Celebrating 30 years of the Cincinnati Parks Foundation—a special note from President + CEO Jennifer Hafner Spieser
This year, the Cincinnati Parks Foundation proudly celebrates 30 years of connecting Cincinnatians to parks and to each other. At the heart of this mission is Jennifer Hafner Spieser, our President + CEO, whose love for Cincinnati and Cincinnati Parks is as boundless as our city’s green spaces themselves.
To commemorate this milestone, we asked Jennifer to share 30 of her favorite things about Cincinnati Parks. From treasured trails to transformational projects and programs, here’s what makes her heart sing:
Nature & Neighborhoods
- The new Capitoline Wolf at Eden Park.
- The hidden garden at Smale Riverfront Park dedicated to our former Board President, Cathy Smale Caldemeyer – “Cathy’s Garden”
- Carter’s Grove at Ault Park, with accessible benches and a true sanctuary for birds.
- The Terry K. Crilley Playground at Alms Park.
- A special memorial dedicated to a friend we lost last year, Robert Rack – a fierce supporter of Mt. Storm Park.
- Everybody’s Treehouse at Mt. Airy Forest – the first universally accessible treehouse (west of the Alleghenies).
- Wilson Commons Park, where sunrises are magical.
- The biggest magnolia tree you’ll ever see, at the Arboretum within Mt. Airy Forest.
- The tranquil trails at French Park, and the beautiful gazebo, dedicated to Mickey Kaplan, by her husband, Stan. (We had our wedding photos taken at that spot.)
- Mt. Echo Park – the BEST view of Cincinnati.
- A fall walk through Stanbery Park.
- Krohn Conservatory…Mark House and his entire TEAM are AMAZING!
Programs & Projects with Purpose
- Cincinnati Parks + Rec for Wellness: This newly launched program with the Osher Center for Integrative Health at UC.
- The fully accessible PNC Grow Up Great playground at Inwood Park: Built for every body and every ability. This space radiates inclusion and joy.
- BLINK at the Schmidlapp Lawn, made possible by our friends at Kolar Design and the Moerlein Lager House. (Thanks Kelly and Greg!)
- The be.well partnership with Cincinnati Children’s: This award-winning program helps make our 200-year-old park system accessible to kids with special needs. (We even won a Governor’s Award in 2022 from the Ohio Parks & Recreation Association.)
- Let’s Grow Local: We love being a part of this with MadTree Brewing and lots of other partners and friends.
- Ellen’s Heart & Soul Book Club: honoring the legacy of former board member Ellen Sole and inspiring young readers! Cincinnati Parks are perfect places to read a book!
- Cincy Barks: This initiative celebrates our furry friends!
- Our partnership with the Cincinnati Fire Department and Cincinnati Fire Foundation: Last summer, we worked together to give bicycle helmets to almost 1,000 children. I spent 8 years with the Cincinnati Fire Department, and now my little brother is a Cincinnati Firefighter, so this was special to me.
- Smale Family Fun Days: Joy, music, books, popsicles and FREE rides on Carol Ann’s Carousel.
Personal Favorites
- The generosity of people who believe in the power of Parks.
- Our team at the Cincinnati Parks Foundation – all so talented and passionate about this mission. We are small, but mighty and mad resourceful.
- Our Board of Directors, led by our Board Chair, Brian Tiffany – he brings so much joy and passion to our work. We have 40 hardworking board members, some of the coolest and most eclectic in our city, Who LOVE CINCINNATI PARKS! We couldn’t do it without them!
- The brilliant team at Cincinnati Parks, the best of the best in their fields, led by our friend, Director of Parks, Jason Barron and a dedicated Board of Park Commissioners.
- Hats Off Luncheon: It’s so joyful to see 1,000 Cincinnati Parks’ supporters all dressed to the nines and having SO much fun together.
- Morning walks at Owl’s Nest Park with my sweet little pup, Winnie.
- Making calls as I roam around Hauck Gardens… a perfect place to pause in nature and where to get lots of work complete.
- obLITTERators: We’ve removed TONS of little in parks, thanks to some amazing volunteers. Look what we can do when we work together!
- As I celebrate my 10th year with the Cincinnati Parks Foundation, I take great pride in pointing out many projects I have been honored to be a part of. It is so special to point out something and share a story with my family and friends.
In Jennifer’s words:
“Cincinnati Parks are where joy, healing and hope take root. As we celebrate 30 years of the Cincinnati Parks Foundation, I’m filled with gratitude for every donor, every volunteer, every child who plays on a playground or skips down a path, and every neighbor who takes a breath under the shade of trees. These parks belong to all of us. And the best is yet to come.”
Join us throughout our 30th anniversary year as we continue to highlight the people, places, projects and programs that make our parks so powerful.
What are your favorite things about Cincinnati Parks? Share with us and use the hashtag #CPF30Years.