Gov. Andrew Cuomo has selected Rose Harvey, a researcher at a green real estate policy, development and investment firm, to serve as commissioner of the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.

“Rose Harvey’s experience and knowledge as well as her expertise creating countless cost-effective parks, playgrounds and open spaces in underserved communities with efficiency makes her the person we need to lead this agency,” Cuomo said in a press release.

“I thank her for her public service and look forward to working with her.”

Harvey is currently a senior fellow at the Jonathan Rose Companies, where she acts as an advisor and researcher on parks and open space issues, and launched a non-profit organization to fund, design and develop safe, well-managed parks in urban neighborhoods.

She was also recently a McCluskey Fellow and Lecturer at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.

Harvey got her start as assistant director for Conservation Easement at the Maryland Environmental Trust. She held leadership positions for 27 years at The Trust for Public Land, most recently as senior VP and national director of Urban Programs.

Former Parks Commissioner Carol Ash resigned last fall to help start a new nonprofit, the Alliance for New York State Parks, to advocate for the park system from outside government.

Harvey will require Senate confirmation. No immediate information about her salary was available.

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