Scissortail Park is a 70-acre public space created from funds generated by a penny sales tax. The 36-acre Upper Park opened on September 27, 2019. The Park is managed by Scissortail Park Foundation under a lease and management agreement with the Oklahoma City Economic Development Trust. Scissortail Park Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization responsible for raising funds to support the Park through donations, sponsorships and earned revenues. The Park, located south of Myriad Botanical Gardens, continues south close to the shore of the Oklahoma River. Featuring a variety of engaging experiences for visitors including ornamental gardens and woodlands, a 3.7 acre lake, children’s playground and water fountains, seasonal roller rink, dog park, picnic grove, restaurant and performance stage and great lawn, the Park has something for everyone.
Board of Directors
Jim Tolbert – Chair
Larry Nichols – Vice Chair
Matt Cole – Treasurer
Debora Morey – Deputy Director/Secretary
Maureen Heffernan – Executive Director
Chuck Davis – Chief Financial Officer
Mike Carrier
Councilman David Greenwell
Blair Humphreys
Kim Lowe
Steve Mason
Mike Mize
Claudia San Pedro
James A. Pickel
Kathy Williams
Executive
Chief Executive Officer
Maureen Heffernan
(405) 445-7081
mheffernan@scissortailpark.org
Chief Operating Officer
Chris Bachmann
(405) 493-0926
cbachmann@scissortailpark.org
Chief Financial Officer
Chuck Davis
(405) 445-7083
cdavis@scissotailpark.org
General Inquiries
Administrative Assistant
Brooke Mattox
(405) 445-6277
bmattox@scissortailpark.org
Safety + Security
Chief Ranger
Kevin Hammond
(405) 896-7551
khammond@scissortailpark.org
Park Ranger Sergeant – Safety Specialist
Laura Tone
Park Ranger Captain
John Paul
jpaul@scissortailpark.org
Park Ranger
Carson Cooper
Park Ranger
Laura Eckart
Park Ranger
Luiz Martinez
Park Ranger
Nick Tate
Human Resources
Director of Human Resources
Angela McComb-Cutshall
(405) 445-7095
amccomb-cutshall@scissortailpark.org
Marketing
Director of Marketing & Communications
Stacey Aldridge
(405) 696-6451
saldridge@scissortailpark.org
Graphic Designer
Sean Ball
sball@scissortailpark.org
Editorial Director
Susan Grossman
(405) 445-7090
sgrossman@scissortailpark.org
Events + Rentals
Associate Director of Events & Rentals
Jacilyn Kennedy
(405) 445-5786
jkennedy@scissortailpark.org
Rental Coordinator
Cristin Mercer
(405) 896-7554
cmercer@scissortailpark.org
Programming Manager
Nicole Kusnierz
(405) 896-7553
nkusnierz@scissortailpark.org
Technical Stage Manager
Ty Calanni
(405) 445-5146
tcalanni@scissortailpark.org
Volunteer Manager
Susanne Dougherty
(405) 445-6277
sdougherty@scissortailpark.org
Development
Director of Development
Jayme Phillips
(405) 445-6277
jphillips@scissortailpark.org
Horticulture + Grounds
Director of Horticulture & Grounds
Lance Swearengin
(405) 445-0480
lswearengin@scissortailpark.org
Arborist
Samuel Grimmett
Horticulturist
Kaitlin Bacon
Horticulturist
Katie Holland
Associate Director of Horticulture & Grounds
Matthew Janda
mjanda@scissortailpark.org
Horticulturist
Bradley Fowler
Horticulturist
Deborah Blackburn
Facilities
Director of Facilities
Lucas McClung
lmcclung@scissortailpark.org
Project Manager
Craig Taylor
Facilities Maintenance & Support
Kyle Daugherty
Facilities Trade Mechanic
Michael Turner
Facilities Trade Mechanic
Robert Martin
Water Systems Specialist
Toby Bateman
Park History

Approval
MAPS 3 is a $777 million capital improvement program that was approved by Oklahoma City voters December 8, 2009. As a one-cent, limited term sales tax, MAPS 3 pays for debt-free projects that improve our quality of life. These projects included Scissortail Park, Oklahoma City Streetcar, Convention Center, Riversport Rapids, Bennett Event Center at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds, senior health, and wellness centers, trails, sidewalks and more.
Groundbreaking
A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the Upper Park in June 2017. One year later the logo and brand for The Park was revealed. Created by local firm Staplegun, the logo represents a stylized outline of the scissortail flycatcher, as well as this brand promise: Scissortail Park is an enduring civic treasure that brings Oklahoma’s natural beauty to life in a safe, welcoming and playful environment that encourages community gathering, stewardship, culture and education for neighbors, visitors and future generations.


Design
The 70-acre, $132 million Scissortail Park, designed by internationally acclaimed landscape architecture firm Hargreaves Associates, links the heart of the city to the riverfront, long aspired to and set forth in the city’s “Core to Shore” plan. The north 36-acre Park design features the Love’s Travel Stops Stage and Great Lawn outdoor performance venue, a lake with pedal boats, urban gardens with a café, recreational facilities, children’s play areas, a civic scaled interactive fountain and multiple walking/jogging paths, all set within regionally specific native woodland and prairie landscapes. The Boathouse, Stage, Spark Cafe’ (opening 2020) and Pavilions by Butzer Architects recall the vernacular architecture of the settlements that dotted the Oklahoma plains. The Promenade with unique art lighting by Jamie Carpenter links the downtown end of The Park across Interstate 40 via the pedestrian Skydance Bridge through the Lower Park and near the river. The 34-acre Lower Park will feature soccer fields, basketball and pickleball courts, a demonstration kitchen, as well as an outdoor performance venue.
The Architects
Hargreaves Associates has been at the forefront of landscape architecture and planning for more than 30 years and is globally renowned for the transformation of neglected urban sites, waterfronts and campuses into memorable places that have become icons for their cities. The firm has won more than 100 national and international awards and is the 2016 winner of the Cooper Hewitt National Design Award and the Rosa Barba International Landscape Prize. Their work focuses on producing memorable landscapes for a wide range of urban design, waterfront, public parks, academic, corporate, institutional, and residential projects. Examples include the 274-acre Parklands for London’s 2012 Olympics, Crissy Field in San Francisco, and Louisville’s Waterfront Park.


Management
The Park is managed by Scissortail Park Foundation under a lease and management agreement with the Oklahoma City Economic Development Trust. Scissortail Park Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization responsible for raising funds to support The Park through donations, sponsorships, and earned revenues.
Latest News
Scissortail Park’s Stage and Great Lawn named for Love’s Travel Stops
Innovative irrigation keeps Scissortail Park ‘green’
240-foot pedestrian bridge progress
Contact
General Inquiries
(405) 445-6277
info@scissortailpark.org
Media/Press
Media Inquiries
Stacey Aldridge
Director of Marketing and Communications
(405) 696-6451
saldridge@scissortailpark.org