DENVER, CO – May 3, 2022 – Denver Botanic Gardens is pleased to announce the appointment of Phillip Douglas as the new director of horticulture and the Center for Global Initiatives. Douglas succeeds Dr. Sarada Krishnan who served in this role for 16 years and will soon be Director of Programs for the Crop Trust in Bonn, Germany. Douglas joins the Gardens on May 9, 2022.
Douglas was most recently director of plant collections at Chicago Botanic Garden, having served previously as a horticulture curator. Prior to his time in Chicago, Douglas was director of horticulture at Gainesway Farm in Lexington, Kentucky. He is chair of the Plant Collecting Collaborative which organizes global plant exploration, is a board member of the International Oak Society and and managed Chicagoland Grows©, a plant introduction program. Prior to his career in horticulture, Douglas served for eight years as a platoon sergeant in the United States Marine Corps. He has a master’s in public administration from Eastern Kentucky University and a bachelor’s of science in horticulture from the University of Cincinnati. Douglas has extensive experience in logistics, budgeting, construction, landscape design and public outreach.
“I feel incredibly privileged for the opportunity to join this esteemed institution,” says Douglas. “It is an honor to be chosen to lead this team of revered horticulturists, and I am greatly looking forward to exploring the connections of people and plants with this team.”
Denver Botanic Gardens CEO Brian Vogt, says “Phil arrives at a time when the Gardens’ horticulture team is rapidly increasing their impact and reach, from organizing the first Global Steppe Summit this summer to launching sustainable public horticulture projects throughout Colorado. His background and leadership skills will be essential to maximizing our aim to move the world.”
About Denver Botanic Gardens
Green inside and out, Denver Botanic Gardens was founded in 1951 and is considered one of the top botanical gardens in the United States and a pioneer in water conservation. Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, the Gardens has a robust living plant collection, natural history collection and art collection along with temporary art exhibitions. The Gardens is a dynamic, 24-acre urban oasis in the heart of the city, offering unforgettable opportunities to flourish with unique garden experiences for the whole family – as well as worldclass exhibitions, education and plant conservation research programs. Additional sites extend this experience throughout the Front Range: Denver Botanic Gardens Chatfield Farms is a 700-acre native plant refuge with an active farm in Jefferson County; Mount Goliath is a high-altitude trail and interpretive site on the Mount Evans Scenic Byway. The Gardens also manages programming at Plains Conservation Center in Aurora. For more information, visit us online at www.botanicgardens.org.
