What a Week: New voice to lead East Bay Parks

New leadership is coming to the East Bay Regional Park District, and she’s a heavy hitter from Bay Area city government administration.

The EBRPD Board of Directors voted this Tuesday to hire Sabrina Landreth, the former city administrator for Oakland, as the district’s next general manager. When she starts her role on March 15, she will be the 10th GM in the district’s 87-year history — and the first woman ever to hold that position for East Bay Parks.

“I look forward to continuing to build upon the great work the district does to improve the quality of life for our East Bay community, while adhering to its social and environmental responsibilities,” Landreth said in a statement released through EBRPD on Tuesday night.

The park district manages many of our favorite outdoor recreation sites here in the Tri-Valley: Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park, Shadow Cliffs, Del Valle, the Las Trampas Regional Wilderness and of course, the Iron Horse Regional Trail.

Despite being so prominent in our lives, not many residents are very familiar with the inner workings of the EBRPD. I’m sure plenty don’t even know the district by name, let alone recognize it as the thread connecting these beloved parks, trails and open spaces in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. (Even I was surprised to learn EBRPD represents the largest regional park system in the country.)

But it’s critical to pay as close attention to the park district as you would almost any other local public agency. Decisions by the board and administration have direct impacts on our recreational activities — not to mention, they’re stewards of public lands, tax dollars, and hundreds of employees and volunteers.

Landreth, who has inked a contract with an initial three-year term at an annual salary of $335,670.36, is taking the helm at an important time for the district.

Environmental protection, park improvements, fire safety, legislative advocacy and weathering the financial storm that continues to be the COVID-19 pandemic are just a few of the major issues waiting on her desk.

“Our board is thrilled to have Sabrina join our organization,” Board President Dee Rosario said. “She has all the right elements of urban public sector leadership experience and especially understands the diversity of the East Bay communities we serve.”

Clearly, the directors must also value Landreth’s professional expertise with budget planning, policy making and regional advocacy. An East Bay native who graduated from MIT (bachelor’s) and UC Berkeley (master’s), Landreth worked throughout the Oakland city government before leading as city administrator from 2015 to 2020. She also previously worked as city manager of Emeryville.

Landreth has some big shoes to fill at EBRPD, succeeding the now-retired Robert Doyle, a mainstay with the district for 47 years, including the past decade as its general manager.

In addition to being able to draw on her extensive career experience, Landreth will benefit from strong institutional support within the district. I mean, just look at the Board of Directors, whose seven-member roster includes Ellen Corbett, a former state senator; Beverly Lane, a member of Danville’s founding Town Council in the ’80s; and Ayn Wieskamp, a former Livermore councilwoman.

Although the task is tall taking over in throes of this pandemic, the union between Landreth and EBRPD sure seems set up for success.

I for one look forward to tracking the district’s progress on key improvements planned in the Tri-Valley, including the expanded Del Valle Visitor Center, the outdoor nature pavilion at Shadow Cliffs and additional access points to Pleasanton Ridge.

Editor’s note: Jeremy Walsh has been the editor of the Pleasanton Weekly since February 2017. His “What a Week” column runs on the first and third Fridays of the month.