President
Bruce A. Harkey, President and CEO, joined Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in 2007. As a premier botanical garden destination, the Conservatory connects people to nature and creates life enhancing experiences.
To advance this mission, Harkey led the successful development of ten new world-class facilities and botanical gardens. A $45 million capital campaign, supported by both private and public sectors, brought this bold vision to life. The completion of The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation Children’s Garden and the Expanded Visitor Experience projects in 2018 marked a new era focused on enhancing the guest experience while expanding access to underserved communities.
Following a North Star Visioning process in 2022, the Conservatory began developing a long-term master plan to support its continued growth and impact. In 2024, after 24 months of community research and collaboration with architecture and design experts, the North Star Master Plan was unveiled. This ambitious vision—featuring more than 15 transformational capital projects—will guide the Conservatory’s evolution over the next 25 years.
Prior to the Conservatory, Harkey spent four years with Honda Motor Company in Tokyo, Japan in an international management training program and fourteen years in management positions with Honda of America Manufacturing in Marysville, Ohio. Harkey received
Bachelor of Science degrees in Landscape Horticulture and Package Engineering from Michigan State University.
Harkey’s leadership and community involvement include serving as Past President of the American Public Gardens Association (APGA) and as a current board member of the Friends of the Ohio Governor’s Residence and Heritage Garden. He is a former Board President of both the Columbus Cultural Leadership Consortium (CCLC) and CATCO (The Contemporary). His past board service also includes the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts (CAPA), Clintonville Beechwood Resources Center (CRC), Experience Columbus, and the Asian Festival.
