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Wednesday marked the start of a new day for the East Bay Regional Park District – one 270 days in the making, as it turned out.
The Board of Directors appointed Max Korten as permanent general manager, removing the “acting” tag he held since last November in the wake of sudden turnover that continues to hang over the district. After a nationwide recruitment, the directors found their future already resided in their Oakland headquarters.
“I’m honored and grateful for this opportunity, and I don’t take it lightly,” Korten said in a press release after Tuesday’s board meeting.
“The Park District is a special place, and I’ve learned so much from the people who came before me,” he added. “These parks are meant to be here forever, for everyone, and my focus is on keeping the organization strong so we can protect these resources while making sure they remain accessible and welcoming to all.”
An integral decision at an important moment for a public agency so intrinsic to the East Bay lifestyle, particularly in the Tri-Valley. Touting itself as the largest regional park system in the country, EBRPD manages 73 parks, 55 miles of shoreline and over 1,330 miles of trails to the tune of nearly 127,000 acres overall in Alameda and Contra Costa counties – including local favorites like the Iron Horse Trail, Shadow Cliffs, Las Trampas, Del Valle, Sunol Wilderness and Pleasanton Ridge.
Korten certainly seems to have the requisite experience.
Bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from UC Santa Cruz. Master’s in natural resources from Humboldt State. Wilderness ranger for U.S. Forest Service. Natural resources program director for Conservation Corps North Bay. Backcountry ranger and trail crew supervisor for the Bureau of Land Management.
He worked nearly a decade for Marin County Parks, including eight years as director and general manager of an agency with 34 open space preserves, 45 parks, roughly 150 employees and a $35 million annual operating budget.
He moved from the San Rafael-based public agency to EBRPD as deputy general manager in October 2024, in part to be closer to his family’s home in Berkeley – where he is a regular, longtime user of Tilden Regional Park trails.
The directors turned to Korten in dire straits on Nov. 8, 2025 – a Saturday morning meeting where they debated what to do after then-GM Sabrina Landreth put in her resignation two days earlier amid infighting with the board.
Korten kept the acting GM title for nearly nine months, leading the agency through a time that included a botched attempt to hire Robert Doyle out of retirement as interim GM, Landreth filing a bombshell tort claim against the district and a five-month nationwide recruitment for the next permanent leader.
That search process started in March and yielded nearly 100 applicants – conducted without a consultant firm and spearheaded internally by assistant general manager of human resources Jessica Romeo (a familiar name in the San Ramon Valley, where she worked in the school district’s cabinet until 2014).
Korten rose to the top, EBRPD officials revealed late last week with the release of the board’s agenda for Tuesday that included a draft of his proposed three-year contract.
The board approved the agreement in a 6-0 vote, with Director Elizabeth Echols absent. The deal includes an annual salary of $388,731.24 as well as health and fringe benefits, retirement contributions, vacation and sick leave and transportation allowance – plus terms for job duties, regular performance evaluations and separation.
Board President Olivia Sanwong praised Korten for his “steady, thoughtful leadership” and “deep commitment” to the district’s mission, employees and communities.
“The Board is confident that his experience, collaborative approach, and clear vision will guide the Park District forward as we expand access to nature, preserve our rich heritage of natural and cultural resources, provide meaningful environmental education, and ensure that an environmental ethic continues to guide all that we do,” Sanwong said in a district press release.
Time will tell whether – and how – things start to settle for the district now that the general manager uncertainty is no more.
Four director positions are on the November ballot, including John Mercurio’s Ward 6 that includes the San Ramon Valley and Sanwong’s Ward 5 with Pleasanton, Dublin and Livermore. Mercurio is uncontested so far with the filing deadline Friday, but Sanwong is facing opposition from fellow Pleasanton resident Bruce Henry.
The district welcomed two new cabinet members this summer: promoting Chris Wyckoff to the new role of assistant GM of facilities and infrastructure, and hiring Jonah Nicholas away from Chabot-Las Positas Community College District to become assistant GM of finance and management services / chief financial officer.
“I look forward to working with our talented team to advance major initiatives, support operations and maintenance, and ensure facilities and infrastructure serve the East Bay for years to come,” Wyckoff said in a press release after his appointment last month. He joined EBRPD in 2025 from North Carolina.
Nicholas, whose career included time in the executive cabinets of both Contra Costa and Chabot-Las Positas community college districts, succeeded Deborah Spaulding in June after her retirement.
“I am honored to join the Park District and to support the vital work this organization does on behalf of the communities it serves,” Nicholas said in a press release earlier this summer. “The Park District’s commitment to preserving open space, expanding access, and investing wisely in its future is something I look forward to supporting.”
And Landreth’s litigation still looms.
In fact the board talked in closed session, but took no action Tuesday, regarding the former GM’s claim alleging discrimination, harassment, retaliation and corruption. Multiple directors, including Sanwong, denied allegations to us back in February.
Landreth offered no comment when I reached out to her representative for a reaction to the ongoing legal battle and the start of the Korten era.
Editor’s note: Jeremy Walsh is the associate publisher and editorial director for the Embarcadero Media Foundation’s East Bay Division. His “What A Week” column is a recurring feature in the Pleasanton Weekly, Livermore Vine and DanvilleSanRamon.com.
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