Chanticleer Scholars

Current Scholars

Christopher S. Paules, Director of Horticulture and Facilities at Millbourne a newly formed public garden in York, PA, will complete two online leadership courses with Cornell and Harvard Universities and travel to visit with public garden leaders.

Sandi Polyakov, Head Gardener at Shofuso Japanese House & Garden will study in Kyoto, Japan alongside professional gardeners for six-weeks in the fall of 2023.

Tara Spears, Curatorial Assistant at Jenkins Arboretum & Gardens will use the Scholarship to continue her research involving a newly described rhododendron species, travel to attend the American Rhododendron Society annual conference, and subsequent meetings with Atlanta Botanic Garden staff and other conservation experts.

Mitja-Bontempo

Mitja Bontempo, Horticulturist at Cornell Botanic Gardens will work alongside the staff of the Orito Ingi-Ande Sanctuary of Medicinal Plants and the leaders of the Cofan and other indigenous people in Putumayo, Colombia and learn about conservation, indigenous plant cultivation practices, and environmental education.

2022

Beth Pinargote, Adult Education Director, Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, Illinois
Cristina Tessaro, Associate Director of Activation, Public Gardens & Landscapes, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

2021

Jessica Turner-Skoff, PhD, Treeologist and Science Communication Leader at The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Illinois
Erin Conley, Rose Garden Horticulturist at the Morris Arboretum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Eddy Dawson, Director of Programs at Red Butte Garden, Salt Lake City, Utah
Sara Straate, Seed Historian at Seed Savers Exchange, Decorah, Iowa

2020

Carley Beck, Native Plant Gardener at the Idaho Botanical Garden, Boise, Idaho
Dan Crowley, Global Conservation Consortia Manager, Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), London, England
Samantha Peckham, Senior Horticulturist, Cantigny Park, Wheaton, Illinois
Elin Filbey, former Director of Programs and Community Engagement, Allen Centennial Garden, Madison, Wisconsin
Whitney Costner, Conservation Biologist, Bok Tower Gardens, Lake Wales, Florida

2019

Katrina Noland, Land Management Specialist, St Johns River Water Management District, Geneva, Florida; former Land Manager, Bok Tower Gardens, Lake Wales, Florida
Matt Lobdell, Curator of Living Collections, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Illinois
Paul Orpello, Director of Gardens and Horticulture, Hagley Museum and Library, Wilmington, Delaware
Evan Meyer, Executive Director, Theodore Payne Foundation, Sun Valley, California; former Assistant Director, UCLA Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden, Los Angeles, California

2018

Bryan Thompson-Nowak, Director of Education, Morris Arboretum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Carissa Dougherty, Head of Knowledge Management, Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Illinois
Daniel J. Hinkley, Director, Heronswood Garden, Kingston, Washington
Sara Stevenson, Communications and Content Manager, Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability, Ithaca, New York; former Director of Audience Development, Mt. Cuba Center, Hockessin, Delaware
Steffen Mirsky, Emerging Crops Commercialization Outreach Specialist, University of Wisconsin-Madison; former Evaluation and Trials Manager, Seed Savers Exchange, Decorah, Iowa
William Wallace, Curator, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn, New York

2017

Laura Ekasetya, North American Agent, Piet Oudolf Collections; former Director and Head Horticulturist, the Lurie Garden, Chicago, Illinois
Steven A. Wright, Director of Horticulture and Curator of Plant Collections, Jenkins Arboretum, Devon, Pennsylvania
Gwyn Rager, former Horticulturist, Newfields, Indianapolis, Indiana

2016

Francheska Snyder, Gardener, Portland Japanese Garden, former Head Gardener, Shofuso Japanese House and Garden, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Ayse Pogue, Senior Horticulturist, Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, Illinois
Sarah Beck, Executive Director, Pacific Horticulture Society, Berkeley, California; Director, Program & Education, American Public Gardens Association, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania
Ben Futa, Owner, Botany LLC, South Bend, Indiana ;former Director, Allen Centennial Garden, Madison, Wisconsin
Kurt Dreisilker, Head of Natural Resources, Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Illinois
Gabe Tilove, Associate Director of Adult Education and Community Outreach, former Adult Education Coordinator, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Garden, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

2015

Tyler Mason, Urban Regional Extension Agent, Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Birmingham, Alabama; former Horticulturist, Cheyenne Botanic Gardens, Cheyenne, Wyoming
Kelly D. Norris, Plantsman, Gardens by Kelly Productions, Des Moines, Iowa; former Director of Horticulture, Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden
Edward Scott Lyon, Director, Reiman Gardens, Ames, Iowa
Harnek Singh, Horticulturist, Wave Hill, Bronx, New York
Frederique Lavoipierre, Principal at Phoenix Enterprises, Sebastapool, California ; former Director of Education, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Santa Barbara, California

