Brian Galligan is among the founding staff members of Naples Botanical Garden and shaped the 170-acre campus into one of the region’s most-visited attractions. He is an internationally recognized leader in the collection and conservation of tropical and subtropical plants and is frequently tapped to share his expertise. Brian joined the team in 2007 as Horticulture Manager, moving into the executive role of Vice President of Horticulture. He influenced the original design, plant selection, and creation of all display gardens. He currently serves in his new role of Vice President of Landscape Innovation, overseeing a team of more than 30, who are responsible for designing and maintaining the cultivated gardens and nursery operations. Brian played a pivotal role in the design and creation of the Evenstad Horticulture Campus, a multimillion endeavor that will launch the Garden into its next era and enable it to expand its work throughout Southwest Florida.
Brian twice oversaw the restoration of the Garden after Hurricane Irma in 2017 and Hurricane Ian in 2022. He has led extensive collection trips and collaborated with botanical gardens and horticulturists around the world. He most recently guided a complicated tree-moving project on Rodrigues Island near Mauritius in East Africa to save five historic trees, the last of their kind.
Brian’s previous horticultural experience includes multimillion-dollar landscape maintenance and installation contracts for high-end facilities and communities in Southwest Florida. He also maintains his personal farm with vast tropical fruit and ornamental collections with an emphasis on evaluations and applications for home and commercial use. Brian has a Bachelor of Science degree in Horticulture from Auburn University with an emphasis on landscape design. Brian is a 2020 Leadership Collier graduate and was named to the Gulfshore Business 40 Under 40 list in 2014.
