Ihave worked in Botanical Gardens for more than 15 years with dutiesranging from curation of collections to development (including fundraising) andprogramming. I have a strong backgroundin botany, including plant physiology and taxonomy (especially ferns andorchids) but round out my knowledge with a passion for the sciences and thearts. I am also a PADI certified scubadiver.
Education –
MS Biology, AndrewsUniversity.I held a focus on animal and plant behavior completing a thesis on theinteractions of Laurus glaucescens. I also was the first graduate student tocontract teach an upper level course - in Ornithology. While completing my program I managed andrevamped the 2,500 sq. ft. conservatory creating a teaching collection andeducational programming offered to local schools.
Aftermy Masters I had the unique opportunity to work on post graduate research withWarren Herbert Wagner, an experience I treasure.
BS EnvironmentalScience (cognate in Biology and minor in Psychology) University of Michigan – Dearborn. I completed athesis as part of my coursework dealing with adaptive photosynthetic rates ofplants. I also developed educationalprogramming for the University’s 300+ acre Environmental study area and held aside focus in Art History in my studies.
MyWork Experience & Accomplishments
Mounts Botanical Garden-Successfully solicited and won ten grant proposals to enhance the Garden'sdesign, development and educational programming. Prepared materials andincreased Member Appeal donations 40%. Coordinated major fundraising benefitsRaised more than $150,000 in sponsorships for programs; including cash andin-kind contributions. Coordinated a charette to design the first garden in theMounts' Master Plan.. Wrote articles and a regular column for the Garden'smagazine, the Leaflet. Prepared collateral materials for programs andfundraising endeavors. Facilitated in the development of friend-raising eventsin the Garden; raising more than $1 million in 5 years. Taught and lectured ona variety of botanical subjects; on and off campus. Engaged in collaborativeefforts with other related organizations and businesses. Played an active rolein Board development and education. Created procedures and protocols forDevelopment endeavors.
American Orchid Society-Developed events for the garden, including a festival focused on the vanillaorchid. Structured the facility rentals, creating procedures to coordinate andtrack rentals. Organized class information; created a speaker database andfacilitated in the recruitment of potential class instructors. Wrote guidelinesfor art exhibitions and networked with high-caliber artists to develop anexhibition schedule at the facility. Designed promotional material for grouptours and ongoing programming at the AOS and actively marketed them. Wrote asuccessful grant proposal to produce a full color guide to the garden.
Fernwood BotanicalGarden & Nature Preserve - Curated and developed fern collections; includinginterpretive materials. Managed the Kay Boydston Fern House, increasing thecollection 800%. Wrote the collection policy to govern the oversight of allcollections in the garden. Developed information and the strategy to redesignthe web site. Initiated marketing strategy for the garden and programs.Facilitated the preliminary processes for strategic planning. Managed specialevents (including marketing) for the Spring Symposium, Blue Lawn Festival, JunePicnic, Orchid Show, Herb Festival and Lights Before Christmas. Initializedparticipation in the fern hardiness research program. Coordinated educationalprogramming in horticulture related topics. Organized and hosted the 2001American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta (AABGA) Midwest RegionalMeeting. Wrote several successful grant proposals for programs, interpretationand garden assessment. Facilitated business appeal and assisted in otheraspects of the gardens fundraising endeavors. Facilitated in the production ofFernwood's marketing plan. Produced the Garden's annual reports. Promoted theGarden in private and professional publications including the Public Garden.Prepared and operated budgets for each aspect of my responsibilities.
American Association ofBotanical Gardens & Arboreta (now American Public Garden Association - Spearheaded therevitalization of the North American Plant Collections Consortium (NAPCC)including the promotion, facilitating applications and ensuring the perpetuityof the program. Set benchmarks for the standards of curation of collections ingardens and created connections with the American Association of Museums (AAM)to certify gardens as museums with living collections. Planned and executed twogreatly successful AABGA Annual Conference programs setting record attendances.Coordinated programming for the first World Botanic Garden Congress.Disseminated technical information to botanic gardens throughout North Americanand the World; developed new materials for the organizations Resource Center andaided in its reorganization. Reorganized the AABGA web site priming it forrestructuring. Served as office information systems specialist ensuring Y2Kcompliance. Instituted a central network server to handle all AABGA data.Developed procedures and protocols for meeting management as well as ExhibitHall management at the Annual Conferences. Wrote articles for professionaljournals, including the Public Garden.
Ecological Philosophy:
Anew strategy for organizations and conservation messages and methodologies:
Weare learning that the world is far more connected that we ever realized. Cause and effect has never been so readilyobserved, whether it is in man-made phenomenon (such as economic systems) ornatural phenomenon such as climate and geological processes. All of these can be observed on local andglobal scales.
Manytimes the ‘over simplification’ of the message has resulted in problems. The coining of the term ‘Global Warming’ over‘Climate Change’ is a prime example; giving rise to the misconception thatwarmer temperatures are the only ramification as opposed to extremes intemperature and weather fluctuations.
Theneed for a new premise has risen to illustrate everyone has an impact on theworld and its thriving. We need to makedecisions that will shape physical realty in a positive manner.
BotanicalGardens, Zoos and Museums have a powerful platform to education the connectionbetween people (cultures), plants and animals in a holistic fashion.
