The Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy has announced the election of Brooklyn Heights resident Mark Baker as chairman of the Conservancy’s Board of Directors. He succeeds Nancy Bowe, another Heights resident, who has served for the past five years. Baker was for some years a member of the Dewey Ballantine law firm, where he practiced corporate law but also did extensive pro bono work on behalf of parks and open space in New York City, especially on or near the waterfront. He left the firm to serve as Chief Business Officer of New York Water Taxi, which he helped to launch successfully. He is now CEO of Progenics Pharmaceuticals, a company that has been active in using biotechnology to develop drugs to fight cancer.

Baker is the longest serving of the BBPC board’s presently active members. On his election, Baker said:

Having had the pleasure as a Director of working over the years with every previous Board Chair, I know the high bar that has been set for me as I take on this assignment. In particular, the incredible work of Nancy Bowe as Chair as she guided the growth of the Conservancy over the past five years will be tough for me to match. Before Brooklyn Bridge Park could be built, we had to first build a community to support the Park. An unexpected pleasure for me over the 28 years I’ve been involved in the Park effort has been being part of this vibrant and resourceful community. I know that in my new role I’ll have to call once again on your generosity and ingenuity as we forge ahead to the finish line of completing the Park and making its programming the envy of the world.

Ms Bowe said, “I look forward to even more wonderful educational, recreational, and cultural programming in the Park as Mark leads the Conservancy’s top-notch staff, board, members, and volunteers.”