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President of Green-Wood Cemetery retires after nearly 40 years

The visionary leader positioned Green-Wood at the forefront of memorialization, arts, culture and climate resilience

September 30, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

Richard J. Moylan, president of the national landmark Green-Wood Cemetery.
Photo: Mike Sheehan

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GREEN-WOOD CEMETERY — Richard J. Moylan served as the president of Green-Wood Cemetery since 1986 and announced his decision to retire in 2025.

As the head of one of the nation’s most storied cemeteries, Moylan has been an inspirational leader with an unwavering dedication to Green-Wood’s future. His vision to actively welcome the public and share the cemetery’s history, nature, art and abiding tranquility has been the hallmark of his tenure. Over Moylan’s 38 years as president, Green-Wood has emerged as a beloved site in New York City.

Though president for nearly four decades, Moylan held nearly every job at the cemetery over fifty years of service at the landmark. Moylan started as a grass cutter while he attended New York Law School, and he soon rose to lead the organization with a strong passion for the cultural landscape of his home in Brooklyn.

Peter W. Davidson, chair of Green-Wood’s Board of Trustees, praised Moylan’s extraordinary legacy, noting, “Richard Moylan has not only preserved the history and beauty of Green-Wood but expanded its impact in ways none of us could have imagined. He has been a tireless leader with an unwavering dedication to both the Cemetery and the people who come here to reflect, learn, and connect. His leadership and vision have set Green-Wood on a path that will inspire us for generations to come.”

From Moylan’s successful efforts, Green-Wood was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 2006, cementing its place as a site of great historical, cultural and architectural significance. Moylan is particularly proud of Green-Wood’s upcoming Education and Welcome Center, which will come to fruition in 2025.

Moylan was an inspirational leader who expanded the institution upon its role as a sacred place of memorialization to become a multifaceted cultural and educational destination. Green-Wood welcomes over 450,000 visitors annually and serves over 40,000 people with programs, tours and events ranging from trolley tours to concerts in the Catacombs and from art installations to environmental education for students.

Some of Moylan’s core initiatives included cemetery services, cultural programming, environmental leadership, education and community engagement.

In keeping with Green-Wood’s founding principles, dignified and caring memorial services have been Moylan’s top priority. His introduction of green burials and environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional burials reflects his enduring focus on sustainability and serving the New York community.

Recognizing that Green-Wood inspires many forms of arts and culture, Moylan has created a department of public programming to expand the arts. Recent programs have included concerts in the Catacombs, dance performances, outdoor art installations, walking tours and an artist-in-residence program.

Green-Wood’s arboretum of over 8,600 trees achieved the second highest level of accreditation in the world. Moylan has made climate resilience a key priority for Green-Wood and has overseen the creation of perennial meadows, expanded tree planting and the implementation of a massive stormwater management program.

In recent decades, Green-Wood has become a unique and dynamic place of learning. Moylan has been instrumental in establishing robust education programs, which serve students from 3K to 12th grades, college students, postdoctoral scholars and environmental researchers. Further, Green-Wood has offered a workforce development program in masonry restoration since 2018.

One of Moylan’s key objectives from the outset has been to welcome the public to enjoy Green-Wood. Green-Wood’s many partnerships with community organizations in New York City have further expanded awareness of and access to the cemetery.

Moylan is a board member of the National Sculpture Society (Green-Wood is a recipient of its Herbert Adams Award) and he is a recipient of the Fine Arts Federation’s highest honor, “for his leadership in renewing Brooklyn’s Green-Wood Cemetery as a signature cultural landscape of NYC.” He received the Place Maker award of the Foundation for Landscape Studies in 2016 and the New York Landmarks Conservancy’s Chairman’s Award. Earlier this year, Moylan was recognized as a Pillar of New York by the Preservation League of New York State for his dedication and exceptional leadership of Green-Wood.

Moylan’s connection to Green-Wood is deeply personal. Both of his parents are interred there, which further deepens his commitment to preserving the Cemetery for future generations.

The national search for Green-Wood’s next president will be conducted by PBR Executive Search, with input from a transition committee led by the Board of Trustees. The new leader will be tasked with continuing Moylan’s legacy of innovation and ensuring Green-Wood remains an esteemed cemetery; a celebrated leader in arts, culture, education and environmental sustainability; and a treasured institution for future generations.

Established in 1838, The Green-Wood Cemetery, a National Historic Landmark, is recognized as one of the world’s most beautiful cemeteries. As the permanent residence of over 570,000 individuals, Green-Wood’s magnificent grounds, grand architecture and world-class statuary have made it a destination for half a million visitors annually, including national and international tourists, New Yorkers and Brooklynites. At the same time, Green-Wood is also an outdoor museum, an arboretum and a repository of history. Throughout the year, it offers innovative programs in arts and culture, nature and the environment, education, workforce development, restoration and research, as well as bold initiatives in climate resiliency and sustainability.