Tina Sullivan is stepping down as executive director of the Overton Park Conservancy (OPC), the organization announced Tuesday morning.
Sullivan will serve in the role until a successor is brought on board. She has helmed OPC since its creation 12 years ago. In that time, the park has seen a number of improvements, which brought a surge of popularity. OPC said visitor counts over the last several years have reached 1.5 million.
“Having the task of connecting people to nature has been deeply rewarding,” said Sullivan. “Something magical happens when people come to Overton Park and experience its unique beauty and welcoming culture. People from different backgrounds form bonds around their love of this place. The park’s diverse community is vibrant and thriving, and that strength is what will protect this place for future generations.”
Since OPC’s creation, the 126-acre Old Forest was designated as a State Natural Area, and the title brought a number of new protections for the area. New entrances to the forest were created by local artists and erected at its entrances.
Overton Bark, a dog park, was created. The organization conducted research, removed invasive plants, renovated and maintained trails, and launched a schedule of nature-based programming, many of these with the help of park volunteers and supporters.
Maybe the biggest issue Sullivan helped to tackle in her tenure was one that, ultimately, ended nearly 30 years of parking on the Overton Park Greensward. Negotiations and controversy followed the issue for years until OPC leaders, the Memphis Zoo, and the city of Memphis signed an agreement in 2022.
“Tina’s patient leadership during that tenuous period kept everyone at the negotiating table until the best possible solution could be found,” said OPC board chair Yancy Villa.
The agreement also brought additional acres of old-growth forest back to the park. It also opened a large area in the park’s southeast corner, as the city agreed to close part of its maintenance facility there.
Sullivan said the time is right for her to step aside.
“With the park thriving and the Conservancy in a steady-but-growing position, this is the opportune time to relinquish the captain’s seat,” she said in a statement. “We’re in a moment of calm before the next growth phase, which gives the board some freedom to spend time recruiting the best possible leader.”
Villa said, “Tina has been the right leader at the right time for [OPC]. From its inception to today, she has led the Conservancy with integrity, tenacity, and passion.”