2014

Andre ten Dam, Director of Operations, former Director of Volunteer & Guest Services, Bloedel Reserve, Bainbridge Island, Washington
Kelly Ann Fernandez, Herb Gardener, The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Garden, San Marino, California
Jennifer Williams, Curator of the Shakespeare Garden & Fragrance Garden, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn, New York
Panayoti Kelaidis, Senior Curator and Director of Outreach, Denver Botanic Gardens, Denver, Colorado
Olwen Grace, PhD, Senior Research Leader, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Surrey, England
Tony Aiello, Associate Director, Conservation, Plant Breeding and Collections, Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania; former Director of Horticulture and Curator, Morris Arboretum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Kris Bachtell, Vice President of Collections and Facilities, Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Illinois

2013

Gregory Kramer, Superintendent of Parks and Trees Division / Town Tree Warden, Greenwich, Connecticut; former Director of Horticulture, Bok Tower Gardens, Lake Wales, Florida
Amy Padolf, Director of Education, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Miami, Florida
Joe Matassino, Director of Sponsored Research and Foundation Relations, Widener University, Chester, Pennsylvania; former Director of Development, Delaware Center for Horticulture in Wilmington, Delaware
Tracey Jessen, Horticulturist and Educator, Halifax Public Gardens in Nova Scotia, Canada
Jacob Burns, Horticulturist, Dow Gardens, Midland, Michigan; former Curator of Herbaceous Perennials, Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, Illinois
Robert Rensel, Horticulturist, Cleveland Botanical Garden, Cleveland, Ohio
Erin Riggs, Taxonomist, Hoyt Arboretum, Portland Oregon
David Weir, Manager, Greenhouse, Grounds & Ornamental Gardens, Agriculture Canada, British Columbia, Canada

2012

Elizabeth Hood, former Director of Education, Toronto Botanical Garden, Toronto, Ontario
Corey Scott Barnes, Garden Director, Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden, San Francisco, California; former Education Coordinator and Nursery Manager, Quarryhill Botanical Garden, Glen Ellen, California
Carrie Vesely Henderson, Executive Director, Iron Gate, former Vice President of Development and Outreach, Tulsa Botanic Garden, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Nicole Juday Rhoads, former Director of Audience Engagement, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; former Landscape Curator, The Wyck Association, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Chad E. Washburn, Vice President of Conservation, Naples Botanical Garden, Naples, Florida
Phyllis Odessey, Director of Horticulture, Randall's Island Park, New York, New York

2011

Andrew Hill, Curator of the David C. Lam Asian Garden, University of British Columbia Botanical Garden, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Connie Cottingham, independent Garden Writer and Speaker; former Public Relations & Special Events Coordinator, State Botanical Garden, Athens, Georgia
Tim Boland, Executive Director, Polly Hill Arboretum, Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts
Zhanna Yermakov, Stewardship Manager, Jefferson County Government, Golden, Colorado; former Natural Areas Manager, Chicago Park District, Chicago, Illinois
Andrew Schmitz, Director of Horticulture and General Manager, The Brenton Arboretum, Dallas Center, Iowa

2010

Andrew Bunting, Vice President of Public Horticulture, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; former Curator, Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania.
Stephanie Jutila, Executive Director, Toronto Botanical Garden, Toronto, Canada; former President and CEO, Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden, Des Moines, Iowa; former Director of Member Programs and Outreach, American Horticultural Society, Alexandria, Virginia
MaryLynn Mack, Chief Operating Officer, South Coast Botanic Garden, Palos Verdes Peninsula, California; former Deputy Director and Director of Operations, Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, Arizona.
Jennifer Lee, Senior Horticulturist, Shaw Nature Reserve of the Missouri Botanical Garden, Gray Summitt, Missouri

2009

Mark Dwyer, owner Landscape Prescriptions by MD, former Director of Horticulture, Rotary Botanical Gardens, Janesville, Wisconsin
Adrienne Roethling, Director, Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden, Kernersville, North Carolina
Ian Simpkins, Deputy Director for Horticulture and Urban Agriculture, former Chief Horticulturist, Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, Miami, Florida
Brian Sullivan, Vice President for Glasshouses and Landscape, New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York

2008

Brian Houck, Head of Gardens and Grounds, J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, California; former Chief Horticulturist, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, Illinois