Erik Kulleseid is the President & CEO of the Open Space Institute (OSI). With a passion for protecting natural resources and creating welcoming parks, Kulleseid has dedicated his career to enhancing outdoor experiences for all.
Prior to joining OSI in 2024, Kulleseid served as the NYS Commissioner of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation for five years where he recorded steady growth in visitors while overseeing major capital initiatives. His position at OSI marks a return to the organization. During his original tenure at OSI from 2010 to 2019, Kulleseid launched its parks initiative, prioritizing accessibility and inclusivity in public park design and stewardship. His leadership resulted in a program that has grown into a multi-state pillar for OSI with transformative projects at Minnewaska, Fahnestock, Thacher, and Letchworth State parks and the development of OSI’s River-to-Ridge Trail in New Paltz, New York, and the creation of a 70-mile-long riverine park network along the Black River in South Carolina.
Kulleseid’s decades-long conservation career has been built on protecting land for public use and natural resource protection through formative years at the Trust for Public Land and prior government service as Deputy Commissioner for Open Space Protection at New York State Parks.