News

Shelby Farms Park Conservancy has named Rick Masson as its executive director to manage the park property and launch the vision soon emerging from a major master-planning process.

Masson, who has served as executive director of the Memphis-based Plough Foundation since 2003, will be the park’s first permanent executive director since the Shelby County Commission assigned the property to the Shelby Farms Park Conservancy in August 2007. Masson was selected by the Conservancy Board after a search process launched last fall to explore local and national candidates.

“Rick Masson is a perfect fit for our organization – he’s an outstanding leader and executive with a passion for Shelby Farms,” said Conservancy Chairman Calvin Anderson. “Rick has all of the skill and ability to help us achieve our mission to make Shelby Farms the great new 21st Century park in North America.”

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation-Natural Areas Division is hosting a trail repair and maintenance day at Shelby Farms Park in the Lucius Burch Jr. State Natural Area. Volunteers will repair the Blue Trail by re-routing sections around wet areas, removing privet, building steps and short boardwalks and installing signs at the trails heads.

Volunteers must register. Contact Allan Trently at (731) 512-1369.

Firm will now creat plan based on public input

MEMPHIS, Tennessee – The Shelby Farms Park Conservancy announced today that field operations, a highly respected landscape architecture firm based in New York City, has been chosen to design the Master Plan for Shelby Farms Park.

“We are thrilled to work with field operations on this groundbreaking project,” said Barbara Hyde, chair of the master plan committee for Shelby Farms Park Conservancy. “field operations has an incredible passion for Shelby Farms Park and the citizens of Memphis and Shelby County, a passion that is matched by their talent and desire to create the greatest American park of the 21st Century.”
“Now, it’s time to go to work, creating a plan that represents the potential of this 4,500 acre community asset, and the thoughts the public has shared throughout the Master Plan process,” said Hyde.