In 1978, newly-elected Mayor Ed Koch and parks commissioner Gordon Davis created the position of Central Park administrator, charged with supervising not only park operations and maintenance but also community engagement and park restoration in collaboration with the private sector. Betsy Barlow Rogers, a city planner and Olmsted scholar, got the job and was soon wearing two hats: Central Park administrator and Central Park Conservancy president. This unprecedented solution launched Rogers into uncharted waters. As administrator, she was a civil servant who managed the park, oversaw unionized city workers, set and carried out policies, and reported to the Parks Commissioner (and ultimately the mayor). As conservancy president, she directed special-project fundraising, led a publicity and outreach campaign, oversaw nonunion employees, and reported to the group’s chairman (and ultimately its board). While the two roles were spelled out in writing, the job demanded high levels of adaptability, political sensitivity, and personal communication skills rather than a by-the-book bureaucratic approach.