Meagan Holman O’Reilly Named Executive Director
Meagan Holman O’Reilly. Photo courtesy of Lake Park Friends.
Milwaukee, Wis. (May 1, 2026) — For the first time in its 30-year history, Lake Park Friends (LPF) has an executive director: Meagan Holman O’Reilly, a veteran consultant and leader in the non-profit sector and a longtime resident of Milwaukee County.
The Friends — and its new executive director — follow the organization’s original 1996 mandate to “promote the preservation and enjoyment of Lake Park, to sponsor educational, recreational and cultural events in the park, and to raise funds for the restoration and enhancement of the park in the spirit of Frederick Law Olmsted,” the park’s internationally renowned designer. The park officially opened in 1903.
Over her 20-plus-year career, O’Reilly has served in a number of non-profit capacities, most recently as an independent consultant to small- to medium-size organizations but also including terms as a member of the Wauwatosa Common Council and the Milwaukee School Board. A graduate of Ohio’s Oberlin College, she received a Master’s degree in Public Policy from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.
“I’m honored and truly excited to join Lake Park Friends at this moment and to step into a role that helps shape the park’s future,” says O’Reilly. “Growing up in Boston, I developed an early appreciation for Olmsted parks and the way they intentionally connect people to nature in urban environments. That belief has stayed with me, and it feels especially meaningful to help carry that vision forward in a place as special as Lake Park.”
Welcoming O’Reilly to the new executive director position is incoming President Nadine Weske, herself a veteran leader for Milwaukee’s Park People organization and a frequent visitor to Lake Park.
“I am proud that we can announce the hiring of our first executive director,” says Weske. “Meagan will support the mission of enriching the promotion, preservation, enjoyment, and enhancement of the park. She brings a strong background of public policy and extensive nonprofit consulting experience, and will help us reach our goals of growing our membership and helping to improve the park for future generations.”
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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