See the potential.
There's something powerful about recognizing what someone can become—and helping create the conditions for them to get there.
People · Purpose · Possibility
What we build matters.
I've learned that the most meaningful work begins with people—and with believing in what's possible when we come together.
A little more about me
Darline Lalanne / A personal perspective
Curiosity ✳ Connection ✳ Leadership ✳ Possibility
A little about me
There is always more to the story.
I came to New York from Haiti when I was seven and grew up in Spanish Harlem—close enough to Central Park to walk there, but it never quite felt like it was meant for us. That feeling has shaped a lot of what I care about. A bilingual Haitian Creole–English program at my Harlem public school helped me find my footing, and I still move easily between English, French, and Haitian Creole.
My work has taken me across education, youth development, community organizations, and institutional partnerships—from leading programs and operations at Figure Skating in Harlem, to three director roles at New York Cares, to the public programs I lead today at Central Park Conservancy. The settings have changed, but the questions have stayed remarkably consistent: How do we bring people together? How do we recognize potential? And what does it take to create something that lasts?
Beyond any title, I'm drawn to the relationships, ideas, and decisions that shape what becomes possible for people and communities.
Along the way
Some of the work I'm proudest of.
Different rooms, same thread: making space for more people to belong, grow, and take part.
Figure Skating in Harlem250+K–12 students in after-school and summer programs I launched as Programs & Operations Director—supported by a team of about 60 teachers, tutors, and coaches.
New York Cares3director roles in six years at one of the city's largest volunteer organizations—across education, community relations, and institutional partnerships.
Central Park200K+visits in the first year of a new public space at the park's north end, with nearly a third coming from the surrounding neighborhoods.
Rooted72%of people at our community wellness series—yoga, storytelling, birding, jazz—said they left feeling more connected to the park.
AlsoGrant Advisory Committee, The New York Women's FoundationDeveloping Leaders Program, Columbia Business School
What I've come to believe
A few things
worth thinking about.
Connection changes things.
Trust, listening, and shared purpose can open doors that no strategy or plan can open alone.
Make room for more.
Good leadership asks not only what can be accomplished, but who gets to participate and what becomes possible next.
“I'm interested in what happens when people, ideas, and possibility meet.”
In conversation
More of the story.
A few places where I've shared my work and perspective. The conversation is always bigger than one role or one moment.
Crain's New York Business · February 2025Central Park exec is working to make new ice rink, pool a sanctuary for the communityRead the article (PDF)Amsterdam News · April 2025Community destinations and the people they serveWest Side SpiritPutting the Care into a CrisisVideo conversationLeading with Empathy
Stay in touch
Let's keep the
conversation going.
I'm always interested in thoughtful conversations about leadership, community, and the ideas that bring people together.
Say hello