By the mid-1970s, managerial neglect resulted in a decline in park conditions. A 1973 report noted that the park suffered from severe erosion and tree decay, and that individual structures were being vandalized or neglected.[198] The Central Park Community Fund was subsequently created based on the recommendation of a report from a Columbia University professor.[199] The Fund then commissioned a study of the park's management and suggested the appointment of both a NYC Parks administrator and a board of citizens.[200] In 1979, Parks Commissioner Gordon Davis established the Office of Central Park Administrator and appointed Elizabeth Barlow, the executive director of the Central Park Task Force, to the position.[201][202] The Central Park Conservancy, a nonprofit organization with a citizen board, was founded the following year.[21][22]