Maura McCarthy, Executive Director

Maura McCarthy, Ph.D., is a nonprofit leader with nearly 20 years of experience building organizations at the intersection of conservation, community, and public space. As CEO of the Fairmount Park Conservancy, she sharpened the organization’s focus and scope while leading the Conservancy’s first comprehensive fundraising campaign, growing City-wide community programming, implementing transformative capital projects in FDR Park, and updating planning for the Fairmount Park Centennial District. Previously, she served as Executive Director of Friends of the Wissahickon, advancing watershed conservation, biodiversity and volunteer stewardship in the 1800 acre Wissahickon Valley Park. A native to Southeastern PA, Maura is originally from Chester, PA, attended New York University as an undergraduate, and holds a Ph.D. in Social Anthropology from the University of Oxford. Her background in the social sciences informs her approach to fostering consensus and equity in civic life. She lives with her husband and two daughters in the Wissahickon watershed.