“The Parks are in Good Hands” – Interview with Marlene Finley, San Mateo County Parks Director
Marlene Finley led the San Mateo County Parks Department for the past three years after a long career with the US Forest Service. The parks flourished during her tenure with park expansion (Devil’s Slide Trail, Memorial Park, Pillar Point), record attendance, and a reinvigorated team. Recently the San Mateo County Parks Foundation had the opportunity to speak with Marlene about the parks and her upcoming retirement. Can you describe the San Mateo County Parks? The San Mateo County Parks is a 93 year old system with a lot of tradition and diversity. It includes playgrounds, picnic shelters, trails, stables, and a marina. It includes many wild places like the redwoods along Pescadero Creek and tidepools along the coast. It offers a diversity of natural resources and park facilities, so there is something for everyone. What accomplishments are you most proud of as Director? One theme involved rebuilding the parks after the recession and reinstating the parks as a department. We created a natural resource program. We increased visitor services with interpretation. We’ve embraced social media. With the uptick of resources from Measure A, we’ve added many projects. We’ve made improvements and addressed deferred maintenance. We also increased the number of park rangers. Those improvements…
Will You Go Out With Us?
You may remember that REI did something different on Black Friday last year—they closed the co-op’s doors and invited the nation to opt outside with them. And more than a million people did just that. This year on Black Friday, we’re going to join REI outside, and we’d like you to opt outside with us. Let’s skip the malls and celebrate life outdoors. You can: Look for the peregrine falcons at Devil’s Slide Go for a sunset walk along the California Coastal Trail at Mirada Surf Count the banana slugs along the Pomponio Trail at Memorial County Park Ride your bike along the Bay Trail and watch the planes land at SFO at Coyote Point Grab the bench with an ocean view at San Pedro Valley Park and breathe deeply! To learn more, visit the REI OptOutside site.
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SAN MATEO COUNTY PARKS FOUNDATION
General Information
The San Mateo County Parks Foundation was established in 1998 to provide additional financial support for the recreational, environmental and educational programs and projects of the San Mateo County Department of Parks. The Foundation is governed by a volunteer board of directors and has a small staff.
The Foundation seeks grants and contributions from individuals, foundations and businesses. Recognition of gifts is done in accordance with the county's approved donor recognition guidelines. The Foundation does not manage the projects directly. The San Mateo County Department of Parks is responsible for the design, permitting, contracting and maintenance of the projects.
Mission Statement
The San Mateo County Parks Foundation inspires people to care for, learn about and enjoy our parks.
Land Acknowledgement
The San Mateo County Parks Foundation’s office is located on the ancestral homeland of the Ramaytush and Muwekma Ohlone peoples, the original inhabitants and land stewards of the San Francisco Peninsula. As guests, we recognize that we benefit from living, working and recreating here on their traditional homeland. We wish to pay our respects by acknowledging the ancestors, elders and future generations of caretakers of the Ohlone people.
Fundraising Priorities and Current Goals
In partnership with the San Mateo County Department of Parks, the Foundation raises funds to support projects, programs and volunteers for benefit parks and visitors.
We are committed to conserving and improving the quality of our county parks for current and future generations to enjoy.