Zari Santner was Director of Portland Parks & Recreation from 2003 until her retirement from the City of Portland in 2011. Her nearly 30 years of service with the City was exemplified by her commitment to equity of service delivery to all Portlanders, expansion and protection of parks and natural areas, and excellence in design for new parks and facilities.

She began her career with Portland Parks as a park designer, later serving as the manager for the implementation of 114 projects funded by the 1994 Parks Bond Measure which lead to her promotion to the senior manager position in charge of Planning and Capital Development Division, ending her career as the Director of the bureau. Highlights of her career stretches the gamut from specific projects- such as the establishments of the Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade on the eastbank of the Willamette, Jamison Square and Tanner Spring Park in the Pearl District, Director Park in downtown, and Powell Butte Nature Park in outer southeast Portland - to advocacy for parks policies, such as including parks as essential city infrastructure in city-wide budgetary processes - at the same level as water, sewer and transportation- and the establishment of the System Development Charge for parks. Prior to her employment with the City of Portland, Ms. Santner worked in several architectural and landscape architectural firms in Boston area and, briefly, in Tehran, Iran.

Zari received her bachelor's degree in Horticulture from the Tehran University and a masters degree in Landscape Architecture and Urban Design from Harvard University's Graduate School of Design. Ms. Santner’s civic and volunteer engagements include, Middle Eastern Studie Center of PSU (Board Member), Portland-Sapporo Sister City Association (Board Chair), Friends of Leach Botanical Garden (Leadership Council), Pittock Mansion Society (Board Member), Portland Parks Foundation (Board Member), Portland Design Commission ( Design Commissioner).