John Zhang is a project manager on Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Capital team, and has been at the Park for over two years. Having worked at Wave Hill and Governors Island, John is a big fan of New York City’s green spaces.
“I’ve always found green spaces to be an incredibly important part of New York City as a whole,” he said. “That’s kind of always why I gravitated to them, to some extent. I love how unique Governors Island and Brooklyn Bridge Park are in comparison to traditional green spaces. The Park caters to tourists who are looking to see the skyline of Manhattan; to fellow New Yorkers who are taking a lunch break on one of our benches. I love that through my job, I’m able to help contribute to the experiences of so many.”
Like many people at BBP, John was familiar with some of our current staff in previous roles. He worked with Rob Lomangino, senior project manager, at Governors Island. Rob moved over to BBP and recommended John for his current role and is now his manager.
“He’s a great manager,” he said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better manager.”
John’s work mostly involves the management of capital projects, which you may see unfolding when you visit the Park. In February of this year, the team finished renovating the boardwalk at Empire Fulton Ferry outside of Jane’s Carousel overlooking the water. Now, our guests have a new, beautiful view of the East River.
“[My day-to-day] is pretty varied, which I love a lot,” he said. “There’s also quite a bit of outdoor work that gets to happen in terms of managing a project. One of the last projects I worked on is the new boardwalk at Empire Fulton Ferry, and it looks great.”
John’s favorite staff tradition includes our monthly Lunch & Learns, such as when BBP’s gardeners brought in materials from the Park to lead staff in making unique wreaths. He also loves exploring the Labyrinth at Pier 3.