our Mission
Jenkins Arboretum & Gardens celebrates the wonder of plants and place as a destination for education, conservation, and community connection.
our team
Staff
Janice Legg
Arboretum Administrator
Alyssa Turner
Development Assistant
Stephanie Kuniholm
Director of External Relations
Steve Wright
Director of Horticulture / Curator of Plant Collections
Amy Mawby
Education Manager
Thomas A. Smarr, Jr.
Executive Director
Gus Feudale
Facilities & Grounds Manager
Caroline Durham
Greenhouse & Nursery Assistant
Helen Standen
Greenhouse & Nursery Manager
Riley Callow
Hamilton Horticulture Apprentice
Julia Matthews
Hamilton Horticulture Apprentice
Karen Miller
Head Horticulturist
Greg Englebach
Visitor Services Associate
Heather Fitzgerald
Visitor Services Associate
Bonnie Jean Mellor
Visitor Services Associate
Mary Ostien
Visitor Services Associate
Lisa Boehne Tobias
Visitor Services Associate
Sharon Torello
Visitor Services Associate
Bonnie Witmer
Visitor Services Associate
Board of Directors
Ted Patterson
President
Karen Huang
Vice President
Jason Botzler
Treasurer
Laura Shook
Secretary
Tony Baker
J. Joseph Blandy
Becky Bradbeer
Julia Wood DeVuono
John W. Fischer
David Hucker
Lawrence B. Liss
Matt McLoughlin
Susan Mintun
Ted Morse
Sushma Rajagopalan
Angela Scully
Alice Doering, Emerita
Marjorie Epps Kennedy, Emerita
Marilyn O. Sifford, Emerita
Margaret H. Wolcott, Emerita
John Otto Haas, Honorary
Discover our roots.
The history of Jenkins is a love story. It sprouted from the love between a husband and wife and their love of horticulture and nature. This love flourished at every stage, through the dedication staff, volunteers, and each visitor.
strategic plan 2023-2027
Building on our mission and history, our new strategic plan charts a course for the organization for the next few years and sets the foundation for future decades’ growth and relevancy. We are committed to making progress on the following goals by 2027. In doing so, we will be responsible stewards of our community’s generous donations, and will continue to serve the people, plants, and animals who thrive because of this special place.
Goal 1: Position Jenkins as a model of and leader in ecological horticulture and environmental stewardship.
Everything we do at Jenkins is in partnership with nature. This unique approach to horticulture is becoming increasingly important as our world experiences dramatic changes in temperature, rainfall, and other climate-related events. Over the next few years, we will work to share our unique expertise in ecological horticulture and environmental stewardship, using our site as a hub for learning and public education. At the same time, we will work to increase our own knowledge of how best to care for our landscape and resources.
Goal 2: Broaden Jenkins’ local reach by inviting more, and more diverse, people into our garden and community.
We have worked hard to make Jenkins an approachable, accessible space for everyone who chooses to visit. With free admission and visitation hours every day of the year, some barriers to access are already removed. But there’s still much more work to do! Through increased partnerships, improved communications, expanded amenities, staff learning, and upgrades to our physical site, we will strive to make Jenkins increasingly approachable for all visitors.
Goal 3: Foster a deeper connection to place among Jenkins’ visitors.
As a place-based organization, we are always looking to deepen the connection between our visitors and our physical site. To do this better in the coming years, we need to improve our physical facilities to handle increased visitation while preserving the tranquility of the garden that so refreshes our visitors. As we complete capital improvements, we will also create new and improved opportunities for visitors to form life-changing relationships with plants and place.
Goal 4: Increase Jenkins’ fundraising capacity by deepening relationships with our existing donor pool and cultivating a new generation of donors.
The original gifts of land from the Jenkins and Browning families were generous, yet they were accompanied by insufficient funding to support the infant organization that would grow to become Jenkins. Through donations of all sizes from individuals over many years, Jenkins has grown to serve our community while attaining financial stability. Looking to the future, we need to invest in the internal systems and capacities that will allow us to bolster support and attract increased donations. Additionally, we hope to deepen and develop relationships with community members who share our vision for the future. By strengthening our relationship with aligned donors, we will be strengthening Jenkins as an organization, allowing a wider audience to engage with this wonderful place.
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