For most of his life, Greg Peckham has always been up for a hike or a walk in the woods. Since June, his new job as President and CEO of the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park gives him daily access to the more than 33,000 acres of diverse ecosystems, including forests, rivers, historic farmlands and wetlands, located between Cleveland and Akron, Ohio.
Previously, Greg served as Executive Director at Cleveland Public Art from 2004 to 2011. From 2011 to 2016, he served as LAND Studio’s Managing Director, then took on the role of Executive Director from 2017 to 2025. In that position,.Greg says he considers himself more planner than artist, so his interests include urban policy focused on arts and culture, infrastructure, transportation, and community development.
“The area of focus that has been most important for me is public access to arts and the importance of making sure that everybody has access to art as a part of their everyday life,” Greg says. “I personally focus on the importance of good community planning and design of public spaces to make a neighborhood feel unique and a city that is welcoming to all people.”
Greg earned his bachelor’s degree from Ohio State University and master’s degree in nonprofit management from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University.
Looking back on all of the public projects he was directly involved with developing while at LAND Studio he says perhaps the most meaningful for him is the creation of Irishtown Bend Park a new 25-acre waterfront park along the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland’s industrial flats, a project that is still unfolding today. Beyond the individual projects, Peckham’s goal has been to elevate design culture in Cleveland and to create a seat at the table for artists in city planning initiatives
“What makes Greg truly exceptional is his commitment to fostering creativity in public space that has empowered countless artists and enriched communities across Cleveland,” says artist Mark Reigelman II (CAP 2018). “He has built platforms for dialogue, connection, and beauty, contributions that extend far beyond aesthetics. Under Greg’s stewardship, these artistic interventions serve as catalysts for social engagement, elevating civic pride and encouraging moments of shared joy and discovery.”
Now, Greg is thrilled about his role as steward for CVNP’s conservancy, which means ensuring there are great arts and cultural programs to complement the natural landscape and recreational trails alongside major attractions such as Blossom Music Center, the Conservancy’s Art Gallery, the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail and the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. He is also planning to enlarge and enhance the park’s programs for students, many of whom have not had much exposure to nature.
“The Conservancy serves almost 10,000 students annually through the Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center, with students coming from ‘throughout northeast Ohio’ and the greater community,” says the longtime resident of Ohio City, where he lives with his wife and two daughters. “The park itself welcomes nearly three million visitors annually, with a significant portion of engagement coming from these educational programs.”
In recent years, the park’s annual visitor numbers average between 2.5 to 2.9 million people, which made it the twelfth most visited National Park in the U.S. in 2023. With those figures, CVNP is on par with visitor numbers that rival the Cleveland Museum of Art, West Side Market and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame combined.
At the heart of everything he does, Greg believes residents of Northeast Ohio have a responsibility to respect and support our reputation as a community that enhances and advances the arts. We also need to lift up our regional artists to ensure that Cleveland remains a springboard to recognition and opportunity locally and nationally.
“Art is part of the community and cultural fabric of what it means to be a Clevelander,” Greg states. “Because we have such a wealth of riches when it comes to our city’s cultural landscape, we have to make sure we’re celebrating that, preserving it and perpetuating it to always be a core part of the fabric of the city.”
Ultimately, for Greg, nature and art are deeply intertwined.
“Nature is the original art, and everything else is just trying to keep up,” observes the seasoned trekker since his youth in Cleveland Heights. “I see the intersection of art and nature and urban planning and landscape architecture as just such an interwoven way of exposing people to public spaces. Art and nature are inherently linked. We should help people experience and see those things together.”