Q. and A. with the new FPC director

Corey Allen recently became the executive director of the Franklin Park Coalition (FPC), which is a nonprofit group that helps maintain the park. Allen replaces Anita Morson-Matra, who took over on an interim basis when longtime director Christine Poff left last year. The Gazette conducted a question-and-answer session with him through email about his new job, FPC, and Franklin Park. (The session has been edited.)

Why did you want to become the executive director of the Franklin Park Coalition?

I wanted to become the executive director of the Franklin Park Coalition because I love Franklin Park and all that it has to offer to the community in terms of fellowship, health benefits, and educational opportunities. The people that live around and use the park are the best folks in the world and our membership, who are the driving force behind our stewardship, advocacy, and programming, are folks that I’ve come to know as a board member and feel very humbled to work for them.

What are the challenges that face FPC and the park? How will you deal with those challenges?

One of the big challenges that the Franklin Park Coalition faces is reaching all of the residents who surround the park. There are multi-level apartment buildings; businesses; schools; one-, two-, and three-family homes – lots of different types of neighbors to reach and often times on different work and leisure schedules. So providing programming that fits the 5:30 running group and the midday parents in the playground and the evening walking party is a challenge, but I believe with continuing our strong presence in the community and using non-traditional methods of outreach, engagement, and collaboration, we will continue to improve the quality of user’s experiences in the park.

What are your goals for the organization and the park?

The goals of the organization and the park are intertwined – to provide an oasis to the hustle and bustle of the city and provide healthy mental and physical activities for park users. Frederick Law Olmsted’s original concept for the park is alive and well and we are working to continue his legacy of taking care of the park so that the people can enjoy the 527-acre gem of his Emerald Necklace.

You have a long history with Franklin Park. What does the park mean to you and what role does it play in your life?

Franklin Park means everything to me. It is the place where my grandparents would spend leisure time in the summer, where my dad played Little League baseball, and I learned to ride my bike and play football. When I coached for the Dorchester Bears with Rich Moran, we played our home games at White Stadium. During treks or service missions in the park, I often imagine the rock formations, which are a part of the Mattapan Volcanic Complex, being formed millions and billions of years ago, and how humbling it is that I have the opportunity to tune-up the park with that rich of a history. Franklin Park has been central to my family history and personal development, and my hope is that eons from now that the flora, fauna, wildlife, and rock formations are being cared for as much as they are now.

Now that you are the executive director of FPC, what message do you have to new and old Franklin Park goers?

To the old park goers – thank you for your continued love of and support for the park. At one time, the park was written off as a dumping ground, but with the fortitude shown by neighbors and supporters, the park has become a destination for hundreds of thousands, if not a million people per year. Without your resilience, it could not be so. To new park users, welcome! Thank you very much for joining a community of people who love their park, care about the vitality of the community and hope that you find your experience as enriching as have so many that came before you.

I saw in the mayor’s budget proposal that there is $5 million for a pathway and entrance improvement project. Can you talk a little about the project?

In the past, there have been either tens of thousands or maybe hundreds of thousands of dollars allocated for improvements to the Franklin Park walking paths at a time. Franklin Park Coalition would work with the Boston Parks and Recreation Department and the Mayor’s Office to identify the most important points to fix. Mayor Marty Walsh, in a very bold gesture, asked Parks Commissioner Chris Cook what would an investment look like to complete the walking path and the response was $5 million. That amount will mean that the walking path will no longer receive patch jobs of remediation, but that it will get the needed attention in a comprehensive way, addressing non ADA-compliant portions, tree roots growing along the path and making it a more attractive route for the loyal travelers.