With the all-new “Progress” version of New York’s largest Pride Flag as a background, Commissioner Kulleseid cheered the start of Pride Month in New York State. To The Daily, he emphasized the welcome everyone, without exception, should feel in all of the parks he oversees.
by David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
Commissioner Erik Kulleseid at FDR Four Freedoms State Park
About Erik Kulleseid
Erik Kulleseid was appointed Commissioner of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation in January 2019 by Governor Andrew Cuomo.
He oversees more than 350 parks, historic sites, marinas and public golf courses, as well as recreation programs for all ages statewide. The agency also administers the Environmental Protection Fund’s Parks and Trails program.
Before becoming commissioner, Kulleseid was the executive liaison for New York State Parks with the Open Space Institute.
But on the first day of Pride Month, 2022, in New York State, he was all in for Four Freedoms. He also took a moment to emphasize the significance of Roosevelt Island as a location.
In recent years, the Pride Flag along with other events signaled muscular support for the LGBTQ community as a vital player at all levels in community life across America.
This year’s flag is special, though. It’s been updated with an arrow indicating progress in LGBTQ acceptance, especially in New York State.
The Future is Always Here
While Kulleseid got a firsthand look at the park’s distribution of Adirondack chairs in the meadow, Four Freedoms Conservancy Executive Director Howard Axel briefed him on the next steps for the park. A few weeks back, the commissioner took part in assembling the chairs on I Love My Park Day, but blustery weather limited their distribution.
As the pair exchanged ideas for a dynamic future, they strolled down to The Room where FDR’s Four Freedoms anchors both the park’s meaning and its commitment.
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Ten Years, or Another Temporary Fix?
Roosevelt Island was built through public investment, then expected to support itself through development. The ten-year lease extension gives RIOC a rare chance to replace short-term deals with a financial system designed to outlast the people approving them.
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