Gavin Cooke is the Vice President of Facility Operations at Naples Botanical Garden, overseeing the facility operations department and managing major projects across nearly 100,000 square feet of buildings and 175 acres of infrastructure. Since joining the Garden in 2011, Gavin has played a key role in its expansion, leading teams in maintenance and facilities, event support, safety and security, and IT.
He served as project manager for the new Evenstad Horticulture Campus, guiding the design, value engineering, and construction to create a highly functional and sustainable growing facility. Gavin began his journey at the Garden as a part-time maintenance team member while attending Florida Southwestern State College, earned a Bachelor of Applied Science in Management and Supervision, and worked his way through the Operations division that he now leads.
When he’s not at the Garden, Gavin enjoys volunteering within the community, camping and trail riding. He finds peace in nature and experiencing places largely untouched by people—a reminder of the balance between human progress and the natural world he works to protect.
