Last night there was a flurry of farewells instead of white stuff from Cobblestones upstairs to the Talon Room of UMass Lowell’s Tsongas Center as scores of friends, co-workers, and admirers gathered to pay tribute to departing city cultural affairs chief LZ Nunn and National Park Supt. Michael Creasey.

The Cultural Organization of Lowell (COOL) invited the ground troops of the arts and heritage front to thank and offer best wishes to LZ Nunn for her seven years of accomplishments and leadership at COOL. LZ poured herself in to projects like the world premiere of the Cambodian opera “Where Elephants Weep,” two editions of the Massachusetts Poetry Festival in Lowell, the Destination World/Discover Lowell series, and the start-up of a new City Hall administrative unit called Cultural Affairs and Special Events (CASE). Her time coincided with the Creasey years at the National Park.

UMass Lowell Chancellor Meehan hosted the packed reception at the Tsongas Center, where the air was supercharged in anticipation of the River Hawks hockey game against Boston University. Particularly with the Tsongas Industrial History Center education program, the University and National Park are long-standing collaborators. From the Public Matters leadership development program and the Kerouac scroll manuscript museum exhibition to Canalway construction projects and expansion of the Folk Festival, we saw big things happen on Michael’s shift at the Park.

LZ is going to the Greater Lowell Community Foundation for her next stage of work, and Michael is heading to a National Park post in Vermont. Both of them will be missed in the roles they filled so effectively.

The Park Service has its own going-away party for Michael planned for mid-March, where all the Park’s community partners and friends will have an opportunity see him.