About Us
P3 is a nonprofit (501c3) dedicated to working with the people of Providence and city departments to help activate and revitalize public spaces including parks, recreation centers, and streetscapes.
WHAT WE DO
P3 builds, strengthens, and maintains relationships with city departments and community organizations. We draw on our dynamic network of partners to provide tailored support and resources for our diverse Friend and Member groups through programs and events. These initiatives improve access and help transform neighborhood parks, recreation centers, and streetscapes into thriving spaces that reflect the needs and character of their communities.
OUR MISSION
To empower the people of Providence to engage with their public spaces, leverage partnerships, and co-create initiatives that enhance these spaces and improve collective well being.
Our Values:
Equity, Access, & Social Justice
P3 BY THE NUMBERS
When it comes to activating public space, we have years of experience and a vast network of people and organizations that come together to bring initiatives to life.
10
YEARS IN OPERATION
P3 was founded in 2012 by Wendy Nilsson, a PVD resident and former Brown St. Park Friend. Wendy recognized an opportunity to create an organization that communicated with local government and the people of PVD to empower residents to make the most of city parks and their resources. Wendy continues to support P3’s work as the current Superintendent of the City of Providence’s Parks Department!
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FRIEND & MEMBER GROUPS
P3 supports a variety of Member groups throughout the city. Member groups are collectives of individuals that come together with a shared interest in a public space, who support and advocate for the space, and who choose a group name that best represents their group (i.e. Park Friend). Currently, P3 supports Park, Recreation Center, School and Artist Member Groups!
80+
COMMUNITY PARTNERS
Our community partners are those organizations locally and nationally, public and private, that contribute valuable resources in support of P3’s work. We’re proud to have partners that span the retail, food service, education, government, manufacturing, environmental, non-profit, and art sectors.
In Action
Park Friends gather for a cleanup!
meet our board
KATHY DROHAN
Kathy serves as Chair of the Board, has served on P3’s board since 2018, and has been involved with P3 dating back to 2013 when she coordinated 100 of her students from Johnson & Wales University to volunteer for the PVD Color Run. Kathy draws on her background in education to establish P3 as a partner for educators seeking to provide impactful, real world event management and community engagement opportunities for students. As a PVD local who grew up playing in green spaces throughout the city, Kathy is inspired by P3’s championing of our city’s parks, recreation and community centers, and streetscapes.
HELENE MILLER
Helene is the Lead Organizer of The Partnership, and began her tenure with P3 in 2013, as our Officer of Play. Helene is a Providence resident who started and is currently part of the friends group at Cabral Park. She served as a toy inventor, specializing in designing large scale functional works of art which encourage play across ability, gender, and generations. She was the Curator of the Artball, a NYC-wide juried prize for new artists hosted by the Children’s Museum of the Arts; and locally, Curator of the Unicorns in Residence project. Helene has extensive experience managing complex projects and developing unique and meaningful partnerships. She lives and plays in and around Providence Parks and Recreation Centers with her husband, four sons, and four dogs.
GEOFFRY MEEK
Geoffry is a founding board member of the Partnership, a resident of Providence, and an active friend of Brown Street Park. He’s a technologist specializing in content and geographic information systems and brings with him expertise in directing how technology is leveraged to align and execute park goals. Geoff was also an Officer (Treasurer) of Independent Media Productions, a nonprofit that he joined to help guide them from bankruptcy and restart publication of their flagship independent media magazine—The Independent—recently acquired by Emerson College. His current work is searching maps with HERE Technologies, and consulting for 3D computer vision projects. He has many years of experience as an entrepreneur and advisor to companies, both for and non-profit.
PEARL FARQUHARSON
Pearl supports and upholds the Partnership’s mission by leveraging her extensive skill set spanning strategic planning, logistical and event management, and her innate ability to produce thought provoking and intentional experiences that bolster organizations and communities. In addition to serving on P3’s board, Pearl is the Sole Proprietor and Creative Director of a full service event planning and design firm based out of Providence.
The New York City native says that her upbringing instilled in her a deep understanding that the community that one inhabits can have a strong impact on major life decisions and outcomes. She sees her work with the Partnership as an opportunity to strengthen communities across Providence, saying “this work is so much greater than scheduled activities, it is a significant hub for impact. I am honored to support positive change.”