LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Tupper Thomas upon the occasion of her
retirement after 30 years of distinguished service as Administrator of
Brooklyn's Prospect Park and 23 as President of the Prospect Park Alli-
ance

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize outstand-
ing individuals whose professional lives, personal endeavors, and
commitment to their community and its quality of life are an example and
inspiration to others; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to recognize
and pay tribute to Tupper Thomas upon the occasion of her retirement
after 30 years of distinguished service as Administrator of Brooklyn's
Prospect Park and 23 as President of the Prospect Park Alliance; and
WHEREAS, Built in the 1860s to serve a rapidly growing urban popu-
lation, Prospect Park is a 585-acre urban oasis located in the heart of
Brooklyn; the masterpiece of famed landscape architects Frederick Law
Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, who also designed Central Park, Prospect Park
is today, in large part due to the efforts of Tupper Thomas, a unique
piece of living history offering many activities and attractions; and
WHEREAS, Prospect Park features the 90-acre Long Meadow, a 60-acre
Lake, and Brooklyn's only forest; it is also home to the Prospect Park
Zoo, the Celebrate Brooklyn! Performing Arts Festival and numerous other
cultural attractions and popular community events; and
WHEREAS, In 1980, in response to community pressure to put a stop to
the decaying state of the Park, New York City committed funds to create
the Prospect Park Administrator's Office; originally from Minnesota,
Crown Heights resident Tupper Thomas, who had a master's degree in Urban
Planning from Pratt Institute and experience in urban planning, was
named the Park's first Administrator and made responsible for the opera-
tion of the Park and its multimillion-dollar restoration; and
WHEREAS, Later, in 1987, the Prospect Park Alliance was formed by a
group of concerned citizens to revive, enrich and preserve Prospect Park
in partnership with the City of New York and the community; Tupper
Thomas was named President of the Alliance and has ably served in that
capacity as well since that time; and
WHEREAS, Sixty-five community organizations participate in the Alli-
ance Community Committee and, under Tupper Thomas's leadership, the
Prospect Park Alliance, with its in-house Design and Construction Office
and Visitors Service Department, restored, as one of Tupper Thomas's
first reclamation projects, the park's famed 1912 carousel and, in part-
nership with Audubon New York, opened the Prospect Park Audubon Center,
the nation's first urban Audubon Center, with nature trails, a visitors
center, and educational programs; and
WHEREAS, Other recent accomplishments include the opening of the
restored Parade Ground Sport Complex, a Tennis Center, the restoration
of much of the natural areas of the Park, and the initiation of one of
the Alliance's, and the Park's, most transformational projects, the
comprehensive renovation of the lakefront and the creation of the Lake-
front Center, to which Tupper Thomas has long been committed; and
WHEREAS, With Tupper Thomas's exemplary, inspirational and indefatiga-
ble leadership, Park usership has increased from 1.7 million to over 9
million and, this year alone, more than 6,000 volunteers contributed
over 30,000 hours of their time to the Park and its visitors; and
WHEREAS, Tupper Thomas has become a Brooklyn institution, widely cred-
ited with being the Park's savior and with returning a lost treasure of
wilderness and recreation to the people of Brooklyn; and

WHEREAS, Also well-known and highly respected nationally and interna-
tionally, Tupper Thomas is the Co-Chair of the City Parks Alliance, a
national organization which works with cities to develop their parks as
a part of city revitalization; she has, in addition, received numerous
awards and has addressed parks groups throughout the United States and
abroad; and
WHEREAS, Over the course of three decades as Administrator of
Brooklyn's Prospect Park and President of the Prospect Park Alliance,
doing what she considered to be her life's work, Tupper Thomas helped
restore one of New York City's great open spaces to vibrancy, repairing,
refurbishing and renewing it while building a network of community and
financial support; and
WHEREAS, Tupper Thomas, a woman of singular distinction who dedicated
her life to improving the quality of life in her community, has truly
earned the admiration, esteem and affection of the friends, family,
colleagues and community who will fittingly gather at the Bartel-Pritch-
ard entrance to Prospect Park on Saturday, April 2, 2011 to honor her as
she completes her extraordinary tenure as Administrator of Brooklyn's
Prospect Park and President of the Prospect Park Alliance; and
WHEREAS, It is incumbent upon this Legislative Body and all citizens
to understand that we are all stewards of our environment and to recog-
nize and applaud the efforts of individuals, such as Tupper Thomas, who
work assiduously to preserve and protect our natural surroundings for
the benefit of present and future generations; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to pay
tribute to Tupper Thomas upon the occasion of her retirement after 30
years of distinguished service as Administrator of Brooklyn's Prospect
Park and 23 as President of the Prospect Park Alliance, to recognize
this milestone in her life, and to congratulate and wish her well in her
well-deserved retirement; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Tupper Thomas.