About us
together, we make parks better.
The San Antonio Parks Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization whose mission is to support and enhance parks in San Antonio and Bexar County.
Your contribution helps support our core values.
Conservation
We promote and activate environmental efforts to preserve and enhance our public lands.
Community
We unite people of all backgrounds in shared spaces, fostering pride and ownership in their neighborhoods.
Culture
We foster an appreciation for the multicultural aspects of people, arts, and historic areas of the city.
People
We enable and encourage outside activity that inspires the health, wellness and joy integral to the quality of life for our residents.
Education
We share knowledge with the community so nature can be better enjoyed and appreciated by people of all ages.
Equity
We advocate for inclusivity and accessibility so our parks can be enjoyed by all.
since 1981, we strive to nuture pride in our parks.
We have organized free, public outdoor festivals and events that engage the community and improve quality of life.
Through a collaborative effort with community business leaders, we updated the Medina River Natural Area’s headquarters.
We assisted groups such as Friends of McAllister Park and Milam Park, who rely on the Foundation to process their funding needs quickly and securely.
Thanks to donations, we collaborated on a new dog park plan that will revitalize Maverick Park and provide pet-friendly recreation space, an agility course, water bowls, and more.
The Foundation brightened up the downtown jewel of Travis Park with new lighting, which locals and tourists can all enjoy.
Installed floating islands of lilies and cannas in the Japanese Tea Garden to help conserve water in the 100,000 gallon ponds.
parks bring people together
At the San Antonio Parks Foundation, we actively invest in a culture of excellence that values and advances diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout our organization’s thought processes, structures, and spaces. In our vision, everyone deserves to live in a neighborhood with healthy land and water, and access to quality parks, trails, and civic infrastructure that fosters a nurturing environment as we collectively strive to become better learners living in a more connected community.
We enthusiastically seek opportunities to work in tandem with underserved and under-represented communities to identify and implement appropriate action to fully realize these equity, diversity, and inclusion objectives. Opportunity and access, for all residents and visitors, to all programs, services, and employment, regardless of age, race, gender or gender identity, national origin, ethnicity, culture, religion, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status is integral to our values and mission.
lila cockrell endowment
Lila Cockrell has always advocated for the enhancement and preservation of public green spaces and led the San Antonio Parks Foundation from 1981 until her retirement in 2012.
The Lila Cockrell Endowment Fund for the Parks was launched in 2015 with a $1,000,000 gift from Alamo City-based Valero Energy Foundation. Donations to this permanent endowment will provide long-term financial stability for the work of the foundation, are fully tax-deductible as a 501(c)3 charitable gift, and help to realize Mayor Cockrell’s vision in perpetuity.
our staff
mary jane verette
president and ceo
melanie planas
office manager
samantha perez
japanese tea garden venue manager
2024 board of officers
board chair
jennifer regnier
secretary
julie mccarty
treasurer
denise salzman, cpa
immediate past chair
ken r kuwamura
board of directors
Cristina Bazaldua
Joann boone
Mary Rose Brown
Bonnie Conner
kelley farwell
Cecilia Garcia
Melba Harris
roy hock
clyde johnson iv
David Kinder
Daniel S. Koehl, CPA
ken r kuwamura
charito lincoln
brandon logan
Jane Macon
bryan mask, asla
julie mccarty
tommy newman
jason pittman
laura powell
Dr. Sylvia Reyna
Sylvia Rodriguez
Sam Bell Steves II
Kristin D. Tips
Ed L. White, Jr.
Homer Garcia (ex officio)
advisory board
marcie ince
Evangelina Flores
Tom Frost, lll
Rosemary Kowalski
John L. Nau, lll
thank you to our sponsors
