Mitchell Silver became Commissioner of the New York City Department of Parks in May 2014. Commissioner Silver is past president of the American Planning Association (APA) and is President-Elect of the American Institute of Certified Planners. Mitchell is an award-winning planner with over 35 years of experience. He is internationally recognized for his leadership in the planning profession and his contributions to contemporary planning issues. As Parks Commissioner, Mitchell oversees management, planning and operations of nearly 30,000 acres of parkland.

One of the nation’s most celebrated urban thinkers, Commissioner Silver has been elected to Planetizen’s list of the 100 Most Influential Urbanists in the world (2017). In addition, he has been honored as one of the top 100 City Innovators in the world by UBM Future Cities, and in 2012 the Urban Times named him one of the top international thought leaders of the built environment.

Justin Garrett Moore is an urban designer and the executive director of the New York City Public Design Commission . He has extensive experience in urban planning and design—from large-scale urban systems, policies, and projects to grassroots and community-based planning, design, and arts initiatives. At the Public Design Commission, his work focuses on prioritizing quality and excellence for the public realm and fostering accessibility, diversity, and inclusion in New York's public buildings, landscapes, and art. He is a member of the American Planning Association's AICP Commission, theUrban Design Forum, and BlackSpace . He is also an adjunct faculty member at Columbia University and co-founder of Urban Patch .