the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University, Bloomington, and two undergraduate degrees from the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. 

Her roots run deep in upstate New York and the Finger Lakes region. Born and raised in Rochester, (Brighton High class of 1981); Karen helped to establish in memory of her brother, Michael Nozik, the Camp Seneca Lake Scholarship Fund, and now serves on its Board of the annual award of need-based scholarships for Camp Seneca Lake.

When not working, Karen walks her talk by spending as much time as possible outdoors. She enjoys swimming, gardening, reading, hiking, skiing, crafting, practicing yoga, and exploring local and regional parks, trails, and museums.

Karen remains a passionate advocate for neighborhood design, and for transforming the public realm into more livable, walkable communities.  Her favorite urban green space is Highland Park — located a stone’s throw from her house where she can marvel at Olmsted’s world-class park 365 days a year!

Jason grew up in the city’s 19th Ward and has resided at the Capron Street Lofts in downtown for the last 12 years. He initiated the Washington Square Park Neighborhood Association (WSPNA) in 2012 and led it to its incorporation as the non-profit Washington Square Community Association (WSCA) in 2017. He has served as the WSCA Board president since then. Jason is co-founder of the regional vegan/plant-based/sustainability guide, MetroPops, with his wife, Stefanie, and has also worked for Jetblue Airways for the past 19 years.

Katie Eggers Comeau, a Rochester-area native, has worked on multiple park documentation projects, National Register nominations, historic resource surveys, and master plans for Olmsted parks in Rochester and Utica. She is the author of a Rochester History publication on the Rochester park system, and is a former trustee of the National Association for Olmsted Parks. Katie has worked at the Landmark Society of Western New York and the Preservation League of New York State, and recently returned to Bero Architecture PLLC as the Senior Architectural Historian.

Because my husband and I bought my parents’ house, I have been a neighbor to Seneca Park for the lion’s share of my life. My sister and I, my two kids, and my two grandchildren all thought Seneca Park was simply an extension of our back yard. In 2000, Ann Baker, the late Tim O’Donnell and JoAnn Beck taught me that the park design was not there by happenstance. The vision of Frederick Law Olmsted has given us the gifts of wilderness and serenity in the midst of the city. Along with ROPA, Friends and Neighbors of Seneca Park will work to preserve the Olmsted legacy throughout our county.

Dr. April Foreman is a psychologist passionate about the intersection of mental health and technology. She serves Veterans using her unique experience with suicide prevention and artificial intelligence. Her mission is to relieve extreme emotional pain any way she can. She lives this mission by helping one person, one moment at a time if she has to; and most often through innovation designed to serve the people who need it.

Mark Quinn is the former Superintendent of Horticulture for Monroe County Parks. In his retirement, he has joined the ROPA Board! More info coming soon!

Info Coming Soon!

Info Coming Soon!