After a national search, Friends of Grand Rapids Parks has chosen Stacy Bare as the Grand Rapids-based non-profit’s next leader.
Bare will succeed Stephanie Adams, who recently stepped down as the organization’s Executive Director after four years of leadership. Over her tenure, Adams solidified Friends’ financial position, strengthened partnerships with the City of Grand Rapids and community organizations, and championed a team culture that works with people across Grand Rapids to cultivate vibrant parks, green spaces, and trees.
“Stacy brings with him a wealth of passion and experience in outdoor recreation at a national level” said Lee Mueller, president of Friends’ board. “We’re excited by his track record of promoting outdoor recreation and his excitement for helping everyone experience the benefits of time outside.”
Stacy Bare will join Friends after more than a decade dedicated to getting more people outside. “I’m a passionate believer in the role parks play in the health of communities and people and I’m super excited to join Friends,” said Bare. “I’ve spent my career primarily focused on the transformative and healing power of the outdoors – and am excited to continue that work in Grand Rapids” he added.
Bare’s experience includes leading an initiative with the Sierra Club to expand participation among youth, military and communities of color in outdoor recreation. Bare also launched the Great Outdoors Lab alongside University of California-Berkeley professor Dacher Keitner to understand the science of how time outside and the emotion of awe benefits human health. Bare is also a military veteran with experience in Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia, and Georgia.
Friends works closely with the City of Grand Rapids to promote outdoor recreation, invest in community park spaces, and plant trees across Grand Rapids. Bare will work closely with Friends’ board of directors to raise $1.5 million to invest in Grand Rapids’ park spaces, plant trees across the City, and encourage more people to get outside. He starts in his position on February 1st, 2022.
Bare and his family will be relocating to Grand Rapids from Utah. “I’m looking forward to getting to know Grand Rapids. With family roots in Michigan, my family and I have been looking for an opportunity to move to the Great Lakes region” said Stacy. “We look forward to introducing our Grand Rapids community to Stacy and his family,” added Mueller. Bare enjoys camping, mountain biking, nordic skiing, and playing in parks. He is super excited about how big his ice beard can get as he learns to surf and paddle in the Great Lakes in the winter!
