Bio
Charles Gili Sr., Chief of Operations for the Parks Department in Brooklyn, has 24-hour operational responsibility for over 900 park properties, 240 playgrounds, three and a half miles of beaches, 150 baseball fields, 12 swimming pools, 150 tennis courts and 600,000 street and park trees in Brooklyn. Managing a staff of over 500, Mr. Gili and his team ensure that parks are safe, clean and inviting for all visitors. With 33 years of service in the Parks Department, Mr. Gili has brought innovative models everywhere he has worked. As an Urban Park Ranger, Mr. Gili created a geology curriculum for Crotona Park. In 1987, he initiated the City’s then largest ever salt marsh restoration project in Marine Park. As Chief of Operations in Brooklyn, he manages implementation of diverse initiatives including the use of hand-held computers for field work and Operations for the 21st Century helping to streamline the borough’s response to issues needing attention. Says one former colleague, “If the job’s impossible, he finds another way. And everything is done with an eye on serving the public.”
