Bob Doyle retires after 47 years at East Bay Regional Park District
I have spent so much time in Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park that it sometimes feels like I raised my kids in that forest. For all of my time as an East Bay resident and park enthusiast, it has been my friend Bob Doyle at the helm of the illustrious East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD)—general manager of the largest regional park system in the nation. As Bob retires after 47 years at EBRPD, he leaves behind an inspiring legacy.
A veteran of the parks and natural resources field, Bob is a visionary leader and a passionate advocate of parks and their visitors, from city to wilderness. Having started as a ranger for EBRPD nearly half a century ago, he has spent the last nine years in his role as general manager sustaining the vitality of our most treasured landscapes and bringing to bear unforgettable parks experiences for diverse communities, from the rolling hills overlooking Fremont to the vibrant redwood forests of East Oakland to the shores of San Pablo Bay. The 73 parks of this district receive 25 million visits a year. Bob’s work and EBRPD have long been an exemplary model for how to connect people with the beauty and power of nature through welcoming and resonant parks.
The League has worked with Bob for decades and with EBRPD since its founding in the 1930s. In 2018, during the League’s centennial, we had the great honor of partnering with them to create the Old Growth Redwood Heritage Viewing Deck and Interpretive Exhibit at Roberts Regional Recreation Area. Bob is a true friend to the League, to the redwoods, and to our Bay Area community. He will be dearly missed. But you don’t spend 47 years saving the special places of a region like the East Bay and leave it all behind—I’m certain I will see Bob out on the trails again.
