The Trust for Public Land Welcomes Sony Executive Keith E. Weaver to National Board of Directors

The Trust for Public Land announced today that Keith E. Weaver has joined the organization’s National Board of Directors. Weaver was elected to the board on June 22, 2020. 

“We’ve seen over the past year just how important parks and green spaces are to our well-being, especially in dense urban areas like Los Angeles,” said Weaver. “I’m looking forward to working with The Trust for Public Land to advance conversations around park equity and ensure communities across the country have safe, equitable access to parks.” 

Weaver is in the entertainment industry and a recognized leader in the social equity space. He is Executive Vice President, Global Policy and External Affairs at Sony Pictures Entertainment. Weaver has been a dedicated member of The Trust for Public Land California Advisory Board since January 2018, and is also a member of the Greater Los Angeles Committee. Weaver is co-founder of the Nearest Green Foundation, which promotes the legacy of Nathan “Nearest” Green, an enslaved man responsible for teaching Jack Daniel how to make whiskey. He also currently serves as board vice chair at Community Coalition and as a board member at Slavery No More and The Lagrant Foundation. 

Weaver is also chair of The Trust for Public Land’s Black History and Culture Council, focused on celebrating the lives, struggles, and victories of Black people in America. The Trust for Public Land is prioritizing telling the complete American story by recentering Black voices in the narrative by protecting, interpreting, and programming historical and culturally significant sites, and ensuring access to parks, schoolyards, and public spaces. 

Weaver was formerly the staff director of the California State Senate Redistricting Office and before working on legislative redistricting for the State of California, he was a regional manager of Community and Government Relations for Kaiser Permanente and served on the staff of former State Senator Herschel Rosenthal. He also served as chair of the California State Film Commission and as vice chair of the Board of Neighborhood Commissioners for the City of Los Angeles. Parks are an essential part of improving public health, protecting vulnerable communities from the impacts of the climate crisis, and building strong community cohesion. And yet, 100 million people, including 28 million kids, do not have access to a quality park within a 10-minute walk from home. The parks we do have are not equitable, as parks serving primarily Black, Latino, Indigenous and Native American, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other communities of color are half the size and serve five times more people per acre than parks in primarily white neighborhoods.  

To bring health, climate and community benefits of the outdoors to all, The Trust for Public Land is leading a coalition of more than 200 nonprofits, companies, and community groups, we are calling on Congress to approve an emergency $500 million investment in community parks with the bipartisan Parks, Jobs and Equity Act. In addition, The Trust for Public Land is challenging the private sector to invest $50 million for the new Equitable Communities Fund to energize and accelerate the efforts of historically marginalized communities to create parks and open space across 62 communities where funding can be used immediately to help expand access.  

About The Trust for Public Land 

The Trust for Public Land creates parks and protects land for people, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come. Millions of people live near a Trust for Public Land park, garden, or natural area, and millions more visit these sites every year. To support The Trust for Public Land and share why nature matters to you, visit www.tpl.org. 

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