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From the Executive Director
While many positive changes are occurring in the Botanical Garden, the most important of those right now is the arrival of the new Director of the Botanical Garden and the Conservatory of Flowers. As many of you know, this enterprise is a public-private partnership, well over 50 years old. The management of the Botanical Garden depends not only on the staff, trustees and volunteers of the San Francisco Botanical Garden Society but also on the skills of the Recreation and Park Department partner.
Brent Dennis began his work for the Botanical Garden and the Department on June 25. I am delighted with his selection, believing that his skills and drive will make for even more positive changes here. Brent was the unanimous choice of all of us who participated in the review of the final candidates, paving the way for an outstanding partnership effort. Brent is a landscape architect who perhaps most notably managed the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan. This 125-acre garden features contemporary sculpture by well-known artists and became the second most visited attraction in the state of Michigan. Brent has worked for the public sector, in public-private partnerships and for private, non-profit corporations. He has raised a lot of money and sees to it that the gardens under his leadership are beautiful. "I appreciate the high level of aesthetic quality and attention to details that enrich the visitor experience", he says. I have pledged that the Society will work as tirelessly as he does to make even greater dreams come true for the Botanical Garden. We will begin to introduce Brent to you all over the next weeks and months. I feel certain that you will enjoy meeting and working with him as much as I have. Welcome, Brent!
Michael McKechnie
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