The Friends is honored to welcome Leslie Singleton Adam as the new Board Chair. On June 1, 2017, the board of directors of the Friends of the Public Garden elected Leslie Singleton Adam as Chair. Adam has been on the Friends board since 2014 and is only its third chair, succeeding the late Anne Brooke.
First Vice Chair, Colin Zick said, "The Friends is tremendously fortunate to have someone of the astuteness, practical vision, and nonprofit experience as Leslie Singleton Adam stepping into the Chair position at this significant time in the organization's life. Under her leadership, I know the Friends will continue to flourish."
Leslie Singleton Adam said, "It is an honor for me to serve as the Chair of the Friends of the Public Garden and I am excited to help the Friends grow. This impressive organization has done so much for the Boston community by investing over $1.5 million each year in the care of our parks. I will continue to advance the Friends' mission for excellence of care, active advocacy for park protection, and encourage a deepening partnership with the City in support of the Boston Common, Public Garden and Commonwealth Avenue Mall so that we can pass these treasures on to the next generation in better condition than we received them."
Adam brings impressive credentials to the position. She spent many years in the management of professional service firms, most recently at The Boston Consulting Group. She is currently working in real estate with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. Adam has been involved in a number of nonprofits here in the Beacon Hill community, including the Beacon Hill Nursery School, the Beacon Hill Civic Association, the Nichols House Museum and recently served as the President of the Beacon Hill Garden Club in which capacity she also was an ex officio member of the board of the Friends of the Public Garden. Born in Boston, a life-long park lover, Leslie and her husband Alastair have lived on Beacon Hill for 19 years, moving here from London. They live on Chestnut Street with their two children.
Adam takes the helm at an important time for the Friends continuing its primary mission of funding the expert care of trees, turf, and sculpture in all three parks. A major turf restoration and irrigation project is being implemented for the Common and the Mall, and the finishing touches for landscape improvements to the Boylston Street boundary of the Garden will be completed this fall. The $2.5 million campaign for the Henry and Joan Lee Sculpture Endowment is nearing completion.