Naples Botanical Garden Announces New President and Chief Executive Officer

 For Immediate Release

Naples Botanical Garden Announces New President and Chief Executive Officer

Naples, FL – October 7, 2016:  Naples Botanical Garden announced today that Donna McGinnis has been appointed its President and Chief Executive Officer. She will assume her new responsibilities in January, 2017. McGinnis, who is currently serving as Senior Vice-President of the Missouri Botanical Garden, succeeds Brian Holley, the eleven year Garden leader who had announced his intent to retire at the end of this year.

Board Chair, Thomas McCann, said “We are enthusiastic that our extensive, national search has yielded such an outstanding leader from the non-profit sector. With 25 years of management experience, most recently as a member of the executive leadership team of one of the world’s outstanding Botanical Gardens, Donna McGinnis brings to Naples the talent and knowledge required to lead our Garden in its next phase of development.”

Prior to joining the Missouri Botanical Garden, McGinnis served as a Managing Director of the Missouri History Museum and has been an adjunct Professor at Washington University in St. Louis since 2006. She also served as a consultant to the Rome Group in St. Louis, counseling over 60 non-profit clients on strategic planning and fund-raising. She holds a masters degree in business administration and a bachelors degree in communications.

“It is an honor to assume leadership of the marvelous Naples Botanical Garden which has been recognized as a treasure in sub-tropical horticulture and conservation,” said McGinnis. “With the remarkable success that has been achieved in the twenty years since the Garden was founded, this is a wonderful opportunity to build on a very strong base.”

Naples Botanical Garden encompasses 170 acres, 80 of which have been developed into beautiful gardens, specimen trees and botanical collections, with wetlands and nature preserves featured in the remaining area. It is the site of the Everglades Wetlands Research Park, staffed by Florida Gulf Coast University scientists and researchers. It is also home to the 36,000 specimen Herbarium of Southwestern Florida, hosts the National Plumeria Collection and is habitat for numerous water fowl and protected gopher tortoises. The Garden offers over 60 Lifelong Learning classes and other educational opportunities for thousands of children and adults, ranging from therapeutic horticulture programs to photography, landscaping, gardening and the full range of the horticultural experience.